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ICOODB 2010

3rd International Conference on Objects and Databases
September 28-30, 2010
Frankfurt am Main, Germany

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Research Track

Research Track

1. Paper (29. September, 10:00)
Title:	Revisiting Schema Evolution in Object Databases in Support of Agile Development
Author:	Tilmann Zäschke (ETH Zürich), Moira Norrie (ETH Zürich)
Keywords:	Schema evolution, Agile development, object databases, Herschel
Abstract:	Based on a real-world case study in agile development, we examine issues of schema evolution in state-of-the-art object databases. In particular, we show how traditional problems and solutions discussed in the research literature do not match the requirements of modern agile development practices. To highlight these discrepancies, we present the approach to agile schema evolution taken in the case study and then focus on the aspects of backward/forward compatibility and object structures. In each case, we discuss the impact on managing software evolution and present approaches to dealing with these in practice.

2. Paper (29. September, 11:00)
Title:	The Case for Object Databases in Cloud Data Management
Author:	Michael Grossniklaus (Politecnico di Milano)
Keywords:	Object Databases, Cloud Computing, Data Management, State of the Art, Challenges and Opportunities
Abstract:	With the emergence of cloud computing, new data management requirements have surfaced. Currently, these challenges are studied exclusively in the setting of relational databases. We believe that there exist strong indicators that the full potential of cloud computing data management can only be leveraged by exploiting object database technologies. Object databases are a popular choice for analytical data management applications which are predicted to profit most from cloud computing. Furthermore, objects and relationships might be useful units to model and implement data partitions, while, at the same time, helping to reduce join processing. Finally, the service-oriented view taken by cloud computing is in its nature a close match to object models. In this position paper, we examine the challenges of cloud computing data management and show opportunities for object database technologies based on these requirements.

3. Paper (29. September, 11:30)
Title:	Query Optimization by Result Caching in the Stack-Based Approach
Author:	Piotr Cybula (Institute of Mathematics and Computer Science, University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland), Kazimierz Subieta (Institute of Computer Science, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland)
Keywords:	query optimization, cached queries, object-orientedness, query language, object databases
Abstract:	We present a new approach to optimization of query languages using cached results of previously evaluated queries. It is based on the stack-based approach (SBA) and object-oriented query language SBQL. SBA assumes description of semantics in the form of abstract implementation of query/programming language constructs. Pragmatic universality of SBQL and its precise, formal operational semantics make it possible to investigate various crucial issues related to this kind of optimization. Two main issues are: organization of the cache enabling fast retrieval of cached queries and development of fast methods to recognize consistency of queries and incremental altering of cached query results after database updates. This paper is focused on the first issue concerning optimal, fast and transparent utilization of the result cache, involving methods of query normalization enabling higher reuse of cached queries with preservation of original query semantics and decomposition of complex queries into smaller ones. We present experimental results of the optimization that demonstrate the effectiveness of our technique.

4. Paper (29. September, 12:00)
Title:	A Flexible Object Model and Algebra for Uniform Access to Object Databases
Author:	Michael Grossniklaus (Politecnico di Milano), Alexandre de Spindler (ETH Zurich), Christoph Zimmerli (ETH Zurich), Moira Norrie (ETH Zurich)
Keywords:	Object Data Model, Object Algebra, Standardisation, Object-Slicing
Abstract:	In contrast to their relational counterparts, object databases are more heterogeneous in terms of their architecture, data model and functionality. To this day, this heterogeneity poses substantial difficulties when it comes to benchmark or interoperate object databases. While standardisation proposals have been made in the past, they have had limited impact as neither industry nor research has fully adopted them. We believe that one reason for this lack of adoption is that these standards were too restrictive and thus not capable of dealing with the heterogeneity of object database. In this paper, we propose a uniform interface for access to object databases that is based on a flexible object model and algebra.

5. Paper (29. September, 12:30)
Title:	Data Model Driven Implementation of Web Cooperation Systems with Tricia
Author:	Christian Neubert (Technische Universität München), Thomas Büchner (Technische Universität München), Florian Matthes (Technische Universität München)
Keywords:	data modeling, web framework, web application, software engineering, software architecture, domain specific language
Abstract:	We present the data modeling concepts of Tricia, an open-source Java platform used to implement enterprise web information systems as well as social software solutions including wikis, blogs, file shares and social networks. Tricia follows a data model driven approach to system implementation where substantial parts of the application semantics are captured by domain-specific models (data model, access control model and interaction model). In this paper we give an overview of the Tricia architecture and development process and present the concepts of its data model: plugins, entities, properties, roles, mixins, validators and change listeners are motivated and described using UML class diagrams and concrete examples from Tricia projects. We highlight the benefits of this data modeling framework for application developers (expressiveness, modularity, reuse, separation of concerns) and show its impact on user-related services (content authoring, integrity checking, link management, queries and search, access control, tagging, versioning, schema evolution and multilingualism). This provides the basis for a comparison with other model based approaches to web information systems.

6. Paper (30. September, 15:00)
Title:	iBLOB: Complex Object Management in Databases Through Intelligent Binary Large Objects
Author:	Tao Chen (Computer Information and Science Engineering, University of Florida), Arif Khan (Computer Information and Science Engineering, University of Florida), Markus Schneider (University of Florida), Ganesh Viswanathan (University of Florida)
Keywords:	complex object management, iblob, object storage and querying, object database
Abstract:	New emerging applications including genomic, multimedia, and geospatial technologies have necessitated the handling of complex application objects that are highly structured, large, and of variable length. Currently, such objects are handled using filesystem formats like HDF and NetCDF as well as the XML and BLOB data types in databases. However, some of these approaches are very application specific and do not provide proper levels of data abstraction for the users. Others do not support random updates or cannot manage large volumes of structured data and provide their associated operations. In this paper, we propose a novel two-step solution to manage and query application objects within databases. First, we present a generalized conceptual framework to capture and validate the structure of application objects by means of a type structure specification.Second, we introduce a novel data type called Intelligent Binary Large Object (iBLOB) that leverages the traditional BLOB type in databases, preserves the structure of application objects, and provides smart query and update capabilities. The iBLOB framework generates a type structure specific application programming interface (API) that allows applications to easily access the components of complex application objects. This greatly simplifies the ease with which new type systems can be implemented inside traditional DBMS.

7. Paper (30. September, 15:30)
Title:	Object-oriented Constraints for XML Schema
Author:	Suad Alagic (University of Southern Maine), Philip Bernstein (Microsoft Research), Ruchi Jairath (Microsoft Research)
Keywords:	XML Schema, Constraints, Transactions, Verification, Spec#
Abstract:	This paper presents an object-oriented representation of the core structural and constraint-related features of XML Schema. The structural features are represented within the limitations of object-oriented type systems including particles (elements and groups) and type hierarchies (simple and complex types and type derivations). The applicability of the developed representation is demonstrated through a collection of complex object-oriented queries. The main novelty is that features of XML Schema that are not expressible in object-oriented type systems such as range constraints, keys and referential integrity, and type derivation by restriction are specified in an object-oriented assertion language Spec#. An assertion language overcomes major problems in the object-oriented/XML mismatch. It allows specification of schema integrity constraints and transactions that are required to preserve those constraints. Most importantly, Spec# technology comes with automatic static verification of code with respect to the specified constraints. This technology is applied in the paper to transaction verification.

8. Paper (30. September, 16:30)
Title:	Solving ORM by MAGIC: MApping GeneratIon and Composition
Author:	David Kensche (RWTH Aachen University), Christoph Quix (RWTH Aachen University), Xiang Li (RWTH Aachen University), Sandra Geisler (RWTH Aachen University)
Keywords:	object-relation mappings, schema mapping, impedance mismatch, model management, meta modeling
Abstract:	Object-relational mapping (ORM) technologies have been proposed as a solution for the impedance mismatch problem between object-oriented applications and relational databases. Existing approaches use special-purpose mapping languages or are tightly integrated with the programming language. In this paper, we present MAGIC, an approach using bidirectional query and update views, based on a generic metamodel and a generic mapping language. Due to the genericness of our approach, the core part including mapping generation and mapping composition is independent of the modeling languages being employed. We show the formal basis of MAGIC and how queries including aggregation can be defined using an easy to use query API. The scalability of our approach, also for large data sets, is shown in the evaluation using a data set based on the TPC benchmark.

9. Paper (30. September, 17:00)
Title:	Closing Schemas in Object-Relational Databases
Author:	Manuel Torres (University of Almeria), Jose Samos (University of Granada), Eladio Garvi (University of Granada)
Keywords:	Object-relational databases, Views
Abstract:	Schema closure is a property that guarantees that no schemacomponent has external references, that is, references to components that are not included in the schema. In the context of object-relational databases, schema closure implies that types, tables and views do not have references to components that are not included in the schema. In order to achieve schema closure, in this work we propose two basic approaches known as enlargement closure and reduction closure. Enlargement closure includes in the schema every referenced component. Reduction closure, on the other hand, is based on the transformation of the components that have external references, eliminating these references to fulll schema closure. In this work, both closure approaches and the algorithms to carry out the closure in each of them are described. These algorithms generate and incorporate the needed components, whether being types or views, to reach the schema closure making easier therefore the denition of external schemas. Finally, to illustrate the concepts proposed in this work, we explain how to carry out schema closure in SQL:2008.

10. Paper (30. September, 17:30)
Title:	A Comparative Study of the Features and Performance of ORM Tools in a .NET Environment
Author:	Stevica Cvetković (Faculty of Electronic Engineering, Universty of Niš), Dragan Janković (Faculty of Electronic Engineering, Universty of Niš)
Keywords:	Object-relational mapping (ORM), persistence, performance evaluation
Abstract:	Object Relational Mapping (ORM) tools are increasingly becoming important in the process of information systems development, but still their level of use does not comply with all the benefits they offer. In this paper, we presented a comparative analysis of the two most used ORM tools in .NET programming environment. The features, usage and performance of Microsoft Entity Framework and NHibernate were analyzed and compared from a software development point of view. Various query mechanisms were described and tested against conventional SQL query approach as a benchmark. The results of our experiments has shown that widely spread opinion that ORM is significantly slower than the conventional data layer approach is not correct in the case of modern ORM tools in .NET environment. Therefore, we discussed at the end of the paper some reasons for insufficiently widespread application of ORM technology.

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