1. Information Integration BIRN supports integration across complex data sources – Can process wide variety of structured & semi-structured sources (DBMS, XML, HTML, Excel, XML, SOAP Use Schema & Data – Source Modeling & Record Linkage Infrastructure capabilities – Security, Efficient Query Execution, SQL-like syntax across multiple sources. Decision SupportApplication Programs Mediator Knowledge Bases DatabasesComputer Programs The Web

2. Information Mediator Virtual Integration Architecture: – Virtual organization: community of data providers and consumers that want to share data for specific purpose – Autonomous sources: data, control remains at sources; no change to access methods, schemas; data accessed real-time in response to user queries – Mediator: integrator defines domain schema and describes source contents Domain schema: agreed upon view of the domain preferred by the virtual organization Source descriptions: logical formulas relating source and domain schemas

3. BIRN MEDIATOR Project Overview

4. Project History The BIRN Mediator project began in … The initial user group consists of … Early phases of the project involved … In : Ongoing enhancements to …

5. Information Mediator Query Answering – User writes query in domain schema – Mediator: Determines sources relevant to user query Rewrites query in sources schemas Breaks query into sub-queries for sources Optimizes query evaluation plan Combines answers from sources – Efficient query evaluation Streaming dataflow

6. 6 BIRN Grid-based Virtual Data Integration Architecture Relational DB Ex: HID XML DB Ex: eXist-db Web Portal BIRN Gateway OGSA-DQP/DAI Internet Internal to Organization Internet Internal to Organization Grid Security Infrastructure (TLS + PKI) OGSA-DAI ISI-Mediator Web Service Ex: XNAT Logical Source Descriptions Reconcile Semantics/ Query Rewriting Client Program Query Optimization/ Execution Source Wrappers Security: Encryption, Authentication, Authorization,

7. The Information Mediator User Queries / Web Portal / Services Security Information Integration ‘Capabilities’ Information Integration ‘Capabilities’ Other BIRN ‘Capabilities’ Other BIRN ‘Capabilities’ Application Specific key Execution Engine Optimizer Reformulation Wrapper Logical Source Descriptions Data Sources

8. Database Consolidation Construct a ‘virtual organization’ A community of data providers and consumers sharing data for common specific purpose All sources are autonomous data, control remains at sources no change to access methods, schemas; data accessed real-time in response to user queries Work consists of modeling domain schema and source contents Domain schema = agreed upon view of the domain preferred by the virtual organization Source descriptions = logical formulas relating source and domain schemas Implemented solutions in multiple domains: fMRI : Ashish, et al. (2010) “Neuroscience Data Integration through Mediation: An (F)BIRN Case Study.” Front. Neuroinf. 4:118 Cardiovascular Research Grid Non-Human Primate Research Consortium Child Neurodevelopmental Disorders Use Cases Scientists from different groups want to query across two databases with different schema Databases may be completely different (i.e., one group uses Excel spreadsheets, another uses Filemaker Pro and a third uses Oracle)

9. Database Extension Reapply the mediator technology to sources from different subjects e.g., link genetics data to imaging. Not dependent on a universal, global ontology, but a locally- defined model specific for the application Use Cases Scientists want to bring together data from different sources into a a single, common domain model Sources will require linkage at the level of schema and data

10. Automatic Interface Generation How does this work? Use Cases The mediator technology generates a user interface for a specific task automatically

11. Screenshots