Transformation of a Relational Database to RDF/RDFS with ER²iDM

Abstract

The Semantic Web uses RDF/RDFS, which can enable a machine to understand web data without human interference. But most web data is not available in RDF/RDFS documents because most web data is still stored in databases. It is much more favorable to use stored data in a database to build the Semantic Web. This paper proposes an enhanced relational RDF/RDFS interoperable data model (ER²iDM) and a transformation procedure from relational data model (RDM) to RDF/RDFS based on ER²iDM. The ER²iDM is a data model that plays the role of an inter-mediator between RDM and RDF/RDFS during a transformation procedure. The data and schema information in the database are migrated to the ER²iDM according to the proposed translation procedures without incurring loss of meaning of the entities, relationships, and data. The RDF/RDFS generation tool makes a RDF/RDFS XML document automatically from the ER²iDM. The proposed ER²iDM and transformation procedure provides detailed guidelines for transformation from RDM to RDF/RDFS unlike existing studies; therefore, we can more efficiently build up the Semantic Web using database stored data.