Toward a query language on simulation mesh data: an object-oriented approach

As simulation is gaining popularity as an inexpensive means of experimentation in diverse fields of industry and government, the attention to the data generated by scientific simulation is also increasing. Scientific simulation generates mesh data, i.e. data configured in a grid structure, in a sequence of time steps. Its model is complex - understanding it involves mathematical topology and geometry in addition to fields (in the relational sense). Moreover, there is no query language developed on mesh data at all. We develop a comprehensive model of mesh data in an object-oriented manner, propose a set of primitive algebraic operators, show their object-oriented implementation and demonstrate that the well-known object query language OQL (from the ODMG) is powerful enough to express queries on mesh data, whether the queries are on a mesh topology, geometry, fields, or a combination of them. Finally, we discuss some physical implementation issues that are pertinent to executing queries efficiently.