42563615
Object-Relational DBMSs, Second Edition
7758508
Implementing the spirit of SQL-99
This paper describes the current INFORMIX IDS/UD release (9.2 or Centaur) and compares and contrasts its functionality with the features of the SQL-99 language standard. INFORMIX and Illustra have been shipping DBMSs implementing the spirit of the SQL-99 standard for five years. In this paper, we review our experience working with ORDBMS technology, and argue that while SQL-99 is a huge improvement over SQL-92, substantial further work is necessary to make object-relational DBMSs truly useful. Specifically, we describe several interesting pieces of functionality unique to IDS/UD, and several dilemmas our customers have encountered that the standard does not address.
12789110
Interoperability, Distributed Applications and Distributed Databases: The Virtual Table Interface
Users of distributed databases and of distributed application frameworks require interoperation of heterogeneous data and components, respectively. In this paper, we examine how an extensible, objectrelational database system can integrate both modes of interoperability. We describe the Virtual Table Interface, a facility of the INFORMIX-Dynamic Server Universal Data Option, that provides simplified access to heterogeneous components and discuss the benefits of integrating data with application components.
61130489
Object-Relational DBMSs: Tracking the Next Great Wave
From the Publisher: 
Discover why object-relational technology is ideal for supporting a broad spectrum of data types and application areas, from financial services to multimedia data. In this completely revised and updated edition, database experts Michael Stonebraker and Paul Brown explore the object-relational paradigm and examine the most recent developments in the field. Specially written for database application programmers, database analysts, and IT managers, this book includes detailed information on how to classify DBMS applications, where object-relational DBMSs fit in the database world, and what mechanisms are required to support such an engine.
209399498
The BUCKY Object-Relational Benchmark (Experience Paper).
2984369
BigSur: A System For the Management of Earth Science Data
In this paper we present a prototype system for the management of earth science data which is novel in that it takes a DBMS centric view of the the task. Our prototype -called "BigSur" -is shown in the context of its use by two geographically distributed scientific groups with demanding data storage and processing requirements. BigSur currently stores 1 Terabyte of data, about one thousandth of the volume EOSDIS must store. We claim that the design principles embodied in BigSur provide sufficient flexibility to achieve the difficult scientific and technical objectives of Mission to Planet Earth.
30490732
Reality versus imagination
2503385
Fix my street or else: using the internet to voice local public service concerns
UK local governments have invested heavily in ICT in recent years to improve public service delivery. Most local governments now operate contact centres and websites to exchange information and transactions with citizens. But the aspirations of central government go much further - to service "transformation" - and the expectation that citizens and communities will be actively engaged in service design and delivery. In parallel with this new political agenda, technological developments are enabling users to create their own online fora, and to generate their own content. These fora often address public service areas, such as healthcare, crime and education. This paper presents an evaluation of one of the first citizen-driven systems for local public service improvement in the UK: FixMyStreet.com (FMS). The system enables citizens to report, view or discuss local problems such as graffiti, fly tipping, broken paving slabs or street lighting, and to track their resolution by the local government concerned. The system went live in February 2007. FMS has attracted over 3000 problem reports and updates in its first six months, and is viewed very favourably by the citizens surveyed here. But many problems reported to the site remain "unfixed" with status "unknown". Local government officers voice a number of concerns: the site duplicates their own websites; they cannot report fixes directly to ensure the information is up-to-date; nor can they manage user expectations regarding service performance. And the site has no "sense of virtual community" (SOVC) [1], with individuals posting in isolation without the support of fellow citizens to amplify their voices or to contribute to problem resolution. The paper concludes by combining the concept of SOVC, factors identified as encouraging growth in online communities, and the example of a successful London community website, BRAIN, to suggest possible future developments for FMS and for public service fora in general.
5310188
My gasket
5352012
Toward Automated Large-Scale Information Integration and Discovery
The high cost of data consolidation is the key market inhibitor to the adoption of traditional information integration and data warehousing solutions. In this paper, we outline a next-generation integrated database management system that takes traditional information integration, content management, and data warehouse techniques to the next level: the system will be able to integrate a very large number of information sources and automatically construct a global business view in terms of “Universal Business Objects”. We describe techniques for discovering, unifying, and aggregating data from a large number of disparate data sources. Enabling technologies for our solution are XML, web services, caching, messaging, and portals for real-time dashboarding and reporting.
31883432
Implicit Fitness Functions for Evolving a Drawing Robot
We describe an approach to artificially evolving a drawing robot using implicit fitness functions, which are designed to minimise any direct reference to the line patterns made by the robot. We employ this approach to reduce the constraints we place on the robot's autonomy and increase its utility as a test bed for synthetically investigating creativity. We demonstrate the critical role of neural network architecture in the line patterns generated by the robot.