Metadata repository

About: Metadata repository is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 5841 publications have been published within this topic receiving 121778 citations.

Apparatus and method for pickling data

Abstract: A pickler apparatus and a process for pickling and unpickling data objects are disclosed. Data objects are described in metadata that store attributes of a source data object organized according to an abstract data type, and a data format of the computer system that is hosting the pickler. Using the metadata, the data object is transformed into a linear representation or image. The format, layout, alignment, and inheritance representation of the host system are applied to the image during transformation. The image has a length value, a prefix segment, and a string of bytes copied from the data object. The prefix segment may be the metadata, so that the metadata is transported with the image whereby a receiving process can reconstruct the data object from the image based upon the metadata. The image is canonical and is easily and rapidly transported across a network. When a pointer is encountered in the data object, it is transformed in the string of bytes into a value of the offset in bytes indicated by the pointer, a length of the data that is referenced by the pointer, and a segment of bytes copied from the data that is referenced by the pointer. Nested tables, arrays, and complex collections referenced in the object are efficiently linearized.

Two paths to interoperable metadata

Abstract: This paper describes a prototype for a Web service that translates between pairs of metadata schemas. Despite a current trend toward encoding in XML and XSLT, we present arguments for a design that features a more distinct separation of syntax from semantics. The result is a system that auomates routine processes, has a well-defined place for human input, and achieves a clean separation of the document data model, the document translations, and the machinery of the application.

Subject metadata enrichment using statistical topic models

Abstract: Creating a collection of metadata records from disparate and diverse sources often results in uneven, unreliable and variable quality subject metadata. Having uniform, consistent and enriched subject metadata allows users to more easily discover material, browse the collection, and limit keyword search results by subject. We demonstrate how statistical topic models are useful for subject metadata enrichment. We describe some of the challenges of metadata enrichment on a huge scale (10 million metadata records from 700 repositories in the OAIster Digital Library) when the metadata is highly heterogeneous (metadata about images and text, and both cultural heritage material and scientific literature). We show how to improve the quality of the enriched metadata, using both manual and statistical modeling techniques. Finally, we discuss some of the challenges of the production environment, and demonstrate the value of the enriched metadata in a prototype portal.

Computer-implemented method for generating distributed object interfaces from metadata

Abstract: A method and system for creating a distributed object interface description and a distributed object server interface module to a software system, such as a repository. In a preferred embodiment, a repository contains an object oriented information model from which an interface description and a server implementation interface module can be generated. A metadata interface allows a generator program to obtain detailed information about the information model. The generator program uses the metadata to create the interface description for the model. The generator program also generates implementation classes that will serve as the interface module between the distributed object interface and the repository.