TITLE:
A System for Managing Oceanographic Metadata Using XML and XQuery
AUTHORS:
Elena Partescano, Alberto Brosich, Alessandra Giorgetti
KEYWORDS:
Database; XML; Web Service; XQuery
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Computer and Communications,
Vol.2 No.1,
December
26,
2013
ABSTRACT: Metadata,
by definition, is information associated with data, covering where, how, when
and by whom the data were acquired.
The chance to take part in European projects such as the EU-SeaDataNet (the
Pan-European infrastructure for ocean and marine data management) made it
necessary to use XML (Extensible Markup Language) as a standard file format for
sharing data and metadata. At present, the Italian National Oceanographic Data
Centre (OGS/NODC) has all its data and metadata contained in an Oracle
relational database, and the metadata is managed using XML formats and schema
(XSD; XML Schema Definition), giving common vocabularies for parameters,
instruments, ships, etc. in agreement with European project standards. One
problem with XML is the dynamic change in metadata schemas (XSD), necessitating
development of a system which is flexible and capable of managing the changes. This paper describes a system for managing oceanographic metadata using
XML files and the functionalities provided by the Oracle database. To better
manage the XML format, we chose to load into the OGS/NODC database the whole
XML file, using a dedicated field. The database Oracle gives us the flexibility
to manage the XML format locally, within the OGS/NODC information system, using
the XML DB (XML DataBase) Oracle features. This, through the use of XMLType,
allows the inclusion of the XML into the database. Furthermore, through the use
of the XQuery functions it is possible to create a set of views through which
information contained in the XML can be viewed more immediately in a relational
form. Using the XML and the XQuery functions, it is possible to store, extract and manage different kinds of information that
might be exchanged at the European level. Moreover, with a RESTful (Representational State Transfer) Web Service, we have a simple and standard interface for rapidly and easily
creating, modifying and deleting records containing XML files inside the
database. Finally, through the use of a RESTful Web Service, it is possible to decouple the application from
the database, so that through the use of software that manages HTTP URLs, such
as the Mikado (SeaDataNet project), the XML file can be inserted, updated and
deleted inside the database without the need for a direct connection to it.