How to Exchange Data between DB Systems on Early Humans. A Case Study Based on the CRC806-Database and the ROCEEH ROAD System

Abstract

In the recent past database (DB) systems providing information on early humans and their environment are becoming more and more important and increase rapidly in number. However, this increase in different DB systems is concomitant with an increasing redundancy in the digital information stored in these database systems. Therefore, in this study we explore ways to reduce redundancies due to multiple storage of data and, hence, we show solutions to minimize the requirements to store and manage digital information in the prehistory and paleoenvironment domains. The example is based on the database systems of the DFG financed SFB 806: ‘Our Way to Europe’ and the Heidelberg Academy of Sciences and Humanities project entitled: ‘The Role Of Culture in Early Expansion of Humans’ (ROCEEH). We focus especially on the spatial data available in both systems as well as on the environmental information. Therefore, we examine and test exchange interfaces based on Spatial Data Infrastructure technology (OGC Standards) and metadata/schema mappings. The paper presents currently implemented interfaces of both database systems in terms of their main commonalities and differences. Based on this overview, we discuss ways of direct links between the DB systems. Moreover, we identify procedures that need to be developed in the future to integrate and exchange data between both systems. We show that DB-linking activities based on the OGC standards yield valuable results and lead to a more efficient, sustainable management of these DB systems providing added values for the related research groups.

Resources

• http://www.tr32db.uni-koeln.de/DOI/doi.php?doiID=92

Bibliography

Märker, M., Willmes, C., Hochschild, V., Bareth, G. (2016): How to Exchange Data between DB Systems on Early Humans. A Case Study Based on the CRC806-Database and the ROCEEH ROAD System. Geographisches Institut der Universität zu Köln, Kölner Geographische Arbeiten, Vol. 96, DOI: 10.5880/TR32DB.KGA96.9