Object Oriented Repository for Data Structures

The end-product of this solicitation is the development of an Object Oriented Repository; for Phase I, a requirements specification of the Repository is to be delivered. Key to this development are considerations for performance, both in inserting and retrieving information from the Repository. Secondary considerations include flexibility, security, and robustness among other qualities. Unlike relational databases which have produced query optimizations based on the underlying relational algebra implemented in the data manipulation language, Object Oriented databases have so far lacked that foundation and as a result, performance suffers. To develop the specifications for the Repository, we propose an investigation of the state of the art, including academic approaches to formalism equivalent to the relational algebra. Approaches to be considered include the Monoidal Comprehension Calculus, Encore Query Algebra, and AQUA. In addition to query optimization, different approaches to data storage models are also evaluated for improved performance. Storage models are interrelated with the query model, but operate closer to the physical storage level of the database.