Kingsley Idehen's Blog Data Spacehttp://www.openlinksw.com/weblog/public/search.vspx?blogid=127&q=&type=text&tags=screencast&output=htmlThu, 28 Mar 2024 21:42:12 GMTKingsley Uyi Idehen<kidehen@openlinksw.com>About 15 1 10 In recent times a lot of the commentary and focus re. Virtuoso has centered on the RDF Quad Store and Linked Data. What sometimes gets overlooked is the sophisticated Virtual Database Engine that provides the foundation for all of Virtuoso's data integration capabilities.

In this post I provide a brief re-introduction to this essential aspect of Virtuoso.

What is it?

This component of Virtuoso is known as the Virtual Database Engine (VDBMS). It provides transparent high-performance and secure access to disparate data sources that are external to Virtuoso. It enables federated access and integration of data hosted by any ODBC- or JDBC-accessible RDBMS, RDF Store, XML database, or Document (Free Text)-oriented Content Management System. In addition, it facilitates integration with Web Services (SOAP-based SOA RPCs or REST-fully accessible Web Resources).

Why is it important?

In the most basic sense, you shouldn't need to upgrade your existing database engine version simply because your current DBMS and Data Access Driver combo isn't compatible with ODBC-compliant desktop tools such as Microsoft Access, Crystal Reports, BusinessObjects, Impromptu, or other of ODBC, JDBC, ADO.NET, or OLE DB-compliant applications. Simply place Virtuoso in front of your so-called "legacy database," and let it deliver the compliance levels sought by these tools

In addition, it's important to note that today's enterprise, through application evolution, company mergers, or acquisitions, is often faced with disparately-structured data residing in any number of line-of-business-oriented data silos. Compounding the problem is the exponential growth of user-generated data via new social media-oriented collaboration tools and platforms. For companies to cost-effectively harness the opportunities accorded by the increasing intersection between line-of-business applications and social media, virtualization of data silos must be achieved, and this virtualization must be delivered in a manner that doesn't prohibitively compromise performance or completely undermine security at either the enterprise or personal level. Again, this is what you get by simply installing Virtuoso.

How do I use it?

The VDBMS may be used in a variety of ways, depending on the data access and integration task at hand. Examples include:

Relational Database Federation

You can make a single ODBC, JDBC, ADO.NET, OLE DB, or XMLA connection to multiple ODBC- or JDBC-accessible RDBMS data sources, concurrently, with the ability to perform intelligent distributed joins against externally-hosted database tables. For instance, you can join internal human resources data against internal sales and external stock market data, even when the HR team uses Oracle, the Sales team uses Informix, and the Stock Market figures come from Ingres!

Conceptual Level Data Access using the RDF Model

You can construct RDF Model-based Conceptual Views atop Relational Data Sources. This is about generating HTTP-based Entity-Attribute-Value (E-A-V) graphs using data culled "on the fly" from native or external data sources (Relational Tables/Views, XML-based Web Services, or User Defined Types).

You can also derive RDF Model-based Conceptual Views from Web Resource transformations "on the fly" -- the Virtuoso Sponger (RDFizing middleware component) enables you to generate RDF Model Linked Data via a RESTful Web Service or within the process pipeline of the SPARQL query engine (i.e., you simply use the URL of a Web Resource in the FROM clause of a SPARQL query).

It's important to note that Views take the form of HTTP links that serve as both Data Source Names and Data Source Addresses. This enables you to query and explore relationships across entities (i.e., People, Places, and other Real World Things) via HTTP clients (e.g., Web Browsers) or directly via SPARQL Query Language constructs transmitted over HTTP.

Conceptual Level Data Access using ADO.NET Entity Frameworks

As an alternative to RDF, Virtuoso can expose ADO.NET Entity Frameworks-based Conceptual Views over Relational Data Sources. It achieves this by generating Entity Relationship graphs via its native ADO.NET Provider, exposing all externally attached ODBC- and JDBC-accessible data sources. In addition, the ADO.NET Provider supports direct access to Virtuoso's native RDF database engine, eliminating the need for resource intensive Entity Frameworks model transformations.

Related

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Re-introducing the Virtuoso Virtual Database Engine http://www.openlinksw.com/dataspace/kidehen@openlinksw.com/weblog/kidehen@openlinksw.com%27s%20BLOG%20%5B127%5D/1608Wed, 17 Feb 2010 21:46:53 GMT12010-02-17T16:46:53-05:00Kingsley Uyi Idehen <kidehen@openlinksw.com>
After listening to the latest Semantic Web Gang podcast, I found myself agreeing with some of the points made by Alex Iskold, specifically:

    -- Business exploitation of Linked Data on the Web will certainly be driven by the correlation of opportunity costs (which is more than likely what Alex meant by "use cases") associated with the lack of URIs originating from the domain of a given business (Tom Heath: also effectively alluded to this via his BBC and URI land grab anecdotes; same applies Georgi's examples)
    -- History is a great tutor, answers to many of today's problems always lie somewhere in plain sight of the past.

Of course, I also believe that Linked Data serves Web Data Integration across the Internet very well too, and the fact that it will be beneficial to businesses in a big way. No individual or organization is an island, I think the Internet and Web have done a good job of demonstrating that thus far :-) We're all data nodes in a Giant Global Graph.

Daniel lewis did shed light on the read-write aspects of the Linked Data Web, which is actually very close to the callout for a Wikipedia for Data. TimBL has been working on this via Tabulator (see Tabulator Editing Screencast), Bengamin Nowack also added similar functionality to ARC, and of course we support the same SPARQL UPDATE into an RDF information resource via the RDF Sink feature of our WebDAV and ODS-Briefcase implementations.

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Comments about recent Semantic Gang Podcasthttp://www.openlinksw.com/dataspace/kidehen@openlinksw.com/weblog/kidehen@openlinksw.com%27s%20BLOG%20%5B127%5D/1357Tue, 06 May 2008 00:06:42 GMT12008-05-05T20:06:42.000004-04:00Kingsley Uyi Idehen <kidehen@openlinksw.com>
One of the biggest impediments to the adoption of technology is the cost burden typically associated with doing the right thing. For instance, requirements for making the Linked Data Web (GGG) buzz would include the following (paraphrasing TimBL's original Linked Data meme):

    -- identifying the things you observe, or stumble upon, using URIs (aka Entity IDs)
    -- construct URIs using HTTP so that the Web provides a channel for referencing things elsewhere (remote object referencing)
    -- Expose things in your Data Space(s) that are potentially useful to other Web users via URIs
    -- Link to other Web accessible things using their URIs.

The list is nice, but actual execution can be challenging. For instance, when writing a blog post, or constructing a WikiWord, would you have enough disposable time to go searching for these URIs? Or would you compromise and continue to inject "Literal" values into the Web, leaving it to the reasoning endowed human reader to connect the dots?

Anyway, OpenLink Data Spaces is now equipped with a Glossary system that allows me to manage terms, meaning of terms, and hyper-linking of phrases and words matching associated with my terms. The great thing about all of this is that everything I do is scoped to my Data Space (my universe of discourse), I don't break or impede the other meanings of these terms outside my Data Space. The Glossary system can be shared with anyone I choose to share it with, and even better, it makes my upstreaming (rules based replication) style of blogging even more productive :-)

Remember, on the Linked Data Web, who you know doesn't matter as much as what your are connected to, directly or indirectly. Jason Kolb covers this issue in his post: People as Data Connectors, and so doesFrederick Giasson via a recent post titled: Networks are everywhere. For instance, this blog post (or the entire Blog) is a bona fide RDF Linked Data Source, you can use it as the Data Source of a SPARQL Query to find things that aren't even mentioned in this post, since all you are doing is beaming a query through my Data Space (a container of Linked Data Graphs). On that note, let's re-watch Jon Udell's "On-Demand-Blogosphere" screencast from 2006 :-)

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The Cost of doing the Right Thinghttp://www.openlinksw.com/dataspace/kidehen@openlinksw.com/weblog/kidehen@openlinksw.com%27s%20BLOG%20%5B127%5D/1330Sat, 29 Mar 2008 04:50:07 GMT32008-03-29T00:50:07.000002-04:00Kingsley Uyi Idehen <kidehen@openlinksw.com>
While I continue to wrestle with screencast production etc.. Here is are some screenshots that guide you through the process of providing Data Web URIs to the SPARQL Query Builder (first cut of an MS Query or MS ACCESS type tool for the Data Web).

  1. Step 1 - Enter a Data Source URI
  2. Step 2 - Click on the Run Control (">" video control icon)
  3. Step 3 - Interact with Custom Grid hosted results (comprised of Resource Identifiers (S), Properties (P), and Property Values (O).

Once you grasp the concept of entering values into the "Default Data Source URI field", take a look at: http://programmableweb.com and other URIs (hint: scroll through the results grid to the QEDWiki demo item)

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Hello Data Web (Take 2 - with Screenshots)http://www.openlinksw.com/dataspace/kidehen@openlinksw.com/weblog/kidehen@openlinksw.com%27s%20BLOG%20%5B127%5D/1137Sun, 18 Feb 2007 15:23:42 GMT32007-02-18T10:23:42-05:00Kingsley Uyi Idehen <kidehen@openlinksw.com>
The simple demo use our Ajax based Visual Query Builder for the SPARQL Query Language (this isn't Grandma's Data Web UI, but not to worry, that is on it's way also). Here goes:

  1. go to http://demo.openlinksw.com/isparql
  2. Enter any of the following values into the "Default Data URI"; field:
    • - http://www.mkbergman.com/?p=336
      - http://radar.oreilly.com/archives/2007/02/pipes_and_filte.html
      - http://jeremy.zawodny.com/blog/archives/008513.html
      - Other URIs

What I am demonstrating is how existing Web Content hooks transperently into the "Data Web". Zero RDF Tax :-) Everything is good!

Note: Please look to the bottom of the screen for the "Run Query" Button. Remember, it not quite Grandma's UI but should do for Infonauts etc.. A screencast will follow.

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Hello Data Web!http://www.openlinksw.com/dataspace/kidehen@openlinksw.com/weblog/kidehen@openlinksw.com%27s%20BLOG%20%5B127%5D/1134Tue, 05 Feb 2008 04:22:04 GMT112008-02-04T23:22:04.000001-05:00Kingsley Uyi Idehen <kidehen@openlinksw.com>
A quick dump that demonstrates how I integrate tags and links from del.icio.us with links from my local bookmark database via one of my public Data Spaces (this demo uses the kidehen Data Space).

SPARQL (query language for the Semantic Web) basically enables me to query a collection of typed links (predicates/properties/attributes) in my Data Space (ODS based of course) without breaking my existing local bookmarks database or the one I maintain at del.icio.us.

I am also demonstrating how Web 2.0 concepts such as Tagging mesh nicely with the more formal concepts of Topics in the Semantic Web realm. The key to all of this is the ability to generate RDF Data Model Instance Data based on Shared Ontologies such as SIOC (from DERI's SIOC Project) and SKOS (again showing that Ontologies and Folksonomies are complimentary).

This demo also shows that Ajax also works well in the Semantic Web realm (or web dimension of interaction 3.0) especially when you have a toolkit with Data Aware controls (for SQL, RDF, and XML) such as OAT (OpenLink Ajax Toolkit). For instance, we've successfully used this to build a Visual Query Building Tool for SPARQL (alpha) that really takes a lot of the pain out of constructing SPARQL Queries (there is much more to come on this front re. handling of DISTINCT, FILTER, ORDER BY etc..).

For now, take a look at the SPARQL Query dump generated by this SIOC & SKOS SPARQL QBE Canvas Screenshot.

You can cut and paste the queries that follow into the Query Builder or use the screenshot to build your variation of this query sample. Alternatively, you can simply click on *This* SPARQL Protocol URL to see the query results in a basic HTML Table. And one last thing, you can grab the SPARQL Query File saved into my ODS-Briefcase (the WebDAV repository aspect of my Data Space).

Note the following SPARQL Protocol Endpoints:

  1. MyOpenLink Data Space
  2. Experimental Data Space SPARQL Query Builder (you need to register at http://myopenlink.net:8890/ods to use this version)
  3. Live Demo Sever
  4. Demo Server SPARQL Query Builder (use: demo for both username and pwd when prompted)

My beautified Version of the SPARQL Generated by QBE (you can cut and paste into "Advanced Query" section of QBE) is presented below:

PREFIX rdf: <http://www.w3.org/1999/02/22-rdf-syntax-ns#>
PREFIX sioc: <http://rdfs.org/sioc/ns#>
PREFIX dct: <http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/>
PREFIX skos: <http://www.w3.org/2004/02/skos/core#>

SELECT distinct ?forum_name, ?owner, ?post, ?title, ?link, ?url, ?tag FROM <http://myopenlink.net/dataspace> WHERE { ?forum a sioc:Forum; sioc:type "bookmark"; sioc:id ?forum_name; sioc:has_member ?owner. ?owner sioc:id "kidehen". ?forum sioc:container_of ?post . ?post dct:title ?title . optional { ?post sioc:link ?link } optional { ?post sioc:links_to ?url } optional { ?post sioc:topic ?topic. ?topic a skos:Concept; skos:prefLabel ?tag}. }

Unmodified dump from the QBE (this will be beautified automatically in due course by the QBE):

PREFIX rdf: <http://www.w3.org/1999/02/22-rdf-syntax-ns#>
PREFIX sioc: <http://rdfs.org/sioc/ns#>
PREFIX dct: <http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/>
PREFIX skos: <http://www.w3.org/2004/02/skos/core#>

SELECT ?var8 ?var9 ?var13 ?var14 ?var24 ?var27 ?var29 ?var54 ?var56 WHERE { graph ?graph { ?var8 rdf:type sioc:Forum . ?var8 sioc:container_of ?var9 . ?var8 sioc:type "bookmark" . ?var8 sioc:id ?var54 . ?var8 sioc:has_member ?var56 . ?var9 rdf:type sioc:Post . OPTIONAL {?var9 dc:title ?var13} . OPTIONAL {?var9 sioc:links_to ?var14} . OPTIONAL {?var9 sioc:link ?var29} . ?var9 sioc:has_creator ?var37 . OPTIONAL {?var9 sioc:topic ?var24} . ?var24 rdf:type skos:Concept . OPTIONAL {?var24 skos:prefLabel ?var27} . ?var56 rdf:type sioc:User . ?var56 sioc:id "kidehen" . } }

Current missing items re. Visual QBE for SPARQL are:

  1. Ability to Save properly to WebDAV so that I can then expose various saved SPARQL Queries (.rq file) from my Data Space via URIs
  2. Handling of DISTINCT, FILTERS (note: OPTIONAL is handled via dotted predicate-links)
  3. General tidying up re. click event handling etc.
Note: You can even open up your own account (using our Live Demo or Live Experiment Data Space servers) which enables you to repeat this demo by doing the following (post registration/sign-up):
  1. Export some bookmarks from your local browser to the usual HTML bookmarks dump file
  2. Create an ODS-Bookmarks Instance using your new ODS account
  3. Use the ODS-Bookmark Instance to import your local bookmarks from the HTML dump file
  4. Repeat the same import sequence using the ODS-Bookmark Instance, but this time pick the del.icio.us option
  5. Build your query (change 'kidehen' to your ODS-user-name)
  6. That's it you now have Semantic Web presence in the form of a Data Space for your local and del.icio.us hosted bookmarks with tags integrated

Quick Query Builder Tip: You will need to import the following (using the Import Button in the Ontologies & Schemas side-bar);

  1. http://www.w3.org/1999/02/22-rdf-syntax-ns# (RDF)
  2. http://rdfs.org/sioc/ns# (SIOC)
  3. http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/ (Dublin Core)
  4. http://www.w3.org/2004/02/skos/core# (SKOS)

Browser Support: The SPARQL QBE is SVG based and currently works fine with the following browsers; Firefox 1.5/2.0, Camino (Cocoa variant of Firefox for Mac OS X), Webkit (Safari pre-release / advanced sibling), Opera 9.x. We are evaluating the use of the Adobe SVG plugin re. IE 6/7 support.

Of course this should be a screencast, but I am the middle of a plethora of things right now :-)

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SPARQL, Ajax, Tagging, Folksonomies, Share Ontologies and Semantic Webhttp://www.openlinksw.com/dataspace/kidehen@openlinksw.com/weblog/kidehen@openlinksw.com%27s%20BLOG%20%5B127%5D/1095Wed, 13 Dec 2006 20:09:50 GMT112006-12-13T15:09:50-05:00Kingsley Uyi Idehen <kidehen@openlinksw.com>
Last week I put out a series of screencast style demos that sought to demonstrate the core elements of our soon to be released Javascript Toolkit called OAT (OpenLink Ajax Toolkit) and its Ajax Database Connectivity layer.

The screencasts covered the following functionality realms:

  1. SQL Query By Example (basic)
  2. SQL Query By Example (advanced - pivot table construction)
  3. Web Form Design (basic database driven map based mashup)
  4. Web Form Design (advanced database driven map based mashup)

To bring additional clarity to the screencasts demos and OAT in general, I have saved a number of documents that are the by products of activities in the screenvcasts:

  1. Live XML Document produced using SQL Query By Example (basic) (you can use drag and drop columns across the grid to reorder and sort presentation)
  2. Live XML Document produced using QBE and Pivot Functionality (you can drag and drop the aggregate columns and rows to create your own views etc..)
  3. Basic database driven map based mashup (works with FireFox, Webkit, Camino; click on pins to see national flag)
  4. Advanced database driven map based mashup (works with FireFox, Webkit, Camino; records, 36, 87, and 257 will unveil pivots via lookup pin)

Notes:

  • “Advanced”, as used above, simply means that I am embedding images (employee photos and national flags) and a database driven pivot into the map pins that serve as details lookups in classic SQL master/details type scenarios.
  • The “Ajax Call In Progress..” dialog is there to show live interaction with a remote database (in this case Virtuoso but this could be any ODBC, JDBC, OLEDB, ADO.NET, or XMLA accessible data source)
  • The data access magic source (if you want to call it that) is XMLA - a standard that has been in place for years but completely misunderstood and as a result under utilized

You can see a full collection of saved documents at the following locations:

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Contd: Ajax Database Connectivity Demoshttp://www.openlinksw.com/dataspace/kidehen@openlinksw.com/weblog/kidehen@openlinksw.com%27s%20BLOG%20%5B127%5D/988Thu, 22 Jun 2006 12:56:58 GMT102006-06-22T08:56:58-04:00Kingsley Uyi Idehen <kidehen@openlinksw.com>
Google Maps based Forms Designer mash-up screencast.

 
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Screencast: Yahoo! Maps variation of Ajax Database Connectivity Maps Mash-uphttp://www.openlinksw.com/dataspace/kidehen@openlinksw.com/weblog/kidehen@openlinksw.com%27s%20BLOG%20%5B127%5D/986Thu, 22 Jun 2006 12:56:58 GMT72006-06-22T08:56:58-04:00Kingsley Uyi Idehen <kidehen@openlinksw.com>
Yahoo! Mapping Service screencast demo that follows this post). Also note that fact that in this demonstration I actually incorporate the Pivot building functionality from an earlier Ajax based Pivot Building screencast.

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Screencast: Building Database Centric Web 2.0 Mash-ups using Ajax Database Connectivityhttp://www.openlinksw.com/dataspace/kidehen@openlinksw.com/weblog/kidehen@openlinksw.com%27s%20BLOG%20%5B127%5D/985Thu, 22 Jun 2006 12:56:58 GMT132006-06-22T08:56:58-04:00Kingsley Uyi Idehen <kidehen@openlinksw.com>
OAT FormDesigner. There is a follow-on demo that shows how this was assembled (no coding whatsoever!).
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Screencast: Using a Live Report (mash-up) that exploits AJAX Database Connectivityhttp://www.openlinksw.com/dataspace/kidehen@openlinksw.com/weblog/kidehen@openlinksw.com%27s%20BLOG%20%5B127%5D/984Thu, 22 Jun 2006 12:56:58 GMT102006-06-22T08:56:58-04:00Kingsley Uyi Idehen <kidehen@openlinksw.com>
Ajax and QBE screencast demo. This time the focus is on building Excel like Pivot tables using data exposed via Ajax Database Connectivity.
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Building Pivot Tables using Ajax Database Connectivityhttp://www.openlinksw.com/dataspace/kidehen@openlinksw.com/weblog/kidehen@openlinksw.com%27s%20BLOG%20%5B127%5D/983Tue, 05 Feb 2008 01:43:35 GMT152008-02-04T20:43:35.000004-05:00Kingsley Uyi Idehen <kidehen@openlinksw.com>
OpenLink AJAX Toolkit). It's basically an XML for Analysis (XMLA) client that enables the development and deployment of database independent Rich Internet Applications (RIAs). Thus, you can now develop database centric AJAX applications without lock-in at the Operating System, Database Connectivity mechanism (ODBC, JDBC, OLEDB, ADO.NET), or back-end Database levels.

XMLA has been around for a long time. Its fundamental goal was to provide Web Applications with Tabular and Multi-dimensional data access before it fell off the radar (a story too long to tell in this post).

AJAX Database connectivity only requires your target DBMS to be XMLA (direct), ODBC, JDBC, OLEDB, or ADO.NET accessible.

I have attached a Query By Example (QBE) screencast movie enclosure to this post (should you be reading this post Web 1.0 style). The demo shows how Paradox-, Quattro Pro-, Access-, and MS Query-like user friendly querying is achieved using AJAX Database  Connect Connectivity

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Screencast: Ajax Database Connectivity and SQL Query By Examplehttp://www.openlinksw.com/dataspace/kidehen@openlinksw.com/weblog/kidehen@openlinksw.com%27s%20BLOG%20%5B127%5D/982Thu, 22 Jun 2006 12:56:58 GMT72006-06-22T08:56:58-04:00Kingsley Uyi Idehen <kidehen@openlinksw.com>
chat with Jon Udell. The item in question is the OpenLink Ajax Toolkit (OAT) that enables the rapid development of Database Independent Rich Internet Applications. My very first public screencast is deliberately silent (since its a live work in progress etc.).

The screencast style demo covers the production of a map based mashup that simply unveils the national flag of each country underneath its map marker (a lookup associated with geocoded map pin).

This post is also a deliberate test of the automatic production of IPod and Yahoo RSS sytle syndication gems based on the content of my blog post. Naturally, this is a demonstration of the soon to be unveiled OpenLink Data Spaces technology (the one that supports GData and SPARQL Query Services).

BTW - The the Data Space that is this blog has been GData aware for a few weeks now (I digress, just watch the movie!):

Note: If you are reading this post Web 1.0 style (i.e. via traditional non aggregating browser UI) then click on the "enclosure" link to grab the quicktime movie file. If on the other hand your are reading via a Web 2.0 aggregator, note that the Podcast Gem should alert you to the existence of the movie enclosure.
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A Web 2.0 Style Mash-up using the OpenLink Ajax Toolkit (OAT)http://www.openlinksw.com/dataspace/kidehen@openlinksw.com/weblog/kidehen@openlinksw.com%27s%20BLOG%20%5B127%5D/981Thu, 22 Jun 2006 12:56:58 GMT162006-06-22T08:56:58-04:00Kingsley Uyi Idehen <kidehen@openlinksw.com>
I am pleased to unveil (officially) the fact that Virtuoso is now available in Open Source form.

What Is Virtuoso?

A powerful next generation server product that implements otherwise distinct server functionality within a single server product. Think of Virtuoso as the server software analog of a dual core processor where each core represents a traditional server functionality realm.

Where did it come from?

The Virtuoso History page tells the whole story.

What Functionality Does It Provide?

The following:
    1. Object-Relational DBMS Engine (ORDBMS like PostgreSQL and DBMS engine like MySQL)
    2. XML Data Management (with support for XQuery, XPath, XSLT, and XML Schema)
    3. RDF Triple Store (or Database) that supports SPARQL (Query Language, Transport Protocol, and XML Results Serialization format)
    4. Service Oriented Architecture (it combines a BPEL Engine with an ESB)
    5. Web Application Server (supports HTTP/WebDAV)
    6. NNTP compliant Discussion Server
And more. (see: Virtuoso Web Site)

90% of the aforementioned functionality has been available in Virtuoso since 2000 with the RDF Triple Store being the only 2006 item.

What Platforms are Supported

The Virtuoso build scripts have been successfully tested on Mac OS X (Universal Binary Target), Linux, FreeBSD, and Solaris (AIX, HP-UX, and True64 UNIX will follow soon). A Windows Visual Studio project file is also in the works (ETA some time this week).

Why Open Source?

Simple, there is no value in a product of this magnitude remaining the "best kept secret". That status works well for our competitors, but absolutely works against the legions of new generation developers, systems integrators, and knowledge workers that need to be aware of what is actually achievable today with the right server architecture.

What Open Source License is it under?

GPL version 2.

What's the business model?

Dual licensing.

The Open Source version of Virtuoso includes all of the functionality listed above. While the Virtual Database (distributed heterogeneous join engine) and Replication Engine (across heterogeneous data sources) functionality will only be available in the commercial version.

Where is the Project Hosted?

On SourceForge.

Is there a product Blog?

Of course!

Up until this point, the Virtuoso Product Blog has been a covert live demonstration of some aspects of Virtuoso (Content Management). My Personal Blog and the Virtuoso Product Blog are actual Virtuoso instances, and have been so since I started blogging in 2003.

Is There a product Wiki?

Sure! The Virtuoso Product Wiki is also an instance of Virtuoso demonstrating another aspect of the Content Management prowess of Virtuoso.

What About Online Documentation?

Yep! Virtuoso Online Documentation is hosted via yet another Virtuoso instance. This particular instance also attempts to demonstrate Free Text search combined with the ability to repurpose well formed content in a myriad of forms (Atom, RSS, RDF, OPML, and OCS).

What about Tutorials and Demos?

The Virtuoso Online Tutorial Site has operated as a live demonstration and tutorial portal for a numbers of years. During the same timeframe (circa. 2001) we also assembled a few Screencast style demos (their look feel certainly show their age; updates are in the works).

BTW - We have also updated the Virtuoso FAQ and also released a number of missing Virtuoso White Papers (amongst many long overdue action items).

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Virtuoso is Officially Open Source!http://www.openlinksw.com/dataspace/kidehen@openlinksw.com/weblog/kidehen@openlinksw.com%27s%20BLOG%20%5B127%5D/951Fri, 21 Jul 2006 11:22:20 GMT12006-07-21T07:22:20.000001-04:00Kingsley Uyi Idehen <kidehen@openlinksw.com>

Stop whatever you are doing ...: "

.. and go and read Tom Coates' explanation of his last project with the BBC. After 21 years working in broadcasting Ireckon this is one of the coolest things to happen for a very, very long time.The ramifications of this will go very deep indeed."

(Spotted Via The Obvious?.)

Yes, the ramifications are deep! Tom Coates' screencast demonstrates an internal variation of an activity that is taking place on many fronts (concurrently) across the NET. I tend to refer to this effort as "Self Annotation"; the very process that will ultimately take us straight to "Semantic Web". It is going to happen much quicker than anticipated because technology is taking the pain out of metadata annotation (e.g. what you do when you tag everything that is ultimately URI accessible). Technology is basically delivering what Jon Udell calls: "reducing the activation threshold".

Using my comments above for context placement, I suggest you take a look at, or re-read Jon Udell's post titled: Many Meanings of Metadata.

Once again, the Web 2.0 brouhaha (in every sense of the word) is a reaction to a critical inflection that ultimately transitions the "Semantic Web" from "Mirage" to "Nirvana". Put differently (with humor in mind solely!), Web 2.0 is what I tend to call a "John the Baptist" paradigm, and we all know what happened to him :-)

Web 2.0 is a conduit to a far more important destination. The tendency to treat Web 2.0 as a destination rather than a conduit has contributed to the recent spate of Bozo bit flipping posts all over the blogosphere (is this an attempt to behead John, metaphorically speaking?). Humor aside, a really important thing about the Web 2.0 situation is that when we make the quantum evolutionary leap (internet time, mind you) to the "Semantic Web" (or whatever groovy name we dig up for it in due course) we will certainly have a plethora of reference points (I mean Web 2.0 URIs) ensuring that we do not revisit the "Missing Link" evolutionary paradox :-)

BTW - You can see some example of my contribution to the ongoing annotation process by looking at:

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Self Annotation of Semantic Web (BBC Demo)http://www.openlinksw.com/dataspace/kidehen@openlinksw.com/weblog/kidehen@openlinksw.com%27s%20BLOG%20%5B127%5D/887Thu, 22 Jun 2006 12:56:58 GMT12006-06-22T08:56:58-04:00Kingsley Uyi Idehen <kidehen@openlinksw.com>