Mapping data schemas to MDBMS architecture layers

The architecture of a multimedia database system (MDBMS) should directly reflect the characteristics of multimedia data on different abstraction levels. By distinguishing single-media objects, structurally composed multimedia objects, and multimedia objects with complex behavioral relationships, they identify three abstraction levels for multimedia objects. Appropriate data schemas are developed for each of these abstraction levels. The data schemas are then mapped in a straightforward manner to architectural layers of an MDBMS. Consequently, each architectural layer has to implement the functionality described by its corresponding data schema. In this way, MDBMS architecture can be regarded as derived from data schemas. >