Language Access To Distributed Data With Error Recovery

Abstract

This paper discusses an effort in the application of artificial intelligence to the access of data from a large, distributed data base over a computer network. A running system is described that provides access to multiple instances of a data base management system over the ARPANET in real time. The system accepts a rather wide range of appropriate queries to the data base management system to answer the question, determines on which machine to carry out the queries, establishes links to those machines over the ARPANET, monitors the prosecution of the queries and recovers from certain errors in execution, and prepares a relevant answer to the original question. In addition to the functional components that make up the demonstration system, equivalent functional components with higher levels of sophistication are discussed and proposed.