integrating hypermedia functionality into database applications anirban bhaumik * +, deepti dixit *,...

Integrating Hypermedia Functionality into Database Applications

Anirban Bhaumik*+,

Deepti Dixit*, Roberto Galnares*, Manolis Tzagarakis**, Michalis Vaitis**,

Michael Bieber*, Vincent Oria*, Aparna Krishna*,

Qiang Lu*/***, Firas Aljallad*, Li Zhang*

* Collaborative Hypermedia Laboratory, CIS Department, NJIT, USA

** Computer Technology Institute, University of Patras, Greece*** Suzhou University, Peoples Republic of China

Outline (research agenda)• Motivation• DHE - Dynamic Hypermedia Engine• Basic DB query interface• Schema support• DB application support• Integrating multiple database applications• Data warehousing• Data mining• Database Design: Relationship Analysis

current

future

Motivation

• Most database applications have few links• Each element could have multiple links

(relationships)• Each element is a potential starting point for

exploring

• Research Goal: automatically adding links and services to database applications

Dynamic Hypermedia Engine

• Automatically generate links and other “hypermedia” services for applications:

• comments, guided tours, etc.

• Automatically integrate applications through external linking

Main Application Frame

List of LinksMetadataMenus

Shipping I nformation

http : / /www.nj i t .edu/purchasing /shipping-info rmat ion.htm

251 Requisition Header - Shipping and Text STRATEGIC SUPPLIES INTERN'L 71 UNION AVE Screen: Vend: V0000304390 PR: R010294 Inv: Line:

Deliver-to Address FOB: Name: MICHAEL BIEBER Rte: Org: NJIT, CIS DEPARTMENT Delivery Service: UPS Addr: 323 ML KING BLVD Delivery Date: 03-12-2000

City: NEWARK St: NJ Zip: 07102 Country: USA Phone: 973 596 2681 Ext: Requisition Codes: 58 128 PUX ZY2 Requisition Text:

Document Notes: NSample Screen from Purchasing System:all text with no links...






Document Notes: NDHE automatically generates anchorsas the screen is created






Document Notes: NDHE produces a list of possible linkswhen the user chooses an anchor

V0000304390

Vendor Details

Vendor Reliability

Vendor Agreements

Other Possible Vendors

Your Purchasing History

All Screens with this Vendor

Dynamic Hypermedia Engine

• Links generated based on application structure, not search or lexical analysis

– You cannot do a search on the display text “$127,322.12” to find related information…

– But you can find relationships for the element Sales[1997]

$85,101.99$127,322.12

1997 Expenses1997 Sales

Dynamic HypermediaDynamic HypermediaEngine ArchitectureEngine Architecture

Message: DisplayDocument(Document + Elements + Element Types)

Document (or screen)

UserInterface

User InterfaceWrapper

MessageManager

Relationship &Metainfo Mgr

ApplicationWrapper

PurchasingApplication






Document Notes: NSample Screen from Purchasing System:all text with no links...


UserInterface


MessageManager


ApplicationWrapper


Anchors

Element Types

Relationship Manager

Relationship Manager Rule Base...Vendor - Vendor IS - Vendor Details - {commands}Vendor - Vendor IS - Vendor Reliability - {commands}Vendor - Vendor IS - Vendor Agreements - {commands}Vendor - Purchasing Data Warehouse - Who Else Uses Vendor - {commands}Vendor - Purchasing IS - Your Purchasing History - {commands}Vendor - CASE Workbench - All Screens with this Vendor - {commands}...


UserInterface


MessageManager


ApplicationWrapper


Message: DisplayDocument(Document + Element Types + Anchors)

HTML Page






Document Notes: NResult: application automaticallyenhanced with links and hypermedia services


UserInterface


MessageManager


ApplicationWrapper


Message:GetMetainfo("V0000304490", type = "vendor")

User Selection "V00000304390"


UserInterface


MessageManager


ApplicationWrapper


Message:DisplayMetainfo(Metadata, List of Links)

- Metadata Frame &- List of Links Frame







Document Notes: N

V0000304390

Vendor Details

Vendor Reliability

Vendor Agreements

Who Else Uses Vendor

Your Purchasing History

All Screens with this Vendor

DHymE generates anchors and links from theRelationship Management Rule Base



UserInterface


MessageManager


ApplicationWrapper


Message:FollowLink("Your Purchasing History")

Link Selection "Your Purchasing History"

UserInterface


MessageManager


ApplicationWrapper


Relationship Manager Rule Base...Vendor - Purchasing IS - Your Purchasing History- {commands}...

Message: FollowLink( target system(Purchasing IS), command(purchasing_history( vendor(V0000304390), user(#U12)))

purchasing_history( vendor(V0000304390), user(#U12))



Message: DisplayDocument(Document + Elements + Element Types)

Document (or screen)

UserInterface


MessageManager


ApplicationWrapper


DHE Contributions

• Only tool that providing automated linking, metadata, and hypermedia services

– based on the application structure (not lexical analysis)

– without altering applications

– for analytical and technical applications that generate display contents dynamically

Basic DB Wrapper

• Provides a simple query interface

• Allows users to make SQL queries directly to a database

• Parses the results

• Passes results to the Relationship Manager to automatically add links

UserInterface


MessageManager


DBWrapper

RDBMS

Uses a persistent pool of JDBC Connection Objects to execute SQL statements and retrieve metadata.

Currently uses physical schema for metadataFuture: dedicated metadata repositories, data dictionaries

Basic DB Wrapper

• Provides a simple query interface

• Allows users to make SQL queries directly to a database

• Parses the results

• Passes results to the Relationship Manager to automatically add links

UserInterface


MessageManager


DBWrapper

RDBMS

Menus Metadata List of Links

Main Application Frame

Database Element TypesELEMENTS COLUMNS TABLES

INDICES CATALOGS SCHEMA

STORED

PROCEDURES

USERS USER RIGHTS

TABLE/COLUMN

PRIVILEGES

JDBC TYPES DRIVERS

Any instance of these types can be uniquely identified, have metadata, and relationships.

Database Element TypesELEMENTS COLUMNS TABLES

INDICES CATALOGS SCHEMA

STORED

PROCEDURES

USERS USER RIGHTS

TABLE/COLUMN

PRIVILEGES

JDBC TYPES DRIVERS

Any instance of these types can be uniquely identified, have metadata, and relationships.

Each type has its own set of generic database relationship links. For example, an element will be related to a column, its tuple’s key field & foreign keys, a table, etc.

The DB Wrapper generates these links automatically.

UserInterface


MessageManager


DBWrapper

RDBMS

SchemaManager

SchemaRepository

Schema Manager

Automatically generates DB-specific links from a

machine-readable E-R schema(e.g., courses taught by a

professor)

UserInterface


MessageManager


DBWrapper

RDBMS

SchemaManager

SchemaRepository

DB ApplWrapper

DBApplication

DB Application Wrapper:identifies elements in application screens

Links: DB Wrapper: basic links & DB AccessSchema Manager: E-R linksAppl Wrapper: appl-specific links

Existing applications can access database directly as before;

New applications couldlet the DB wrapper

provide all database access


current

future

UserInterface


MessageManager


DBWrapper

RDBMS

SchemaManager

SchemaRepository

DB Appl 1Wrapper

DBAppl 1

DB Appl 2Wrapper

DBAppl 2

DHE can integratemultiple database applications

Each wrapper handles its own application.

Research questions in specifying related objects across applications in

mapping rules...

UserInterface


MessageManager


DBWrapper

RDBMS

SchemaManager

SchemaRepository

DB Appl 1Wrapper

DBAppl 1

DB Appl 2Wrapper

DBAppl 2

DataWarehouse

Data Warehousing

The DB Wrapper could also load data into and

give other applications access to a data warehouse

Data MiningDHE relationships are pre-specified

in mapping rules in the Relationship Manager

and dynamically generated

A data mining tool could dynamically mine relationships for DB application elements. But how?

UserInterface


MessageManager


DBWrapper

RDBMS

SchemaManager

SchemaRepository

DB ApplWrapper

DBApplication

DataWarehouse

Data MiningManager

Database Design:Relationship Analysis (RA)

• A systematic approach to finding the implicit or “hidden” relationships in an information domain

• Relationships can be implemented as links

• RA is a brainstorming technique for domain experts based on a taxonomy of relationship types

Database Design:Relationship Analysis (RA)

Research Questions:

• How does RA contrast with standard database analysis?

• Can RA supplement standard database analysis


current

future

integrating hypermedia functionality into database applications anirban bhaumik * +, deepti dixit *,...

Documents

links slide

relationship manager

external linking slide

expenses1997 sales slide

database element types

hypermedia services

multiple links relationships

hypermedia functionality