OUDG

: cross model datum access with semantic preservation for legacy databases

Abstract

The DBMS of various data models have proliferated into many companies, and become their legacy databases. Conventional databases are associated with a plurality of database models. Generally database models are distinct and not interoperable. Data stored in a database under a particular database model can be termed as “siloed data”. Each database model acts as an individual silo such that data stored in one database silo is typically not readily accessible or interoperable with data stored in another database silo. Accordingly, a DBMS associated with a database silo as data stored under a first database model, is generally not interoperable with another database management system associated with another database silo as data stored under a second database model. This can limit the exchange of information stored in a database where those desiring to access the information are not employing a database management system associated with the database model related to the information. There is a need to access these legacy databases using ODBC (open database connectivity). An ODBC is for the users to transform a legacy database into another legacy database. This thesis offers an architecture of Open Universal Database Gateway (OUDG) to supplement ODBC by transforming legacy database data into Flattened XML documents, and to transform Flattened XML document back into any other legacy database. The Flattened XML document is a mixture of relational and XML data models, which is user friendly and data standard on the Internet. Furthermore, Flattened XML document is a replication of legacy database, which is a backup copy of the legacy database in case of system failure, and can be used for internet computing and data processing in parallel, non-stop. In other words, a source legacy database can be reengineered into a flattened XML document, which can be furthered reengineered into another target legacy database. As a result, a legacy database can be reengineered into another legacy database through Flattened XML document without loss of information. In this way, an user can access any legacy database by reengineering it into a legacy database which is accessible by the DBMS in his /her own computer. The result of reengineering database is information lossless by the preservation of their data semantics and data dependencies.

Date of Award	16 Feb 2015
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	City University of Hong Kong
Supervisor	Shi Piu Joseph FONG (Supervisor) & Hau San WONG (Co-supervisor)