Engineering Information Modeling in Databases

Computer-based information technologies have been extensively used to help industries manage their processes and information systems become their nervous center. More specifically, databases are designed to support the data storage, processing, and retrieval activities related to data management in information systems. Database management systems provide efficient task support and tremendous gain in productivity is thereby accomplished using these technologies. Database systems are the key to implementing industrial data management. Industrial data management requires database technique support. Industrial applications, however, are typically dataand knowledge-intensive applications and have some unique characteristics (e.g., large volumes of data with complex structures) that makes their management difficult. Product data management supporting various life-cycle aspects in the manufacturing industry, for example, should not only to describe complex product structure but also manage the data of various life-cycle aspects from design, development, manufacturing, and product support. Besides, some new techniques, such as Web-based design and artificial intelligence, have been introduced into industrial applications. The unique characteristics and usage of these new technologies have created many potential requirements for industrial data management, which challenge today’s database systems and promote their evolvement.