From databases to dataspaces

TLDR

Relational database systems dominated data management for decades, but the surge of ubiquitous data has created a fragmented field lacking a unified agenda, especially as organizations rely on many diverse data sources without a coherent way to manage their dataspaces. This paper proposes dataspaces and their support systems as a new agenda for data management. The agenda encompasses much of the current work in data management while posing additional research objectives.

Abstract

The development of relational database management systems served to focus the data management community for decades, with spectacular results. In recent years, however, the rapidly-expanding demands of "data everywhere" have led to a field comprised of interesting and productive efforts, but without a central focus or coordinated agenda. The most acute information management challenges today stem from organizations (e.g., enterprises, government agencies, libraries, "smart" homes) relying on a large number of diverse, interrelated data sources, but having no way to manage their dataspaces in a convenient, integrated, or principled fashion. This paper proposes dataspaces and their support systems as a new agenda for data management. This agenda encompasses much of the work going on in data management today, while posing additional research objectives.