AQAX: A System for Approximate XML Query Answers

摘要

On-line, interactive exploration of large databases becomes prohibitively expensive as the size of the database grows. Approximate query answering offers a cost-effective solution to this problem, by enabling the fast generation of approximate results based on concise data summaries. We apply this paradigm in the context of XML databases, where the increased complexity of data and queries amplifies the challenges behind interactive exploration. We have developed an on-line XML exploration system, termed AQAX that relies on accurate XML summaries in order to enable the rapid exploration of large data sets. To effectively support the exploration of semi-structured query answers, our system employs a tight coupling between the main query processor and the graphical clients that visualize the results. This demonstration will showcase the functionality of our system and the effectiveness of approximate query answering in the context of XML databases.