© 2010 OpenLink Software, All rights reserved.
Demystifying Linked DataVia
Entity-Attribute-Value (EAV)Data Model
By Kingsley Idehen
Twitter ID: @kidehen
Founder & CEO, OpenLink Software
© 2010 OpenLink Software, All rights reserved.
Presentation Goals
Demystify Linked Data
Demonstrate the unobtrusive nature
of Linked Data
Explore how Linked Data can
Work for You!
© 2010 OpenLink Software, All rights reserved.
Situation Analysis
User-generated content is growing exponentially
Enterprise & individual connectivity is growing
The line between the Individual & the Enterprise
is blurring
The discovery & exploitation of Data, Information,
and Knowledge remain the ultimate critical
success factors
But there are still only 24 hours in a day!
© 2010 OpenLink Software, All rights reserved.
A Few Definitions
What is Data ?
How we express observation
What is Information?
How we use Context to perceive observation
What is Knowledge?
How we Comprehend what we perceive
© 2010 OpenLink Software, All rights reserved.
Understanding Data
What is a Data Item (Datum)?
A Unit (or Object) of Observation
What is a Structured Data Item?
An observation expressed in a manner
that makes discernible:
the Referent (Unit or Object of Observation)
the Characteristics (Attribute=Value Pairs)
© 2010 OpenLink Software, All rights reserved.
Entity-Attribute-Value Model
A foundation model for Data
In our Heads
Very Old
Entities (Data Items) have
Identifiers
Attributes
Attribute Values
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How We Describe Things
The natural process:
Something (Referent) catches our attention
We Identify/Name the Referent of interest
We Identify its Attributes
We Assign Values to its Attributes
Descriptor Resources bear Descriptions
The Description Process
Identify Referent• Something grabs our attention
• We give the Object or Unit of Observation a Name
Identify its Attributes
• We use existing Attribute Names or make new ones.
Assign Values To its Attributes
• Assign values to which may be References (Names) to other Objects
Repeat the process for each Attribute
Draw Conclusions
• Establish some “Relative Truths” or “Facts” about your observations•
EAV based Description of a Blog Post
Entity Ref. (ID) Attribute Ref. (ID) Value (Literal or Ref.)
#PostID #maker #KingsleyIdehen
#PostID #subject “Linked Data”
#PostID #type #BlogPost
#KingsleyIdehen #type #Person
#KingsleyIdehen #Interest #LinkedData
© 2008 OpenLink Software, All rights reserved.
Description of a Linked Data Space
Common Web Page Experience (View Source Pattern)
Rendered Page(Markup Presentation)
Markup
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Other Aspects of a Web Page(Dark Side – “Page Descriptor”)
PageDescriptor
Rendered Page
Page Markup
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Perceivable Representation (“Sense”) Trinity(Referent, Identifier, and Descriptor)
Referent(Observation Subject)
Identifier (URI e.g., http:, acct:, mailto: etc.)
Descriptor Resource Address (URL)
Description Representation(E-A-V Model Based Content)
Resolves To Description Of
Resolves (Access) ToIdentifies (Names)
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Representation Trinity(Referent, Identifier, and Descriptor/Sense)
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Our Perceptions (Context Lens Prisms)
What’s Inside This?
Structured Data(Lots of E-A-V Triples)
V
E
AE
V
A
E
AV
A
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Lots of Connected Perceptions (Linked Data Spaces)
Structured Data
Your Data Space
My Data Space
Their Group Data Space
Our Group Data Space
Structured Data
Structured Data
Structured Data
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Gestalt (Our Data Space)
Your Data Space Their Data SpaceMy Data Space
Lots of Connected Perceptions (Linked Data Spaces)
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Gestalt (Collective Intelligence)
Ultimately You Want “To Discover” or “Be Discovered”
Seeks
Finds Matches Offers
Make Sale
Linked Data Spaces increase our Serendipitous Discovery Quotient
(SDQ)
You Only Need a LINK to Add Your Piece To The Puzzle!
StructuredData
StructuredData
StructuredData
StructuredData
© 2010 OpenLink Software, All rights reserved.
Use LINKs to Mesh Your Perceptions with Others
StructuredData
Structured Data
StructuredData
StructuredData
© 2010 OpenLink Software, All rights reserved.
© 2010 OpenLink Software, All rights reserved.
Additional Material Presentation Links
Exploiting & Deploying Linked Data
Solving Real Problems with Linked Data
Linked Data Spaces & Data Portability
Meet Charlie (Mr. Enterprise 3.0)
Video Demos Links
Precision Search & Find
Fixing Identity Crisis
Linked Data Views over RDBMS Data (Note part 2)
© 2010 OpenLink Software, All rights reserved.
Contd. Additional Material
Live Linked Data Demo Links
Various Linked Data Demos
Various Linked Data Meshup Demos
GeoSpatial oriented Linked Data Meshups
eCommerce Related Linked Data Demos