IS components with hyperclasses

Abstract

In this paper, we define an Information System component (ISC) in a data-intensive application context. An ISC is considered as an autonomous IS, respecting a set of completeness conditions. It is defined through a static space, a dynamic space and an integrity rules space. We use the hyperclass concept to implement the static space. A hyperclass is a large class, formed from a subset of conceptual classes of the global schema of a database, forming a unit with a precise semantics. This concept introduces a kind of modularity in the definition and the management of a database schema and a powerful kind of independence between the methods and the schema. Applied to a ISC, it facilitates its handling when refined or integrated.