RDF/RDFS-based Relational Database Integration

Abstract

We study the problem of answering queries through a RDF/RDFS ontology, given a set of view-based mappings between one or more relational schemas and this target ontology. Particularly, we consider a set of RDFS semantic constraints such as rdfs:subClassof, rdfs:subPropertyof, rdfs:domain, and rdfs:range, which are present in RDF model but neither XML nor relational models. We formally define the query semantics in such an integration scenario, and design a novel query rewriting algorithm to implement the semantics. On our approach, we highlight the important role played by RDF Blank Node in representing incomplete semantics of relational data. A set of semantic tools supporting relational data integration by RDF are also introduced. The approach have been used to integrate 70 relational databases at China Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine.