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There are two major issues to address to achieve integration of an object-oriented programming system with a database system. One is the language issue: an object-oriented programming language must be augmented with semantic data modeling concepts to provide a robust set of data modeling concepts to allow modeling of entities for important real-world applications. Another is the computational-model issue: application programmers should be able to access and manipulate objects as though the objects are in an infinite virtual memory; in other words, they should not have to be aware of the existence of a database system in their computations with the data structures the programming language allows. This paper discusses these issues and presents the solutions which we have incorporated into the ORION object-oriented database system at MCC.

A model of a complex object is presented and a set of meaningful operations, both basic and advanced, on a single complex object and on a configuration of complex objects is defined. A set of requirements is presented for storage subsystems that support complex objects. Implementation of complex objects and operations on a single complex object are described, and a detailed performance analysis is provided which establishes the merit of complex objects. Finally, storage techniques are proposed for supporting advanced operations on a configuration of complex objects.>

Many applications in the CAD/CAM and AI domains require the capability to define and manipulate a structured collection of records as a single logical entity, called a complex object. A complex object is the unit of sharing among many configurations of higher level entities. In this paper, we present a model of complex object and define a set of meaningful operations, both basic and advanced, on a single complex object and on a configuration of complex objects. We then present a set of requirements for storage subsystems that support complex objects. We also describe our implementation of complex objects and operations on a single complex object; and provide a detailed performance analysis which establishes the merit of complex objects. Finally, we propose storage techniques for supporting advanced operations on a configuration of complex objects.

In this paper, we elaborate on three major enhancements to the conventional object-oriented data model, namely, schema evolution, composite objects, and versions. Schema evolution is the ability to dynamically make changes to the class definitions and the structure of the class lattice. Composite objects are recursive collections of exclusive components that are treated as units of storage, retrieval, and integrity enforcement. Versions are variations of the same object that are related by the history of their derivation. These additional features are strongly motivated by data management requirements of object-oriented applications from the AI, CAD/CAM, and OIS (office information systems with multimedia documents) domains. An object-oriented data model, with these enhancements, has been incorporated into ORION, a prototype database system developed at MCC as a vehicle of research into object-oriented databases.

Many applications in such domains as computer-aided design require the capability to define, store and retrieve as a single unit a collection of related objects known as a composite object. A composite object explicitly captures and enforces the IS-PART-OF integrity constraint between child and parent pairs of objects in a hierarchical collection of objects. Further, it can be used as a unit of storage and retrieval to enhance the performance of a database system.

Presented in this paper is the data model for ORION, a prototype database system that adds persistence and sharability to objects created and manipulated in object-oriented applications. The ORION data model consolidates and modifies a number of major concepts found in many object-oriented systems, such as objects, classes, class lattice, methods, and inheritance. These concepts are reviewed and three major enhancements to the conventional object-oriented data model, namely, schema evolution, composite objects, and versions, are elaborated upon. Schema evolution is the ability to dynamically make changes to the class definitions and the structure of the class lattice. Composite objects are recursive collections of exclusive components that are treated as units of storage, retrieval, and integrity enforcement. Versions are variations of the same object that are related by the history of their derivation. These enhancements are strongly motivated by the data management requirements of the ORION applications from the domains of artificial intelligence, computer-aided design and manufacturing, and office information systems with multimedia documents.

Abstract We describe the implementation of a flexible data storage system for the UNIX environment that has been designed as an experimental vehicle for building database management systems. The storage component forms a foundation upon which a variety of database systems can be constructed including support for unconventional types of data. We describe the system architecture, the design decisions incorporated within its implementation, our experiences in developing this large piece of software, and the applications that have been built on top of it.