Bringing together description logics and database in an object oriented model

Abstract

Description logics have powerful deductive capabilities but rely on a weekly structured model. Databases provide storage optimization and offer better structuring capacities, especially within the object-oriented paradigm. We propose a model which offers the deductive capabilities of description logics and the structuring possibilities of the object approach. We distinguish between three types of classes: concrete classes, where objects are instantiated, virtual classes, which are subsets of concrete classes, corresponding to database object preserving views, and abstract classes, which factor common properties of objects from different concrete classes. A schema in this model can be translated into a description logics schema and into a database schema. The former represents the deductive part and the latter deals with the storage aspect.