Royi Ronen

SoQL: A Language for Querying and Creating Data in Social Networks

We present SoQL (SOcial networks Query Language), a new language for querying and creating data in social networks. The language is designed to meet the growing need of social networks participants to efficiently manage the large, and quickly growing, amounts of data available to them, as well as automate processes of creating new data. This need is increasingly pressing as social networks gradually become an important working tool for business development and management. SoQL is a step in the direction of meeting the challenges of providing an expressive querying mechanism and automating processes in social networks.SoQL is an SQL-like language which enables the user to retrieve paths to other participants in the network, and use a retrieved path in order to attempt to create a connection with the participant at the end of the path. The language can specify complex conditions that a desired path should satisfy. The language also supports retrieving a group of participants which satisfy conditions as a group, and connecting its members to each other. SoQL uses the path and group as data types. This work presents the SoQL language and discusses implementation issues.

Evaluation of datalog extended with an XPath predicate

XPathL is a logical language for processing XML and relational data. The language is essentially Datalog augmented with a new type of predicate, XPath Expression Predicate, which is dedicated to XPath processing. It may be used as an intermediate target language for higher level constructs within a programming language, or embedded directly within a programming language. Two approaches for processing XPathL queries are presented. The Static approach uses an XPath processor, prior to execution, without considering data binding. The On-Demand approach uses the XPath processor based on known bindings to variables at run-time. We constructed a prototype for experimenting with these approaches. The prototype provides a platform for leveraging the wealth of knowledge in Datalogprocessing for the purpose of integrative querying of both XML and relational data. The prototype also provides a platform to investigate the interaction between processors for arbitrary file-type-specific predicates within one query (in this paper the interaction between XML and relational file types is investigated). In that, XPathL takes a loosely-coupled approach towards data access, which fits well with web data.

Modeling and monitoring dynamic dependency environments

Enterprise modeling using data dependencies is common in monitoring and business performance management systems. The modern enterprise is a dynamic creature, constantly adapting itself to the changing environment. This adaptation may result in changes in enterprise components and data dependencies between them. An enterprise model must be able to express this dynamism, and business performance management services must be able to react accordingly. In this paper, we briefly introduce ADI (active dependency integration technology), a language for modeling data dependencies between entities. We discuss developments related to support in modeling dynamic environments, where elements may be added or deleted. Dynamism-related developments include the support of automatic dependency instantiation from an abstract dependency. The abstract dependency expresses a general pattern in the ontology, functioning as a template for dependency instances. Another aspect of dynamism is support for changes in existing dependencies rather than only creating new dependencies; for example, adding a new entity to a dependency. Changes in topology do not imply system redeployment. ADI also supports the influence of dynamism on data items and subsequent propagation of this influence through the model.

Automated interaction in social networks with datalog

The Query Network [12] is a model for query-based social networks automation features, motivated by the rise of social networks as a central internet application. This work generalizes the model to consist of a proposal query and an acceptance query for each participant. As a result, addition of edges is done by coordination between participants, simulating interactions between participants. We designed, implemented and experimented with evaluation algorithms for this new model. Experiments with both synthetic and real datasets show the high effectiveness of our methods.

Conjunctive queries over DAGs

We address the complexity of evaluating conjunctive queries over labeled directed acyclic graphs (DAGs). DAG-structured data and queries over such data occur in many contexts, such as ontologies for the Semantic Web and Complex Event Processing. The relations representing the DAG are binary axis relations, mostly adopted from XPath, and unary label relations. The relations definitions are generalized for the DAG case. We prove that all polynomial time results of [6], except one, become NP-Complete over DAGs.

Concurrent atomic protocols for making and changing decisions in social networks

We study a novel data management scenario, in which social networks participants use protocols in order to manage their activities and the ever-growing data available to them in the network. In particular, we study protocols which operate on a consistent network (that we define), and transform it into another consistent state by atomically performing a set of changes. Multiple protocol instances, which work on intersecting parts of the network graphs are able to operate concurrently.

Reactive rules-based dependency resolution for monitoring dynamic environments

Monitoring systems commonly use data dependencies and are very often required to have real-time, or near real-time, capabilities. Resolution of dependencies using a reactive rule engine is an evident choice, since it provides inherent real-time characteristics. We introduce the novel approach taken by Active Dependency Integration (ADI) technology in using reactive rules for dependency resolution, i.e., for the purpose of calculating an updated value using the value elements on which it depends. The salient property of this approach is that it demonstrates autonomic behavior. The set of reactive rules used for dependency resolution does not depend on the model for which it provides dependency resolution. The same rules handle every dependency model and support dynamic models, where elements may be added or deleted, without having to change any code or rule definitions, or stop the monitoring for manual system reconfiguration and redeployment. The rules are implemented in AMIT, an event-driven rule engine.