Technological evolution

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Technological evolution
Relational and post-relational databases

• Enrico Parisi
• GAIVOTA consulting
• Parco Tenago
• CH-6926 Montagnola
• Switzerland
• gaivota_at_fivenet.ch

GAIVOTA, the bridge between Users and Suppliers
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The evolution of IT

• 70s Technology-Centric
• small amount of data
• read it, process it, and print it out
• 80s User-Centric
• PCs
• relational databases with easy-to-understand,
  two-dimensional data models
• Today Network-Centric
• complex data manipulated and exchanged over large
  and sophisticated networks
• complex TP applications 24x7

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Todays IT business requirements

• multiple interfaces
• user interface
• GUI, WEB etc.
• application
• expose business logic on the network
• data
• allow sharing of data across diverse systems
• simple representation of complex data models
• high performance TP and scalability

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The relational data model promise

• data represented as tables
• rows (records) columns (fields)
• SQL (Structured Query Language)
• make data available to user
• well defined mathematical model
• rules to manipulate data
• relatively easy to implement
• in simple contexts.

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Variability in the Real World

• variability and repetition are constants in the
  real world
• some family have no children, some have many
• some lab test have one result, some have many
• variable-length and variable-occurrence fields
  and groups in records

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The relational data model in the Real World

• developer force the real world into simple
  relational model
• extreme simplification of real-world issues
• proliferation of tables interacting in complex
  ways
• result of normalization
• poorly model the relationships of complex data
• relationship between tables often hidden in
  application programs
• poor performance

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Post-relational databases

• multidimensional model
• closer to real world
• better modeling of data relationship
• better performance
• Object oriented model
• embed business logic into database
• modularity reusability
• polymorphism
• Performance scalability

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Post-relational key features

• Performance
• Productivity
• Interoperability

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Post-relational key featuresPerformance

• support enterprise network access
• GUI/client/server, Web-browser Internet/Intranet
  etc.
• transaction processing with complex application
  and data base
• need near-instantaneous response time
• transaction management, data caching, dynamic
  load balancing/reconfiguration, etc.

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Post-relational key featuresProductivity

• increase programmer productivity by shrinking
  data management functions from programs
• easy navigation of complex data structures
• work effectively with complex network-wide
  information
• shield programs/programmers from changes in data
  structures/relationships

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Post-relational key featuresInteroperability

• embrace actual and de facto standards
• CORBA, DCOM, SQL etc.
• portability
• multi-platform

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Post-relational databasesa Real World vision
an holistic approach