Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Database reverse engineering based on meta-models

  • Research Article
  • Published:
Central European Journal of Computer Science

Abstract

Reengineering is one of the key concepts in software maintenance and evolution. It generally includes some form of reverse engineering followed by some form of forward engineering or restructuring. In the paper we focus on database reverse engineering. Model-driven software engineering promotes the idea of abstracting implementation details by focusing on: models as first class entities and automated generation of models or code from other models. In the approach meta-models are used to define the modeling languages. A database reverse engineering process can benefit of integrating meta-modeling and meta-models in the process. The plethora of models related to databases points out to the need and importance of model-to-model transformations between these models at different abstraction levels. These transformations are based on meta-models that are conformed by the source and target models of the transformations. A database reverse engineering process can be performed through a chain of model-to-model transformations based on a set of meta-models. In the paper we discuss the importance of meta-modeling in the context of database reverse engineering and present a case study illustrating an approach to database reverse engineering.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. E.J. Chikofsky, J.H. Cross, Reverse engineering and design recovery: A taxonomy. IEEE Softw. 7(1), 13–17, 1990

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. J. Mukerji, J. Miller, MDA Guide Version 1.0.1, document omg/03-06-01 (MDA Guide V1.0.1), 2003. http://www.omg.org/, (retrieved February 2014)

    Google Scholar 

  3. J.M. Favre, Foundations of Model (Driven) (Reverse) Engineering: Models, Dagstahl Seminar Proceedings 4101, 2005

  4. C.J. Date, H. Darwen, Types and the Relational Model. The Third Manifesto, 3rd ed (Addison Wesley, USA, 2006)

    Google Scholar 

  5. E. Eessaar, Using Meta-modeling in order to Evaluate Data Models, In Proceedings of: The 6th WSEAS Int. Conf. on Artificial Intelligence, Knowledge Engineering and Data Bases, Corfu Island, Greece, February (WSEAS Stevens Point, Wisconsin, USA, 2007) 16–19

    Google Scholar 

  6. R. Elmasri, B.S. Navathe, Database Systems: Models, Languages, Design and Application Programming, Sixth Edition (Pearson Global Edition, USA, 2011)

    Google Scholar 

  7. S. Ristic, S. Aleksic, M. Celikovic, I. Lukovic, An EMF Ecore based relational dB schema meta-model, In: Proceedings of: The 6th International Conference on Information Technology ICIT 2013, Amman, Jordan

  8. S. Ristic, S. Aleksic, M. Čelikovic, I. Lukovic, Meta-modeling in the Context of Database Reengineering, In: Proceedings of: The 12th Conference Informatics’2013 (International Scientific Conference on Informatics), Technical University of Kosice, Slovakia, 2013, 162–167

    Google Scholar 

  9. S. Ristic, S. Aleksic, I. Lukovic, J. Banovic, Form-Driven Application Generation: A Case Study, In Proceedings of: The Eleventh International Conference on Informatics, INFORMATICS’2011, Roznava, Slovakia, November 16–18, Technical University of Kosice, Slovakia, 2011, 115–120

    Google Scholar 

  10. M. Čeliković, T. Luković, S. Aleksić, V. Ivančević, A MOF based Meta-Model and a Concrete DSL Syntax of IIS*Case PIM Concepts, Comp. Sci. Inform. Sys. 9(3), 1075–1104, 2012

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. J.L. Hainaut, J. Henrard, J.M. Hick, D. Roland, V. Englebert, Database design recovery, Eighth Conferences on Advance Information Systems Engineering (Springer, Berlin Heidelberg, 1996) 463–480

    Google Scholar 

  12. A. Boronat, J. Perez, J.A. Cars, I. Ramos, Two Experiences in Software Dynamics, JUCS 10(4), 428–453, 2004

    Google Scholar 

  13. J. Perez, I. Ramos, V. Anaya et al., Data reverse engineering of legacy databases to object oriented conceptual schemas, Electron. Notes Theor. Comput. Sci. 74(4), 1–13, 2002

    Google Scholar 

  14. P. Atzeni, P. Cappellari, G. Gianforme, MIDST: model independent schema and data translation, In Proceedings of: The 2007 ACM SIGMOD international Conference on Management of Data (Beijing, China, June 11–14, 2007), SIGMOD ′07 (ACM, New York, NY, 2007) 1134–1136.

    Google Scholar 

  15. M. Gogolla, A. Lindow, M. Richters, P. Ziemann, Meta-model transformation of data models, Position paper. WISME at the UML 2002

    Google Scholar 

  16. R.N. Fidalgo, E. Alves, S. España et al., Metamodeling the Enhanced Entity-Relationship Model, JIDM 4(3), 406–420, 2013

    Google Scholar 

  17. M. Polo, I. Garcia-Rodriguez, M. Piattini, An MDA-based approach for database re-engineering, J. Softw. Maint. Evol. 19(6), 383–417, 2007

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. J. Vara, B. Vela, V.A. Bollati, E. Marcos, Supporting model-driven development of object-relational database schemas: a case study, In: R. Paige (Ed.), Theory and Practice of Model Transformations (Springer, Heidelberg, Berlin, 2009) 181–196

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  19. K. Lano, S. Kolahdouz-Rahimi, Model-driven development of model transformations, Theory and Practice of Model Transformations (Springer, Berlin Heidelberg 2011) 47–61

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  20. K. Lano, S. Kolahdouz-Rahimi, Constraint-based specification of model transformations, J. Syst. Software 86(2), 412–436, 2013

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. R.P. del Castillo, I. García-Rodríguez, I. Caballero, PRECISO: a reengineering process and a tool for database modernization through web services, In: M.J. Jacobson Jr., V. Rijmen, R. Safavi-Naini (Eds.) SAC 2009, LNCS, 5867 (Springer, Heidelberg, 2009) 2126–2133

    Google Scholar 

  22. C. Calero, F. Ruiz, A. Baroni, Brito e Abreu F., Piattini M., An ontological approach to describe the SQL:2003 object-relational features, Com. Stand. Interf. 28(6), 695–713, 2006

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. J. Cabot, R. Clarisó, E. Guerra, J. De Lara, Verification and validation of declarative model-to-model transformations through invariants, J. Sys. Soft. 83(2), 283–302, 2010

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. E. Guerra, J. de Lara, D. Kolovos, R. Paige, O. dos Santos, Engineering model transformations with transML, Software and Systems Modeling (Springer-Verlag, Berlin, Heidelberg, 2011)

    Google Scholar 

  25. P. Atzeni, G. Gianforme, P. Cappellari P., A universal meta-model and its dictionary, Large-Scale Data and Knowledge-Centered Systems 1, 38–62, 2009

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. O.E. Beggar, B. Bousetta, T. Gadi, Getting Relational Database from Legacy Data-MDRE Approach, Computer Engineering and Intelligent Systems 4(4), 10–32, 2013

    Google Scholar 

  27. W. Steingartner, D. Radaković, Categorical structures as expressing tool for differential calculus, In: Proceedings of: The 12th Conference Informatics’2013 (International Scientific Conference on Informatics) Technical University of Kosice, Slovakia, 2013, 77–82

    Google Scholar 

  28. V. Slodičák, Some useful structures for categorical approach for program behavior, Journal of Information and Organizational Sciences 35(1), 99–109, 2011

    Google Scholar 

  29. V. Slodičák, P. Macko, Some New Approaches in Functional Programming Using Algebras and Coalgebras, Electron. Notes Theor. Comput. Sci. 279(3), 41–62, 2011

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. S. Ristić., S. Aleksić, M. Čeliković, I. Luković, Meta-modeling of inclusion dependency constraints, In Proceedings of: The 6th Balkan Conference in Informatics (BCI ′13) (ACM, New York, NY, USA, 2013) 114–121

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Technical Sciences, University of Novi Sad, Trg Dositeja Obradovica 6, 21000, Novi Sad, Serbia

    Sonja Ristić, Slavica Aleksić, Milan Čeliković, Vladimir Dimitrieski & Ivan Luković

Authors
  1. Sonja Ristić
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Slavica Aleksić
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Milan Čeliković
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Vladimir Dimitrieski
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Ivan Luković
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sonja Ristić.

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Ristić, S., Aleksić, S., Čeliković, M. et al. Database reverse engineering based on meta-models. centr.eur.j.comp.sci. 4, 150–159 (2014). https://doi.org/10.2478/s13537-014-0218-1

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/s13537-014-0218-1

Keywords

Search

Navigation