Ontology-driven sub-query extraction for distributed autonomous information resources in UnIT-Net IEDI

Abstract

The paper reports on the development of UnIT-Net1 Infrastructure for Electronic Data Interchange (IEDI). The main task of IEDI is to provide a uniform framework for authorized and secure information retrieval from heterogeneous, distributed, autonomous Information Resources (IRs) among the higher educational establishments and state bodies in Ukraine. The focus of the paper is the algorithm for ontology-driven sub-query extraction. The algorithm performs terminological mapping of an initial query in terms of domain ontology to the set of the sub-queries to different IRs in terms of respective IR ontologies. Mapping procedure is based on the raw mappings knowledge taken from mediator mapping ontology and the so called Late Binding technique for determining concepts. Finally, sub-queries are refined to become correct RDQL queries with respect to the specific IR. This algorithm will be used by IEDI mediator to decompose the user queries. Sub-queries will then be executed by the wrappers of the respective IRs. Initial proof-of-concept evaluation and the semi-formal proofs of ontologydriven sub-query extraction algorithm correctness are provided in the discussion part of the paper.