Memory Storage Issues of Temporal Database Applications on Relational Database Management Systems

Abstract

Problem statement: Many existing database applications manage time-varying data. These database applications are referred to as temporal databases or time-oriented database applications that are considered as repositories of time-dependent data. Many proposals have been introduced for developing time-oriented database applications, some of which suggest building support for Temporal Database Management Systems (TDBMS) on top of existing non-temporal DBMSs, while others suggest modifying the models of exiting DBMSs or building TDBMS from scratch. Approach: This study addressed several issues concerning developing a technique that enables database designers to understand the way in which time-varying behavior can be modeled and mapped into tabular form. Results: Conventional DBMSs do not have the capability to record and process time-varying aspects of the real world. With growing sophistication of DBMS applications, the lack of temporal support in conventional DBMS raises serious problems when used to develop temporal database. The technique of understanding how to think about time and represent it in formal systems is the topic of this study. We examined how to implement time-varying application in the SQL structured query language by introducing temporal data concepts that need to be simulated in DBMSs which lack temporal supports. We proposed a temporal data model that combines the features of previous temporal models and that reduces the cost of memory storage. Conclusion: We proposed a technique for implementing temporal database on top of exiting non-temporal DBMS. This technique includes five main areas. These areas are temporal database conceptual design, temporal database logical design, integrity constraints preventions in temporal database, modifying and querying temporal database. We proposed a data model for the temporal database based on the data models which are discussed in literature.