9.3) VODAK (Research Systems - OO Data Model - Object-oriented Databases And Vendors)
Description
This article is from the Object-Oriented Technology FAQ, by Bob Hathaway rjh@geodesic.com with numerous contributions by others.
9.3) VODAK (Research Systems - OO Data Model - Object-oriented Databases And Vendors)
Research in the framework of VODAK focuses on an extensible data
model and database programming language, an advanced transaction
odel, object-oriented query language, and support for multimedia data.
The VODAK Data Model Language VML
Usually database models lack mechanisms for extending them with
additional modeling primitives. This limitation does not allow the
adaptation of the models for specific application needs, e.g. database
integration, multimedia document handling, hypertext modeling, etc.
The VODAK Model Language VML homogeneously integrates the concept of
metaclasses and the separation of types and classes with other
object-oriented concepts such as properties, methods, inheritance, and
object identity. Complex nested data structures can be defined using
the set, array, tuple, and dictionary type constructors. VML supports
its own programming language for implementing methods, specifying
transactions and an ad hoc query language.
In VML classes are used to organize a set of objects corresponding to
real world entities and relationships between them. Object types define
the structure of objects and the operations defined on these
structures. They are associated with classes in order to determine the
structure and behavior of the class' instances. Metaclasses are first
class objects whose instances are classes. Metaclasses are associated
with three object types: an (optional) own-type extending their own
behavior, an instance-type specifying the behavior of their instances
(which are classes), and an instance-instance-type specifying the
behavior of the instances of their instances. Metaclasses can be
organized in an instantiation hierarchy of arbitrary depth.
This approach leads to an open, adaptable data model which provides for
the specification of additional modeling primitives at a meta layer of
the database schema. The concept of metaclasses and the separation of
classes and types allow to determine the structure and behavior of
objects and the individual inheritance behavior via semantic
relationships between arbitrary objects already at the meta layer
independently from the specifications given at the application layer
for the application specific classes.
The VODAK Transaction Model
In VODAK, we focus on two specific problems of transaction management.
1. Operations to read and edit (hyper)documents are typically complex,
interactive and of long duration. A high degree of concurrency is
required to reduce the number and length of times a transaction is
blocked.
2. A publication environment has to handle existing database systems
for using and modifying remote information and documents. Transaction
managers of existing systems, i.e. concurrency control and recovery,
have to be integrated in a transparent way utilizing the functionality
of existing managers.
Our transaction model is based on open nested transactions. Compared to
conventional flat transactions, nested transactions allow more
concurrency and are more flexible for recovery. A nested transaction
is a tree-like structure, dynamically built up by the call of
subtransactions until a bottom implementation level is encountered.
We extended the open nested model from a fixed calling hierarchy of
operations in a layered system (multi-level transactions) to an
arbitrary calling hierarchy of operations in an object-oriented system.
Commutativity of operations is applied to system defined VODAK methods,
and to methods of user defined object types. For the second type of
operations, we developed a framework to specify commutativity and
inverse operations in VML.
Query Processing
Although nearly all object-oriented data models proposed so far include
behavioral aspects, most object-oriented query languages, algebras and
query optimization strategies simply adapt relational concepts since
they focus on the complex structures of objects and neglect the
behavior. We claim that this approach is not sufficient since it does
not reflect the much richer semantics methods can carry which have to
be taken into account for really efficient query processing. The quite
straightforward approach we consider is to integrate methods in an
algebraic framework for query processing and to make there partial
knowledge about methods available in the form of equivalences. We
integrate algebraic set operators with methods defined in database
schemas within an object-oriented data model. We investigate the impact
on the architecture of the query processor when the algebra becomes an
extendible component in query processing.
Multimedia Support
The V3 Video Server was built as a demonstration showing a multimedia
application developed on top of the VODAK database management system.
The V3 Video Server allows a user to interactively store, retrieve,
manipulate, and present analog and short digital video clips. A video
clip consists of a sequence of pictures and corresponding sound.
Several attributes like author, title, and a set of keywords are
annotated.
In the future, the VODAK DBMS will be enhanced with new built-in
functionality for multimedia datatypes. Therefore, existing components
of VODAK must be changed and new ones must be added to support time
dependencies, high data volumes, and user interaction.
Query Processing
Although nearly all object-oriented data models proposed so far include
behavioral aspects, most object-oriented query languages, algebras and
query optimization strategies simply adapt relational concepts since
they focus on the complex structures of objects and neglect the
behavior. We claim that this approach is not sufficient since it does
not reflect the much richer semantics methods can carry which have to
be taken into account for really efficient query processing. The quite
straightforward approach we consider is to integrate methods in an
algebraic framework for query processing and to make there partial
knowledge about methods available in the form of equivalences. We
integrate algebraic set operators with methods defined in database
schemas within an object-oriented data model. We investigate the impact
on the architecture of the query processor when the algebra becomes an
extendible component in query processing.
The VODAK Prototype
The system architecture consists of a central database environment and
several external database environments to which the user wants to have
integrated access. Each of these environments consists of an object
manager, a message handler, a transaction manager, and a communication
manager. In addition to these components an external database
environment includes a database interface module which realizes the
access to an external database system.
The DBMS components are currently built on top of DAMOKLES and will be
in the near future on top of ObjectStore.
A first version of a C++ based prototype of VODAK is available for Sun
Sparc Stations under certain conditions. It implements all the
features specified in including e.g. metaclasses, transactions, and
remote message execution.
References
P. Muth, T. Rakow, W. Klas, E. Neuhold: A Transaction Model for an
Open Publication Environment. A. K. Elmagarmid (Ed.): Database
Transaction Models for Advanced Applications. Morgan Kaufmann
Publishers, San Mateo, Calif., 1992.
Wolfgang Klas, Karl Aberer, Erich Neuhold Object-Oriented Modeling for
Hypermedia Systems using the VODAK Modeling Language (VML) to appear
in: Object-Oriented Database Management Systems, NATO ASI Series,
Springer Verlag Berlin Heidelberg, August 1993.
Karl Aberer, Gisela Fischer Object-Oriented Query Processing: The
Impact of Methods on Language, Architecture and Optimization
Arbeitspapiere der GMD No. 763, Sankt Augustin, July 1993.
T.C. Rakow, P. Muth The V3 Video Server: Managing Analog and Digital
Video Clips, Sigmod 93, Washington, DC.
For further information contact
{aberer,muth,rakow,klas}@darmstadt.gmd.de
GMD-IPSI
Dolivostr. 15
D-64293 Darmstadt
GERMANY
FAX: +49-6151-869 966
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