Knowledge reuse through networks of large KBS

Abstract

The explosion of wide-band networks and the arrival of the information highway mean that large amounts of information are on-line, but where knowledge is in the form of procedures it is likely to be hard to reuse it or to adapt it to use knowledge in a variety of formats. Since database technology is about sharing information we need to rise to this challenge. Object database technology suggests a way forward by keeping procedures with class descriptors, but we need to combine this with client-server technology so that more computing takes place where the objects are, or where specialised knowledge servers are adapted to handle it. One consequence is that more knowledge will be stored declaratively (e.g. as constraints) and transformed before use instead of being frozen in a specific compiled form. Thus the technology will use more code-generation and compiling on-the-fly. A second consequence is the developing need for mediators and facilitators, acting as “knowledge brokers” and “knowledge transformers” at nodes on the network.