CS 561   Spring 2007.

CS561 "HOMEWORK" #3

Assigned: Thursday, Feb 1, 2007
Due: Thursday, Feb 8, 2007

To do:

• Go with project1 on developing your ORDB application all the way ... !!!

• Read the assigned readings on triggers and rules in database management systems. The three papers on rule systems and their relationship to databases have been linked into our course website, and have been handed out in class. The papers range from an early effort by IBM (Starburst) to effectively support rules with minimal extensions to relational database technology; the second paper is a more recent effort for extending the scalability (which tends to be often a few per table) to ideally 1000's or even 1,000,000's per database. Lastly, the three paper is a recent "SIGMOD test-of-time paper award" that gives an overview of where DB+rules/triggers has been, how it has develops, and what may be still potential future directions.

• Prepare one written critique on the topic of "rules and databases" to be turned in in the next class meeting. You can make this inclusive of all three papers, or any other additional material you may have written. Possible topics you could consider in your critique include:
  • Identify the pros and cons of integrating rules (triggers/active-rules) into database management systems.
  • If you decide to turn passive (regular) databases into active databases, then what are additional challenges that need to be overcome in order to provide effective rule support?
  • If you decide to turn passive (regular) databases into active databases, then what are the existing database technologies that could be exploited so to optimize the support of rules. Consider issues ranging from their specification, their monitoring to their execution.
  • What models of active rule execution exist; including scope, modes, transaction semantics?
  • What are potential uses/applications of active database technology, and would they be best served from an active DBMS or from a loosely-coupled architecture composed of a passive DBMS and say an expert system (rule system)?
  In addition, as always, you are encouraged to be creative and to think through what else may be additional issues of interest or of concern to be discussed in this general topic area.