Exploiting Multidatabase Technology for CIM

We describe an approach to the realisation of CIM systems through the coordination of autonomous component systems based on the exploitation of multi-database technologies. Each component system is augmented by a CIM Agent which provides a coordination interface; the interface speciies globally important local objects in terms of a global semantic model. System-wide consistency is ensured through the management of global constraints by a central coordinator along with cooperative multi-level transaction schemes. The CIM Agents are responsible for monitoring local activities and notifying the central coordinator of updates relevant to global consistency; they are also responsible for initiating local actions necessary for the maintenance of system-wide consistency as delegated by the coordinator. In particular, we describe the CIM/Z system which is being developed as part of a Swiss collaborative project on the use of database technologies for CIM.