Mapping construction compliant with schema semantics

Abstract

A dominant characteristic of autonomous information sources is their heterogeneity, in terms of data formats and schemas. We need schema and data mappings between such sources in order to query them in a uniform and systematic manner. Guiding the discovery of mappings employing automatic tools is one of the fundamental unsolved challenges of data interoperability. In this work we consider the problem of discovering mappings for schemas of autonomous sources that can gradually revealed. Using as an example setting an overlay of peer databases, we present a mapping solution that discovers mappings, which can be adapted to new and gradually revealed schema information. Mapping discovery is schema-centric and incorporates new semantics as they are unveiled. © 2014 Springer International Publishing Switzerland.