Interoperability

Abstract

Database interoperability is the problem of making the data and queries of one database system usable to the users of another database system. Obviously, interoperability involves many issues, such as networking, and security. However, interoperability between databases that are written in different data models poses an especially challenging task. We focus here on the issues arising from data model incompatibility.

Section 16.1 describes the problem of data interoperability, which occurs when the data of one database system needs to be made available for users of another database system. For each of the spatio-temporal data models in Chapter 7 we give an equivalent constraint data model with some type of constraints. We also describe data interoperability between parametric extreme point and geometric transformation databases.

Section 16.2 describes the problem of query interoperability, in which case the queries of one database system need to be made available for users of another system. This section describes three ways of accomplishing query interoperability, namely, the approaches via query translation, data translation, and the use of a common basis.

Section 16.3 looks at other issues of database interoperability that are not limited to spatio-temporal databases.