Administering Propagated
Metadata in Large, Multi-Layer Database Systems
Enterprise databases are comprised of multiple local databases that
exchange information. The component databases will rarely have the same
native form, so one must map between the native interfaces of the data
suppliers and the recipients. An SQL view is a convenient and powerful
way to define this map, because it provides not just an evaluation mechanism,
but also query, and (to some degree) update and trigger capabilities.
However, SQL views do not map the critical metadata (e.g., security,
source attribution, and quality information) between data suppliers
and their recipients.
This paper examines the research problems arising from the creation
of a metadata propagation framework: a theory for inferring and reconciling
metadata on views, rules for each property type and data derivation
operator, efficient implementation, and ways to coordinate metadata
administration across multiple schemas.
