Abstract
By providing a finite representation for data with infinite semantics, the Constraint Database approach is particularly appropriate for querying spatiotemporal data. Since the introduction of CDBs in the early 1990’s, several CDB prototypes have been implemented; however, CDBs have yet to prove their commercial viability.
In this paper, we rethink the main contribution behind the Constraint Database (CDB) framework; it’s not about constraints! Rather, the main contribution of CDBs is in providing an additional layer to the database architecture, by splitting the logical into abstract and concrete layers. The abstract layer, representing an infinite relational extent of the spatiotemporal data, is the one over which CDB queries are written. The finite data representation is in the concrete layer; traditionally, constraints are used for this representation. By contrast, in current GIS and spatial databases, the representation is based on geometrical structure rather than constraints.
We propose a single three-tier architecture that combines these ap-proaches. Its top abstract layer represents the infinite relational extent of the data, but the concrete layer admits both constraint-based and geometric data representations. The resulting constraint-backed systems, while preserving the advantages of CDBs, are more practical than pure constraint databases. By admitting more flexible CDB architectures, where data is not necessarily represented with constraints, significant progress can be made towards producing commercially successful CDB systems.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Aho, A., Sethi, R., Ullman, J.: Compilers: Principles, Techniques, and Tools. Addison Wesley, Reading (1988)
Atkinson, M., Bancilhon, F., DeWitt, D., Dittrich, K., Maier, D., Zdonik, S.: The Object-Oriented Database System Manifesto. In: Proc. ACM SIGMOD (1990)
Brodsky, A., Segal, V.E., Exarkopoulo, P.A.: The CCUBE constraint objectoriented database system. CONSTRAINTS, An International Journal 51(1), 26–52 (1997)
Chomicki, J., Goldin, D., Kuper, G., Toman, D.: Variable Independence in Constraint Databases. IEEE Transactions on Knowledge and Data Engineering (2003)
Chomicki, J., Revesz, P.: Constraint-Based Interoperability of Spatiotemporal Databases. Geoinformatica 3(3), 211–243 (1999)
Codd, E.F.: A Relational Model for Large Shared Data Banks. Communications of the ACM 13(6), 377–387 (1970)
Elmasri, R., Navathe, S.B.: Fundamentals of Database Systems, 3rd edn. Addison Wesley, Reading (2000)
Goldin, D., Kutlu, A., Song, M., Yang, F.: The Constraint Database Framework: lessons learned from CQA/CDB. In: Proc. ICDE 2003 (Int’l Conf. on Database Engineering), Bangalore, India (March 2003)
Goldin, D.Q., Kanellakis, P.C.: Constraint Query Algebras. Constraints Journal 1(1/2), 45–83 (1996)
Grumbach, S., Rigaux, P., Segoufin, L.: The DEDALE System for Complex Spatial Queries. In: Proc. ACM SIGMOD (June 1998)
Grumbach, S., Rigaux, P., Segoufin, L.: Manipulating Interpolated Data is Easier than You Thought. In: Proc. Very Large Database Conference, VLDB (2000)
Guting, R., Bohlen, M., Erwig, M., Jensen, C., Lorentzos, N., Schneider, M., Vazirgiannis, M.: A Foundation for Representing and Querying Moving Objects. ACM Transactions on Database Systems (TODS) 25(1), 1–42 (2000)
Kanellakis, P.C., Kuper, G.M., Revesz, P.Z.: Constraint Query Languages. In: Proc. 9th ACM PODS Symposium on the Principles of Database Systems (PODS), Nashville, Tennessee, USA, pp. 299–314 (March 1990)
Kanellakis, P.C., Kuper, G.M., Revesz, P.Z.: Constraint Query Languages. J. Computer and System Sciences 51(1), 26–52 (1995)
Open GIS Consortium, URL: http://www.opengis.org/
Revesz, P., Chen, R., Kanjamala, P., Li, Y., Liu, Y., Wang, Y.: The MLPQ/GIS Constraint Database System. ACM SIGMOD Record 29(2) (2000)
Revesz, P.: Introduction to Constraint Databases. Springer, New York (2002)
Rigaux, P., Scholl, M., Segoufin, L., Grumbach, S.: Building a Constraint-Based Spatial Database System: Model, Languages, and Implementation. To appear in Information System Journal (2003)
Rigaux, P., Scholl, M., Voisard, A.: Spatial Databases with Application to GIS. Academic Press, London (2002)
Worboys, M.F.: GIS: A Computing Perspective. Taylor & Francis, Abington (1995)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2004 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
About this paper
Cite this paper
Goldin, D.Q. (2004). Taking Constraints out of Constraint Databases. In: Kuijpers, B., Revesz, P. (eds) Constraint Databases. CDB 2004. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 3074. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-25954-1_10
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-25954-1_10
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-540-22126-5
Online ISBN: 978-3-540-25954-1
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive