What is to be done? The Future of Database Research Le Gruenwald National Science Foundation Presented to 2008 Database Self-Assessment Submit May 29-30, 2008

Le Gruenwald

National Science Foundation

Presented to 2008 Database Self-Assessment Submit

May 29-30, 2008

Topics to Consider Formal Data Semantics Graph Database Human-Centered Database Computing Multi-disciplinary Database Research Mobile Database Database Performance Evaluation

Formal Data Semantics

Graph Database

Human-Centered Database Computing

Multi-disciplinary Database Research

Mobile Database

Database Performance Evaluation

Formal Data Semantics For most of the past 40 years DB community has largely ignored most issues concerning data semantics, even such basic matters as measurement units. Nearly all DB systems today lack formal specification of data semantics. This issue is of increasing importance as we attempt to integrate more diverse databases. Need to provide formal data semantics (metadata), e.g., logic – but which logic? DL, FOL, sorted, ... Need ability to integrate and query data semantics. Increasing demands for integrated DB retrieval and inference.

For most of the past 40 years DB community has largely ignored most issues concerning data semantics, even such basic matters as measurement units.

Nearly all DB systems today lack formal specification of data semantics.

This issue is of increasing importance as we attempt to integrate more diverse databases.

Need to provide formal data semantics (metadata), e.g., logic – but which logic? DL, FOL, sorted, ...

Need ability to integrate and query data semantics.

Increasing demands for integrated DB retrieval and inference.

Graph Database Big demand: transportation, bio, social networks E.g. perform disjunctive queries over different relationship types E.g. find the shortest path from point A to point B Need a flexible data model and query language

Big demand: transportation, bio, social networks

E.g. perform disjunctive queries over different relationship types

E.g. find the shortest path from point A to point B

Need a flexible data model and query language

Human-Centered Database Computing Need to accommodate different types of users Usability studies Visualization

Need to accommodate different types of users

Usability studies

Visualization

Multi-disciplinary DB Research Need to reach out to other disciplines: What are the innovative uses of existing DB research results that enable transformative research in other disciplines? What transformative DB research would be derived from the needs of other disciplines? Major DB conferences and journals need to embrace multi-disciplinary DB research

Need to reach out to other disciplines:

What are the innovative uses of existing DB research results that enable transformative research in other disciplines?

What transformative DB research would be derived from the needs of other disciplines?

Major DB conferences and journals need to embrace multi-disciplinary DB research

Mobile Database Increasing demand for mobile applications (including mobile sensor applications) Issues: mobility, disconnection, energy limitation, etc. More activities in this area in Europe and Japan than in the U.S. Major DB conferences need to embrace mobile database research Can energy-aware mobile DB research be extended to achieve GREEN DB for static environments?

Increasing demand for mobile applications (including mobile sensor applications)

Issues: mobility, disconnection, energy limitation, etc.

More activities in this area in Europe and Japan than in the U.S.

Major DB conferences need to embrace mobile database research

Can energy-aware mobile DB research be extended to achieve GREEN DB for static environments?

Database Performance Evaluation Many of current DB research evaluation plans include: Performing simulation experiments using Synthetic datasets Real-life datasets Benchmark datasets (not always available) Making some generalized conclusions without regards to statistical relevance Too ad-hoc, lack of science -> Need a more credible evaluation approach

Many of current DB research evaluation plans include:

Performing simulation experiments using

Synthetic datasets

Real-life datasets

Benchmark datasets (not always available)

Making some generalized conclusions without regards to statistical relevance

Too ad-hoc, lack of science -> Need a more credible evaluation approach

THANK YOU!

THANK YOU!

Extra Slides for additional topics

Extra Slides for additional topics

Data Models for Vector Fields Vector fields occur in many scientific, engineering applications: Computational fluid dynamics: weather, climate, oceanography, airplane design, wind turbine design and placement, finite element modeling, .... Relational model is largely useless Attempts: Fiber Bundle Data Model (lloyd Treinish, ibm walson david butler, limit point), Vector Bundle Data Model (eddie saek, richard Muntz, ucla ...)‏ /*restricive fiber with map from mesh to vector space from one end to another end */ Need data models, query languages, ... Need interpolation

Vector fields occur in many scientific, engineering applications:

Computational fluid dynamics: weather, climate, oceanography, airplane design, wind turbine design and placement, finite element modeling, ....

Relational model is largely useless

Attempts: Fiber Bundle Data Model (lloyd Treinish, ibm walson david butler, limit point), Vector Bundle Data Model (eddie saek, richard Muntz, ucla ...)‏ /*restricive fiber with map from mesh to vector space from one end to another end */

Need data models, query languages, ...

Need interpolation

Shape Based Retrieval Applications: Part retrieval, protein docking, protein-ligand binding, drug design, archeology, airplane crash reconstruction, ... Need invariant shape descriptions w.r.t. translation and rotation Need efficient representations and query processing Need methods for “compliant” shape matching (docking)‏ /* mating */

Applications:

Part retrieval, protein docking, protein-ligand binding, drug design, archeology, airplane crash reconstruction, ...

Need invariant shape descriptions w.r.t. translation and rotation

Need efficient representations and query processing

Need methods for “compliant” shape matching (docking)‏ /* mating */

Impedance Mismatch Between Programming Languages and DBMSs Longstanding problem of integration of queries into programs Generally poor support by programming languages OODBMSs failed Latest effort: Microsoft Linq Remains, open, difficult problem See related work on XDUCE, CDUCE

Longstanding problem of integration of queries into programs

Generally poor support by programming languages

OODBMSs failed

Latest effort: Microsoft Linq

Remains, open, difficult problem

See related work on XDUCE, CDUCE

Very Large Data Integration Data Integration / DB Federation over large numbers of DB (100's or 1000's) remains unsolved problem Increasing important for bioinformatics, intelligence, e-commerce, ... Need better metadata, better tools, new approaches ??

Data Integration / DB Federation over large numbers of DB (100's or 1000's) remains unsolved problem

Increasing important for bioinformatics, intelligence, e-commerce, ...

Need better metadata, better tools, new approaches ??