Towards an Integrated Model for Data, Metadata, and Operations

Abstract

Information integration requires manipulating data and metadata in ways that in general go beyond a single existing transformation formalism. As a result, a complete source-to-target mapping can only be expressed by combining different techniques like query languages, wrappers, scripting, etc., which are often specific to a single integration platform or vendor. Such a mapping is not portable across different alternative deployment scenarios, thus limiting the mapping's reusability and putting the considerable investment required to create it at risk. To avoid this vendor lock-in, we define an integrated representation for operations on arbitrary data and metadata that is independent of any specific metamodel or transformation language. Using it, we can express mappings in an abstract, vendor-neutral form, improving the interoperability of integration tools and the flexibility for the deployment of mappings.