WS-DAIOnt-RDF(S): Ontology
Grids
Miguel Esteban Gutie´rrez #1, Asuncio´n Go´mez-Pe´rez #2, Oscar
#Ontology Engineering Group, Universidad Pol
Campus de Montegancedo s/n, 28660, Boadilla del
1mesteban@fi.upm.es
2asun@fi.upm.es
4omunoz@fi.upm.es
¤School of Computer Science, University o
Oxford Road, Manchester, UK
3ocorcho@cs.man.ac.uk
Abstract— This paper presents WS-DAIOnt-RDF(S), a system
that provides an homogeneous access mechanism for using
heterogeneous and distributed RDF(S) ontologies in Grid ap-
plications. These ontologies may be stored in different RDF(S)
storage systems, geographically distributed across the Grid in-
frastructure. The paper describes in detail the design of the
system, its rationale, the current implementation, and the ongoing
standardisation effort.
I. INTRODUCTION
Nowadays, semantic technologies are employed and can be
found computer related field, including grid computing. The
next generation grid should virtualize the notion of distribution
of computation, storage, and communication on unlimited
resources with well defined computational semantics. A grid
node may provide new services, functions or, even, new
concepts unknown to clients. The semantics of such services
is defined by means of ontologies [1], which are formal and
explicit specification of shared conceptualisations.
Ontologies could be used in the grid for several purposes,
such as describing policies, sharing information, services, and
computing resources in virtual organizations, describing for-
mal and non formal properties of grid resources and services,
accessing data catalogues in a conceptual and multidimen-
sional way, etc.
Right now, only few grid applications use ontologies, but
the access to these ontologies is not integrated in the grid
infrastructure. Therefore, if the ontology server providing such
ontologies is down (or cannot provide them for any any
reason), the ontology-based grid application cannot use them,
so they will not work properly.
Within the grid computing area, the current grid architecture
does not consider ontology use. On the other hand, there are no
protocols nor standards available within the grid community
for tackling this issue. Therefore, if the grid is to profit from
the semantic technologies already available in other areas such
as the Semantic Web [2], it is top priority to provide proven
value mechanisms for accessing and managing ontologies in
grid environments.
In this pap
access to gri
tructure defin
OGSA) [3],
ontologies in
to ontologies
The paper
technical top
understand th
general requi
we provide a
when providi
explain an R
account the
details of the
plan to experi
and propose f
II.
Before pre
it is necessary
topics which
Therefore,
tologies carrie
we outline th
de-facto grid
A. Ontologie
The Seman
when it adopt
use in particu
The Seman
ing and usin
technologies.
when implem
RDFS, and
tools (i.e., Pr
of ontologies
1-4244-1560-8/07/$25.00 © 2007 IEEE 89Access Provision in
Corcho ¤3, O´scar Mun˜oz Garcı´a #4
ite´cnica de Madrid
Monte, Madrid - Spain
f Manchester
er we discuss the issue of providing ontology
d environments, specifically, to the grid infras-
ed by the Open Grid Services Architecture (a.k.a.
and present an approach for accessing RDF(S)
the Grid, which is the first step for giving access
defined in other languages such as OWL.
is organised as follows: first, we introduce those
ics that should be known beforehand to fully
e work here presented; second, we describe the
rements for using ontologies in the grid; third,
n in-depth study of the problem encountered
ng ontology access within OGSA; fourth, we
DF(S) ontology access mechanism, taking into
requirements presented before. Fifth, we give
current implementation and describe how we
ment with it; and finally, we draw the conclusions
uture work.
RELATED TECHNOLOGY OVERVIEW
senting the topic of the present work we think
to review briefly some of the technologies and
conform the basis over which the work relies on.
we review some of the works concerning on-
d out in the context of the Semantic Web. Then,
e Open Grid Services Architecture, which is the
architecture.
s and the Semantic Web
tic Grid community [4] did not start from scratch
ed semantic technologies in general and ontology
lar.
tic Web develops languages and tools for build-
g ontologies, which are the basis of semantic
The W3C recommends to use three languages
enting ontologies in the Semantic Web (RDF,
OWL), whereas several ontology development
ote´ge´, WebODE, KAON) support the creation
in such languages. In addition, some tools
8th Grid Computing Conference