Global knowledge about local dependencies in an integrated database environment

Modeling concepts and methodologies used for the representation of virtual entities in an object-oriented global data manager of an integrated database environment are considered. These concepts strive to encapsulate knowledge, needed when unifying heterogeneously modeled entities, into a number of object types. With the aid of this knowledge, local dependencies can be made visible to the global data manager. The global data manager is thereby in a position to consistently evaluate query requests posed against the set of globally known virtual entities. The author focuses on the resolution of local dependencies emanating from differences in the local representation of semantically equivalent information portions. This information is unified at the global data manager to form global virtual entities