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High Performance Database
Research Center |
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Naphtali D. Rishe, Director
The High Performance Database Research Center (HPDRC) is associated with the School of Computer Science at
Florida International University.
HPDRC conducts
research on database management systems and various applications, leading
to the development of new types of database systems and refinement of
existing database systems.
The HPDRC is developing a highly parallel database machine based on the
semantic/object oriented approach. Our research aims to significantly
improve the usability and efficiency of highly parallel database computers
and machine clusters (tightly networked groups of machines). We are
developing algorithms and a prototype database management system based
on the Semantic Binary Model of database.
Current Events •
Demonstration Projects •
Interactive Access to Semantic Databases •
Publications
General Information
The HPDRC, a research division of the Florida International University
School of Computer Science, has a strong commitment to training graduate
students and preparing them for their future roles as scholars and
specialists employed by industry.
The HPDRC is funded by government agencies and industry. At $4 million,
NASA currently provides the largest amount of funding for the Center.
Other sponsors include: National Science Foundation ($2.5M), U.S.
Department of Defense (BMDO, ARO, USAF, and DISA), U.S. Department of the Interior,
U.S. Information Agency, NATO, Florida Department of Commerce,
Florida Department of Education, Ameritech, and GeoNet Limited.
The HPDRC's flagship project is a highly parallel database system based on
the semantic/object-oriented approach. Our system:
- provides exceptional usability and flexibility
- allows shorter application design and programming cycles
- gives the user control via an intuitive structure of information
- empowers the end-user to pose complex ad-hoc decision support queries
- provides superior efficiency through a high level of optimization
transparent to the user
- allows a manifold reduction in storage size for many applications
(such as Data Warehouses)
- is fully Internet compatible
The Center also conducts research on such theoretical and applied issues
as Internet-distributed heterogeneous databases, database design
methodology, database design tools, information analysis, multi-media
databases, database languages, data compression, spatial databases, and
data visualization.
In addition, the Center designs specific database systems for
highly-complex applications. We are presently developing database systems
for the Everglades National Park and NASA that are intended for storage
and processing of large amounts of earth science observations.
FIU's Regional Applications Center is a division of the HPDRC chartered by
NASA for the purpose of data ingestion from satellites, enhancement of
data, and distribution of data to users via Internet queries and
otherwise.
The HPDRC's staff is made up of over 100 professionals including: Director
(Naphtali Rishe), seven professors leading research areas (David Barton,
Wei Sun, Chung-Min Chen, Yi Deng, N. Prabhakaran, Raimund Ege, and Frank
Urban), four post-docs, 17 full-time research associates and programmers,
70 research assistants, and managerial staff.
REVIEWS
From an article about HPDRC's work for NASA in Ft. Lauderdale
Sun-Sentinel:
"Rishe's research is aimed at finding efficient new ways for computers
to sort through information. The three-dimensional ozone map is one of the
tools being developed to help people without technical backgrounds use the
data."
"You wouldn't believe the amount of data that's available," said Patrick
Coronado, who helps manage information from satellites at NASA's Goddard
Space Flight Center in Maryland. ``NASA is overseeing 10 research programs
designed to make information easier to retrieve. But FIU's stands out.
"They are the best one," Coronado said of the FIU program. He singled out
the program for the technology it's developed and Rishe's efforts to make
that technology useful to business. NASA wants to make sure that
businesses and local governments - not just scientists -- have access to
this information."
Contact Information
High Performance Database Research Center
School of Computer Science
Florida International University
Mail Stop ECS243
Miami, FL 33199
Tel:(305) 348-1706
Fax:(305) 348-1705
e-mail hpdrc@cs.fiu.edu
WWW http://hpdrc.cs.fiu.edu
© 1998 FIU High Performance Database Research Center