The field of database technology has become vitally important to information and technical science as
the world turns more and more frequently to technology for the storage and interpretation of intangible
media. As the information age booms, so does the need for cutting edge research and technology with
the purpose of understanding, maintaining, and improving database management. Database architecture,
data mining, and data warehousing are each vitally important areas in which practitioners, researchers,
scholars, and academics have continued to work to develop the most elegant and efficient database
technologies.
During this period of time, numerous researchers and academicians have developed a variety of
techniques, methodologies, and measurement tools that have allowed them to develop, deliver and at the
same time evaluate the effectiveness of several areas of database technology. The critical importance of
these technologies and methodologies continues to inspire an abundance of new, state-of-art literature
related to all aspects of this discipline, allowing researchers and practicing educators to learn about the
latest advances in the field of database technologies.
Due to the constant search for improved methods and technologies, it is a challenge for researchers
and experts in this discipline to take in the volume of information available on these innovations, and to
develop and deliver more novel methodologies and techniques utilizing new technological invention.
This collection endeavors to provide the most comprehensive, in-depth, and recent coverage of all issues
related to this important field, as well as to offer a single reference source on all conceptual, methodological,
technical and managerial issues, opportunities, future challenges and emerging trends related
to database technologies. Information Science Reference is pleased to offer a four-volume reference
collection on this foundational discipline, in order to empower students, researchers, academicians, and
practitioners with a comprehensive understanding of the most critical areas within this field of study.
This collection entitled, “Database Technologies: Concepts, Methodologies, Tools, and Applications”
is organized in eight (8) distinct sections, providing the most wide-ranging coverage of topics
such as: (1) Fundamental Concepts and Theories; (2) Development and Design Methodologies; (3)
Tools and Technologies; (4) Utilization and Application; (5) Organizational and Social Implications; (6)
Managerial Impact; (7) Critical Issues; and (8) Emerging Trends. The following provides a summary
of what is covered in each section of this multi-volume reference collection:
Section I, Fundamental Concepts and Theories, serves as a foundation for this extensive reference
tool by addressing crucial theories essential to the understanding of database technologies. Chapters such
as, “A Generalized Comparison of Open Source and Commercial Database Management Systems” by
Theodoros Evdoridis and Theodoros Tzouramanis as well as “Highly Available Database Management
Systems” by Wenbing Zhao provide an excellent framework in which to understand the fundamental
concepts of database technologies. “Conceptual Modeling Solutions for the Data Warehouse” by Stefano
Rizzi offers illuminating insight into the conceptual framework of data warehouse design, while chapters
such as “Approaches to Semantics in Knowledge Management” by Cristiano Fuggazza, David Stefano,
Anna Montesanto, and Cesare Rocchi address the various approaches to semantics and the challenges
of creating a system with its own unique semantics. With over 25 chapters comprising this foundational
section, the reader can choose from a compendium of expert research on the elemental theories underscoring
the use of database technologies.
Section II, Development and Design Methodologies, presents in-depth coverage of conceptual architecture
frameworks to provide the reader with a comprehensive understanding of the emerging technological
developments within the field of database technologies. “Design of a Data Model for Social
Network Applications” by Susanta Mitra, Aditya Bagchi, and A. K. Bandyopadhyay offers a data model
for storage and retrieval of social network information while “Database Design based on B” by Elviar
Locuratolo provides a detailed look at the integration of the ASSO feature in B. From broad examinations
to specific discussions on database technologies such as Efrem Mallach’s, “A Database Project in
a Small Company (or How the Real World Doesn’t Always Follow the Book)” the research found within
this section spans the discipline while also offering detailed, specific discussions. From basic designs
to abstract development, chapters such as “Web Data Warehousing Convergence: From Schematic to
Systematic” by D. Xuan Li, J. Wenny Rahayu, and David Taniar and “Designing Information Systems
Capabilities to Create Business Value: A Theoretical Conceptualization of the Role of Flexibility and
Integration” by Christoph Schlueter Langdon serve to expand the reaches of development and design
technologies within the database technology community. This section includes over 20 contributions
from researchers throughout the world on the topic of database technologies within the information
science and technology field.
Section III, Tools and Technologies, presents an extensive coverage of various tools and technologies
available in the field of database technology that practitioners and academicians alike can utilize to
develop different techniques. Chapters such as Emmanuel Udoh’s, “Open Source Database Technologies,”
offer a look at the open source database technology available and discusses its use in comparison
with the popular closed source databases. A specific data mining algorithm is looked at in chapters like
“MILPRIT*: A Constraint-Based Algorithm for Mining Temporal Relational Patterns” by Sandra de
Amo, Waldecir P. Junior and Arnaud Giacometti. It is through these rigorously researched chapters that
the reader is provided with countless examples of the up-and-coming tools and technologies emerging
from database technology. With more than 20 chapters, this section offers a broad treatment of some of
the many tools and technologies within the database technology community.
Section IV, Utilization and Application, discusses a variety of applications and opportunities available
that can be considered by practitioners in developing viable and effective database management systems.
This section includes more than 25 chapters such as “Enhancing UML Models: A Domain Analysis
Approach” by Iris Reinhartz-Berger and Arnon Strom which addresses the problems of completeness
and correctness within the UML modeling language by advocating the use of application-based domain
modeling. Additional chapters such as Christopher B. Mayer and K. Selçuk Candan’s, “Large-Scale ASP
Replication of Database-Driven Portals” discuss the ultimate necessity for logic and database replication
in web portals to keep up with increasing user demand. Also considered in this section are the architecture
and characteristics of mobile transactions from the database perspective within Z Abdul-Mehdi, A
Mamat, H Ibrahim, and M Dirs’ chapter, “Transaction Management in Mobile Databases.” Contributions
included in this section provide excellent coverage of the use of database technologies and how
they can be applied to the various types of database use.
Section V, Organizational and Social Implications, includes a wide range of research pertaining to
the social and organizational impact of database technologies. In this section, you will find chapters such
as Roberta A Bartsch’s, “Misuse of Online Databases for Literature Searches.” This study describes the
use and misuse of online library databases and attempts to help lecturers structure their assignments in
such a way as to avoid misuses by increasing students’ level of information literacy. In “Fine-Grained
Data Security in Virtual Organizations” by Harith Indraratne and Gábor Hosszú, the concept of controlling
the information available to a user down to the row of data provided by using fine-grained access
control is thoroughly discussed. The increased importance of privacy protection combined with the demand
for accessibility of information is discussed in George T. Duncan and Stephen F. Roerhig’s chapter
“Reconciling Information Privacy and Information Access in a Globalized Technology Society.”
Section VI, Managerial Impact, presents contemporary coverage of database technologies, which is
more specifically related to the corporate and managerial utilization of database management systems,
and how these technologies can be facilitated within organizations. Chapters include important comparisons
between business technologies, such as Emmanuel Udoh’s “Database Integration in the Grid
Infrastructre” which discusses Oracle 10g and argues that businesses will embrace enterprise database
grids for their various beneficial attributes. The availability of databases for online database searches by
their users is discussed in “Database High Availability: An Extended Survey” by Moh’d A. Radaidah and
Hayder Al-Ameed. Equally as crucial are chapters such as “Empirical Assessment of Factors Influencing
Success of Enterprise Resource Planning Implementations” by Fiona Fui-Hoon Nah, Zahidul Islam and
Mathew Tan, which discusses key factors which influence the success or failure of ERPs.
Section VII, Critical Issues, contains 25 chapters addressing issues such as improving storage for
semantic models, improving the accuracy of queries to databases with integrity constraints, and the security
of databases containing sensitive information. Within the chapters, the reader is presented with an
in-depth analysis of many of the current and relevant issues within this fundamental field of study. The
section includes Russel Pears and Bryan Houlistan’s “Optimization of Multidimensional Aggregates in
Data Warehouses” which discusses the use of the prime factor scheme to compress data within a warehouse
and compares it with the Haar wavelet. The particular idiosyncrasies involved in a multimedia
database and a proposed data model to answer those unique functionalities is discussed in “Managing
Uncertainties in Image Databases” by Antonio Picariello and Maria Luisa Sapino. These and the other
chapters in this section combine to provide a wealth of debate on a variety of theoretical topics as they
relate to database technologies.
The concluding section of this authoritative reference tool, Emerging Trends, highlights research
potential within the field of database technology, while exploring new areas of study for the advancement
of the discipline. Introducing this section is a chapter entitled “From Databases to Ontologies”
by Guntis Barzdins, Janis Barzdins, and Karlis Cerans, which presents the UML profile for OWL as
a bridge between legacy relational databases and OWL ontologies. Providing a view of a generalized
measurement ontology meant to interact with the semantic web is “A Measurement Ontology Generalizable
for Emerging Domain Applications on the Semantic Web” by Henry M. Kim, Arijit Sengupta,
Mark S. Fox, and Mehmet Dalkilic. This chapter argues that these generalized ontologies are needed as a
first step toward creating more detailed domain-specific ontologies. Concluding this section is an article
by David A Gadish called “Introducing Elasticity for Spatial Knowledge Management.” This chapter
discusses the property of elasticity as it relates to spatial databases and the management of inconsistencies
between related spatial data. Several areas of emerging trends and suggestions for future research
within this constantly evolving discipline are found in these 16 chapters concluding this exhaustive
multi-volume set.
Although the primary organization of the contents in this multi-volume is based on its eight sections,
offering a progression of coverage of the important concepts, methodologies, technologies, applications,
social issues, and emerging trends, the reader can also identify specific contents by utilizing the extensive
indexing system listed at the end of each volume. Furthermore to ensure that the scholar, researcher
and educator have access to the entire contents of this multi volume set as well as additional coverage
that could not be included in the print version of this publication, the publisher will provide unlimited
multi-user electronic access to the online aggregated database of this collection for the life of the edition,
free of charge when a library purchases a print copy. This aggregated database provides far more
contents than what can be included in the print version in addition to continual updates. This unlimited
access, coupled with the continuous updates to the database ensures that the most current research is
accessible to knowledge seekers.
Database technology is a discipline that will always be critical to the information technology field as
its subject matter is a foundational piece of computing technologies. The use of databases for information
storage and analysis will only continue to grow as the demand for greater quantities of knowledge
and faster database systems increases. Practitioners in the field combined with researchers and scholars
will continue to look for ways to improve retrieval and interpretation of information as well as its format
and storage capabilities. As the field continues to grow, develop, and improve an abundance of new
and innovative research on database management systems and their various implications and uses will
continue to persist.
The diverse and comprehensive coverage of database technologies in this four-volume authoritative
publication will contribute to a better understanding of all topics, research, and discoveries in this developing,
significant field of study. Furthermore, the contributions included in this multi-volume collection
series will be instrumental in the expansion of the body of knowledge in this enormous field, resulting in
a greater understanding of the fundamentals while fueling the research initiatives in emerging fields. We
at Information Science Reference, along with the editor of this collection, hope that this multi-volume
collection will become instrumental in the expansion of the discipline and will promote the continued
growth of database technologies.