Research Of Information Describing Approach In The Heterogeneous Information Integration

With the development of computer science and IT, the information resources stored in all kinds of computer systems can communicate with each other. They make up of the huge Network Information Space and take on the characteristics of being heterogeneous, huge, dynamic, and distributed. These changes bring new challenges to the information integration. The information description that is the base of the information integration should be resolved firstly. This paper is focus on the unified approach of information description for the information integration in Network Information Space.An approach named SUDAI (Semantic-based Unified Description Approach for the heterogeneous Information) is presented in the thesis. It realizes the unified description of the heterogeneous information from three aspects, which are the design of the description model, the visualization of information description and the storage of description result. The organic combine of the three aspects can hold out the information integration effectively, and SUDAI has superiority in comparison with other approaches.The description model, which is the core of SUDAI, is designed by object-oriented analysis approach. The model is based on conceptual model and semantic metadata. It uses the InformationClasses (attributes), and the relations of InformationClasses to describe the heterogeneous information sources, which can provide the transparent information view in semantic level. The employ of the metainfo that contacts the information content with the description result effectually can build up the describing capability of this model and conveniences the information integration. The mapping principles from the information source schema to the description model are also discussed.This thesis employs the symbols in Class Diagram of UML to show the description result, which implements the visualization of description. Compared with the existing approaches, SUDAI has the convenient, intuitionistic and universal excellence.SUDAI storages and issues the description result with XML. So it can improve the convenience of exchangement and understandment between different information systems and research people. This also enhances the flexibility of information description.Finally, a visual tool based on SUDAI is designed and implemented in this thesis. Its design considers the application to information integration thoroughly so that it can be applied in information integration systems conveniently. It has strong operability and a certain extent of universality. On the background of the information integration in Network Information Space, the paper has designed an example to display how to use SUDTI describing and supporting integration, which verifies the feasibility and practicability of SUDTI further.