Using structural and procedural knowledge in database and knowledge base integration

Elaborates on an architectural frameworks for the integration of a number of preexisting data repositories. This sort of integration preserves the autonomy of the local applications while providing a uniform and consistent model of access. The authors also propose a modeling facility to simulate the functionalities of the proposed architecture and cope with representation problems stemming from the incompatible nature of the integrated data. This modeling facility encompasses a number of features found in object-oriented programming languages and distributed database management systems. This makes it possible to express the structure and behavior of the underlying systems in a uniform manner while incorporating implementation details and behavioral properties of the modeled information in self-contained and independent modules. The authors identify the issues that arise for both database and knowledge base integration and discuss how these issues are resolved in relation to the proposed modeling facility and how the proposed architecture contributes to the efficient resolution of the problems faced