Active Object-Oriented Database Design

We present an approach to perform the design of active object-oriented databases in two phases: In the first phase, the conceptual design, a high-level graphical representation of the database schema is developed. In the second phase, the logical design, the developed schema is mapped to the data model of the system used for the implementation. With Active Object/Behavior Diagrams we present a graphical language for the conceptual design of active object-oriented databases. Active Object/Behavior Diagrams introduce a graphical rule and event language for modeling business rules. Modeling business rules at the conceptual level requires different concepts than currently provided by active object-oriented database systems and by recent approaches to active object-oriented database design. During logical design, a schema developed with Active Object/Behavior Diagrams is mapped to a logical schema of an existing active object-oriented database system. We present such a mapping for TriGS, a prototype of an active object-oriented database system. The presented mapping covers all three dimensions of a schema specified with Active Object/Behavior Diagrams: object structure, passive object behavior, and active object behavior.