Object-oriented database management systems (OODBMSs) have generated significant excitement in the database community in the last decade. This interest stems from a real need for data management support for what are called "advanced application areas" that are not well-served by relational technology. The case for object-oriented technology has been made on three fronts. First is the data modeling requirements of the new applications. Some of the more important shortcomings of the relational systems in meeting the requirements of these applications include: 1. Relational systems deal with a...

Workflow management systems (WFMS) are enjoying increasing popular ity due to their ability to coordinate and streamline complex organizational processes within organizations of all sizes. Organizational processes are de scriptions of an organization's activities engineered to fulfill its mission such as completing a business contract or satisfying a specific customer request. Gaining control of these processes allows an organization to reengineer and improve each process or adapt them to changing requirements. The goal of WFMSs is to manage these organizational processes and coordinate their...

Object-oriented database management systems (OODBMS) are expected to serve advanced application domains such as engineering design, office information systems, imaging systems, and multimedia. This book, based on a NATO Advanced Research Workshop, covers all aspects of object-oriented database systems from design principles to implementation of prototypes. Topics covered include model concepts, query optimization, query languages, functional programming formalism, storage systems, transaction models, interoperability, distributed computing, rule languages, open architectures, hypermedia...