Intelligent integration of information

This paper describes and classifies methods to transform data to information in a three-layer, mediated architecture. The layers can be characterized from the top down as information-consuming applications, mediators which perform intelligent integration of information (I3), and data, knowledge and simulation resources. The objective of modules in the I3 architecture is to provide end users' apoplications with information obtained through selection, abstraction, fusion, caching, extrapolation, and pruning of data. The data is obtained from many diverse and heterogeneous sources. The I3 objective requires the establishment of a consensual information system architecture, so that many participants and technologies can contribute. An attempt to provide such a range of services within a single, tightly integrated system is unlikely to survive technological or environmental change. This paper focuses on the computational models needed to support the mediating functions in this architecture and introduces initial applicatiions. The architecture has been motivated in [Wied:92C].