Data model integration using the structural model

ABSTRACT

One approach to the design of a logical model for an integrated database requires each potential user or application to specify its view as a data model. An integration phase follows, where these user data models are integrated into a global database model. We address the problem of view integration when user data models are expressed using the structural model [Wi77, WE79].The structural model is built from relations in Boyce-Codd normal form [Co74]. A basic set of integrity assertions is implicit in the model. The integrity assertions are defined by classification of relations into types, and are represented by connections between relations. We will show how to integrate different representations of two related real-world entity classes.

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INDEX TERMS

Keywords:
ansi/sparc dbms architecture, conceptual and external schema, data model integration, data semantics, entity classes and relationships, logical database design, relational model, structural model