Abstract
There is a manifold of meanings we could associate with the term “evolution” in the database arena. This paper tries to categorize some of these into a unique framework, showing similarities and differences. Among the topics touched upon are: extending traditional data models to become “object-oriented”, migrating existing data to (not necessarily OO) databases, schema extension and modification in a populated database, integration of federated systems, and the use of “external services” to enrich DBMS functionalities. The following are presented in more detail: first, we describe the necessity of object evolution over time; second, we discuss schema evolution; and third, we present evolutionary database interoperability by identifying different coupling levels. A few basic mechanisms, such as views (derived information) and a uniform treatment of data and meta data, and type and/or class hierarchies, allow for a formal description of (most of) the relevant problems. Beyond presenting our own approach, we try to provide a platform to solicit further discussion.
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Scholl, M.H., Tresch, M. (1994). Evolution towards, in, and beyond object databases. In: von Luck, K., Marburger, H. (eds) Management and Processing of Complex Data Structures. IS/KI 1994. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 777. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-57802-1_4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-57802-1_4
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