Managing identity in global object views

It is widely accepted that object-oriented data models are particularly suitable as canonical models for providing data model transparency. In this paper we address issues of reliability of global object identification in global object views arising from requirements for heterogeneity and autonomy. We propose a “taxonomy” of object identity management policies for providing reliable global OIDs based on (possibly) unreliable local identities. Based on our analysis of the problem domain, we outline a generic object oriented framework for object view implementations that can be refined and configured to the object management needs of a specific data repository. We also argue for the need for some general design guidelines for object views of heterogenous data repositories in which the reliability of local identity plays a major role