Artículos

MONIL Language, an Alternative for Data Integration

El Lenguaje MONIL, una Alternativa para la Integración de Datos.

Mónica Larre¹, José Torres–Jiménez, Eduardo Morales², Juan Frausto–Solís and Sócrates Torres¹

¹ITESM Campus Cuernavaca
Av. Paseo de la Reforma 182–A Col. Lomas de Cuernavaca
monica.larre@itesm.mx, juan.frausto@itesm.mx, socrates@itesm.mx

2 Instituto Nacional de Astrofisica Optica y Electronica
Luis Enrique Erro 1, Sta. Ma. Tonantzintla, 72840 Puebla
emorales@inaoep.mx

Article received on September 07, 2001; accepted on January 21, 2005

Abstract

Data integration is a process of retrieving, merging and storing of data originated in heterogeneous sources of data.

The main problem facing the data integration is the structural and semantic heterogeneity of participating data. A concern of research communities in computer sciences is the development of semi–automatic tools to assist the user in an effective way in the data integration processes.

This paper introduces a programming language called MONIL, as an alternative to integrate data by means of design, storage and program execution. MONIL is based on the use of meta–data, conversion functions, a meta–model of integration and a scheme of integration suggestions. MONIL offers to the user a dedicated work environment with built–in semi–automatic tools supporting the integration process in three stages.

Keywords: data integration, integration language, databases, metadata.

Resumen

La integración de datos es el proceso de extracción, mezcla y almacenamiento de datos provenientes de fuentes de datos heterogéneas. El problema principal que enfrenta la integración de datos es la heterogeneidad estructural y semántica de los datos que participan.

Una preocupación en las comunidades de investigación de las ciencias computacionales, es el desarrollo de herramientas semiautomáticas que asistan a los usuarios de forma efectiva en los procesos de integración de datos. Este artículo presenta un lenguaje de programación llamado MONIL, como una alternativa para integrar datos mediante el diseño, almacenamiento y ejecución de programas. MONIL está basado en el uso de metadatos, funciones de conversión, un metamodelo de integración y un esquema de sugerencias de integración. MONIL ofrece al usuario un ambiente de trabajo dedicado con herramientas semiautomáticas integradas y que soportan un proceso de integración en tres etapas.

Palabras claves: integración de datos, lenguaje de integración, bases de datos, bodegas de datos, metadatos.

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