Monitoring Dynamic Integrity Constraints on Finite State Sequences and Existence Intervals

Abstract: Correct database behaviour in the course of time can be specified by requiring dynamic integrity constraints. These constraints can be expressed as temporal logic formulae which, however, usually are interpreted in infinite state sequences. Since in practice only a partial, finite prefix of an infinite sequence is known, notions of partial admissibility of finite sequences with respect to constraints have been introduced. Admissibility can be checked on each state transition by following corresponding paths in transition graphs, which can be constructed for arbitrary temporal formulae. In this paper we modify temporal logic and transition graphs as introduced in our former work by giving them an interpretation in the empty state sequence so that the theory can be extended to complete finite sequences. Since practical dynamic constraints are to refer to database objects only during their existence intervals, this extension is utilized to handle integrity checks on the deletion of objects.