Discovery and Correctness of Schema Mapping Transformations

Schema mapping is becoming pervasive in all data transformation, exchange, and integration tasks. It brings to the surface the problem of differences and mismatches between heterogeneous formats and models, respectively, used in source and target databases to be mapped one to another. In this chapter, we start by describing the problem of schema mapping, its background, and technical implications. Then, we outline the early schema mapping systems, along with the new generation of schema mapping tools. Moving from the former to the latter entailed a dramatic change in the performance of mapping generation algorithms. Finally, we conclude the chapter by revisiting the query answering techniques allowed by the mappings, and by discussing useful applications and future and current developments of schema mapping tools.