Integrating Databases and Multimedia Information on the Web

Transcription

1 Integrating Databases and Multimedia Information on the Web Adam, G. K. and Tzortzios, S. I. University of Thessaly, Faculty of Agriculture Crop and Animal production, Lab of Biometry, Pedion Areos Volos, Greece Tel/Fax: Abstract The enormous advances in Web technology have taken information systems literally to another dimension. Therefore, the need for proper organization and manipulation of the information provided online has been emerged very intensive nowadays. An attempt was undertaken in this study referring to a research work into the integration of agricultural databases and multimedia presentations of agricultural data on the Web, using an interactive information system created for this purpose and called AgroModel. The aim is to provide a proper Web structure for data integration and manipulation online in order to be used for research by a global network of agricultural research centres. Arising out of a need for a better organization and integration of information on the Web, an integrated interactive multimedia environment for agricultural research and information distribution was developed and used efficiently in local area research cases. This integrated online information system for research and information distribution aims to be the model platform used for research in agriculture and environmental studies in general. Results of the system's application and usage have shown it's immense potential into the integration and manipulation of large amounts of different types of data. It seems that the current state of this environment could present a substantial contribution to the global organization and access of data on the Web. Introduction Based on primary agricultural research needs, an appropriate database structure was created on a relational model scheme. In continuation, various plant and animal descriptive and research data were stored into database structures grouped and incorporated within the AgroModel environment. The databases are under continuous improvement and updates since new data and findings are continuously being found. AgroModel was created to provide tools for database management, data manipulation and data analysis. The system is built using object-oriented visual languages (an integration of Visual Basic, SQL and Web development languages HTML, Java) [2], [3] used also for advanced programming and work with the system. The overall integrated environment obtained is the platform which is finally placed on the WWW ( in order to make the information in agricultural research available for the benefit of agricultural society and any scientific society in general. The environment provides build-in tools as well as interfaces to software packages (e.g. SPSS, SYSTAT, STATISTICA) for mathematical and statistical analysis applied mainly to agricultural data, but also to any type of data online on the Web. In this way the environment constitutes also a system for distance learning education in agricultural science available to anyone interested in studying or researching on the Web. Being in such an integrated environment, where the compatibility between the databases and various statistical packages is available, the researcher could undertake any

2 type of statistical analysis from the simplest descriptive statistics to the most sophisticated stability statistics approaches (regression models, cluster analysis, etc.). The overall system comprises a flexible structure that is under continuous improvement and evolvement in order to maintain the research information up to date. The idea of a fully integrated computing environment for agricultural data management, until now suffered from one major flaw, communications. Microsoft Corporation, addressed this problem by proposing an Open Architecture structure, open database connectivity protocols, etc. [4]. Based on a such approach an interactive quantitative modeling environment, called Figure1: A front-end view of the AgroModel. AgroModel [6] as in Figure1, was constructed using object-oriented software and incorporating certain statistical analysis packages and techniques, in order to achieve: (a) an interactive computing platform for agricultural data manipulation for practical purposes, (b) an integrated computing platform for efficient use of agricultural data analysis and comparisons. AgroModel sessions administrate a huge database, called AgroDB, consisted of various animal and plant data (particularly cattle properties, Charolais breed specific), that encapsulates the high-level knowledge of the human expert in cattle breeds management. The basic idea in this study was to provide an integrated environment, where various data analysis tools could be used in order to extract and propose solutions to certain case problems. A general view of this environment is presented in Figure2. Materials and Methods The development of the interactive application environment of this study was based mainly upon the use of object-oriented [1] and visual development tools (Visual Basic 6.0), and the use of open architecture technology drivers and methods (ODBC interface, SQL) to interact initially with Microsoft Access and Excel databases and later on with certain statistical packages, as the SPSS and STATISTICA, on a Windows 98 operating system platform. In particular software modules were created as VBasic modules and scripts, SQL queries in order to facilitate the communication of model components and execution of internal functions and procedures. The hardware and software requirements for the application to run are not of a particular demand; the basic use requires simply an elementary training at the level of a modern farmer. The application currently provides a set of basic tools for agricultural data management:

3 Database basic data manipulation (retrieval, update, filter, report, queries, etc.) Data analysis (e.g. statistical, etc.) through build-in functions, spreadsheet functions, etc. Advanced data management (based upon logical reasoning, SQL queries, etc.) At the design stage, a fundamental decision was the choice of the appropriate database logical structure (namely which database model: hierarchical, relational or network?), which describes how the data (entities and their attributes) within the database are related at all levels (linked or related to other data inside the database). Taking into consideration that relational databases are formed on the basis of a mathematical reasoning (relational calculus, relational queries), while hierarchical and network databases have no mathematical footing, a relational database schema was selected and used in the construction. In addition, hierarchical and network data models allow very fast, but more limited access to data within databases. Finally, looking at the market the recent years we realize that the entire database market has moved towards the ideas of relational database models. It seems therefore, that over the next few years, the relational-database models are going to be in excess of the other data structure techniques [3]. A database subset of real data (of Charolais Breed) from the MLC Beef Cattle recording scheme is used as an example case in this study. DATABASE MANAGEMENT (Maintenance, Development) ADVANCED MANAGEMENT (Logical Reasoning) Agricultural Data Management Interactive Web Platform SYSTEMS ANALYSIS (Measures,Functions) APPLICATIONS MANAGEMENT (SPSS, STATISTICA) Figure2: The basic computer environment Figure3: The Charolais data structure. Results and Discussion The overall application is based on a multimedia-based database consisted mainly of agricultural data. This agricultural database, called AgroDB, as a whole is designed in the form of subsets of interrelated tables, grouped together according to the specific type of the agricultural data (i.e. scientific field, plant species, breed, etc.) and related to certain key features. Based on a bottom-up design strategy, in a hierarchical relational structure, the individual groups of data tables of each agricultural species (plant or animal) are organized within the global agricultural database. A part of the internal

4 database tables structure and relations scheme referring to the Charolais data is given in Figure3. At the top level, our application system model (AgroModel) controls and coordinates the entire user interaction and requirements (educational or research), towards the AgroDB, through a number of facilities and tools provided for this purpose. The database is currently filled with quantitative and qualitative multimedia information about animal species (i.e. cattle breeds data), collected over a long period of time and taking into consideration a number of relative environmental effects and factors stored in any level of measurements within relational tables [5]. An example report of such information (Charolais specific) is presented in Figure4. The data sets present a wide set of attributes (as variables), regarding specific animal features. The whole sets of data, or certain attributes, could easily be selected and defined by the user, as key data meaningful to the various logical reasoning operations (descriptive & comparative) for any simple or more sophisticated retrievals, as important sources of any type of processing (statistical analysis, modeling, etc.). Further environmental information is being added based on local topological characteristics (e.g. populations, areas, land usage, etc.), grouped in relational tables and forming a large amount of parameters some of which constitute the basic ones in further logical and arithmetic processing. Since geographic features are usually identified by multi-dimensional tables the logical geographic data structure is capable to provide maximum efficiency in queries and retrievals executed during data processing. Database Management (mdb, xls, dbf, etc) Search &Retrieval Sort & Filter Update, Reports, etc. Data Analysis Statistical Analysis Mathematical Analysis Advanced DataÃManagement Logical Reasoning Build-in Functions Procedures Tables and Graphs Software Packages e.g.: EXCEL MSTAT SPSS STATISTICA SQL Queries Figure4: Charolais specific data report Figure5: Application functionality structure Conclusions

5 The general idea was to build an interactive and friendly environment for agricultural data management, where data analysis (e.g. statistical, etc.) and experimentation, as well as further research on contemporary data analysis techniques, could easily be contacted online. Some of the basic system tools and facilities the application aims to provide include database management and maintenance (retrieval, filter, update, reports, search queries, etc), data analysis (mathematical analysis, financial analysis, statistical analysis, etc.), advanced data management (knowledge base systems reasoning, logical reasoning based on qualitative techniques, etc.). A general view of the functionality the application provides online is presented in Figure5. Among the main tasks where: (a) the general arrangement of the database in a flexible computer format, (b) the arrangement of the variables according to their nature and their meaning in the statistical analysis (Figure6), (c) the creation of aggregates of special interest as statistical products referring to certain groups of the existing variables. Such a manipulation could help in making specific selections for retrievals of special interest. An example of such retrievals is presented in Figure7, and it refers to the selection of the certain heifers - promising dams with the known importance for the farm s welfare. Being in such an integrated environment where the compatibility between the database and various statistical packages is available, the researcher could undertake any type of statistical analysis from the simplest descriptive statistics to the most sophisticated stability statistics approach - parametric (regression models, etc.) or non-parametric (cluster analysis etc.) [5]. Figure6: Variables grouping. Figure7: Variables optimum selection. In conclusion it could be summarized that, the final product proved to be a very satisfactory platform, for online agricultural data management. In particular, This approach of the application system AgroModel among its general importance in the agricultural industry as a whole (education, research and production), seems to be a very useful tool in organizing the information regarding agricultural data, while at the same time provides the utilities for the best exploitation of the knowledge gained up today in the field of conventional agriculture online. This application environment tends to be improved and incorporate further agricultural data (plant and animal), as a broader biometrical agricultural network database, in order to provide a fully integrated environment where various agricultural data could be gathered for studies of scientific and practical purposes.

6 As a general conclusion of the results presented could be realized that the degree to which a user could exploit the AgroModel online depends on his goal and his level of knowledge and experience. In cases of general database use, an elementarily trained farmer could accomplish his main management requirements; for a more educated researcher there are advanced tools, which could be exploited according to specific scientific purposes. The development of the whole chain starting from the individual farm (as the main source of information and the final field of any application) and going on to groups of farms, organized in cooperatives, or under the umbrella of a Biometrical center, could lead the whole job in more sophisticated tasks according to their interests. By the same way, the various cooperatives or biometrical centers could be collaborated to the degree and extend they wish in order to define the form and the range of the AgroModel according to their aims. At this stage a Demo version of the application is provided at the WWW for any educational and research farmer s trials ( However, it is to mention that among the extensions the AgroModel is to be enhanced, are various links to important electronic resources (libraries, conferences, journals, etc.) found in the World Wide Web, offering interesting specific information (scientific, technical, economical, managerial, etc.) related to environmental data. REFERENCES [1] Averill M. Law, W. David Kelton "Simulation Modeling and Analysis", McGraw- Hill Series In Industrial Engineering and Management Science. [2] Craig Clark John and Webb Jeff, Microsoft Visual Basic 6.0 Programmer s Toolbox. 5 th Edition, Microsoft Press, [3] Darwen, H. & Date, J. C. Foundations for object/relational databases, Addison-Wesley Publishing Co., [4] Stallings W Computer Organization and Architecture. Prentice-Hall, 4 th Edition, USA. [5] Tzortzios S Computing Procedures as important aids in organizing experimental data of many years and locations in one database. 46 th EAAP Meeting. Sept Prague, Czech Republic. [6] Tzortzios S., G. Adam and Gitsakis N A First Biometrical Approach of Interactive DB System for Presenting Comparative Information on Conventional and Sustainable Agriculture. 6 th Scientific Meeting of SUSAN IBS. August 23-27, Ibadan, Nigeria.