FINDIT: a server based approach to finding information in large scale heterogeneous databases

Finding information in large scale autonomous heterogeneous databases is an issue that has been virtually unexplored in database research. The authors describe a new approach for finding information in a large scale network of autonomous and heterogeneous databases. The system relies on an object-oriented architecture to educate users about the available space of information and help them locate information sources. The system, named FINDIT, accommodates database autonomy as well as heterogeneity. To ensure information abstraction and encapsulation the system is divided into three categories, namely, user servers, database servers, and databases. User servers are geared towards satisfying users needs while database servers are in charge of managing databases