OKKAM and W3C

The goals of the Incubator Group on RDB2RDF are described as follows in the Charter:

1. To examine and classify existing approaches to mapping relational data into RDF and decide whether standardization is possible and/or necessary in this area and, if so, the direction such standardization could take. The goal is to specify how to generate RDF triples from one or more Relational tables without loss of information. Furher, a default mapping should not be used, but, instead, it should be possible for the the mapping to be customized by the user.
2. To examine and classify existing approaches to mapping OWL classes to Relational data, or, more accurately, SQL queries, moving towards the goal of defining a standard in this area. Each OWL class would be associated with one or more SQL queries which may be run on separate databases. The results from these queries would then be integrated into a single Relational table. This would be transformed into RDF using the approach defined as a result of the first initiative

The reason for UNITN to participate is to include "OKKAMization" in the process of mapping relational data into RDF. The advantage for OKKAM would be evident, the advantage for the Incubator's goals would be the production of RDF data in a form which makes information integration much easier and straighforward. In this sense, OKKAM migt become an important building block of the so-called Web of Data.