Intelligent database design using the unifying semantic model

Research and development in the field of database systems has culminated in its widespread use. As usage has grown, the desire to link separate databases has resulted in substantial effort being directed towards the design of distributed database systems. A major research issue in designing such systems is the definition of a formal model that can be used to capture the semantics of the individual databases. This paper presents a semantic model called the Unifying Semantic Model (USM) and a software tool using it. The USM can be used for modeling the complex interrelationships and semantics found in a manufacturing environment. It is based on enhancements to existing semantic models. It can serve as a formal specification and documentation tool for databases. It can provide a means of specifying the Universe of Discourse for any interchange of information.