The metadatabase project at Rensselaer

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Abstract
The Metadatabase project is a multi-year research effort at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Sponsored by industry (ALCOA, DEC, GE, CM, IBM and other) through Rensselaer's Computer Integrated Manufacturing Program, this project seeks to develop novel concepts, methods and techniques for achieving information integration across major functional systems pertaining to computerized manufacturing enterprises. Thus, the metadatabase model emcompasses the generic tasks of heterogeneous, distributed, aand autonomous databases administration, but also includes information resources management and integration of concurrent (functional) systems. The model entails (1) an integrated data and knowledge modeling and representation method; (2) an online kernel (the metadatabase) for information modeling and management; (3) metadatabase assisted global query formulation and processing; (4) a concurrent architectural whereby global synergies are achieved through (distributed) metadata management rather than synchronization of (distributed) database processing; and (5) a theory of information requirements for integration. A metadatabase prototype was recently demonstrated to the industrial sponsors. The basic concept of the metadatabase model is discussed in this paper.