A major conceptual problem in this framework is to ensure consistency criteria for the data concurrently processed by multiple users. Conventional database technology already provides mechanisms to absolutely guarantee consistency constraints by controlling the concurrent access of different users to shared data. Unfortunately, existing transaction management concepts are not suitable for supporting and controlling cooperation between users, because they are designed to fully isolate users from each other.
The design of cooperative systems includes the description and formal specification of cooperative activities. Such specifications have to be mapped to a cooperative transaction management model in order to enable appropriate database management support at run time. Cooperative transactions are thus intrinsically complex operations that are difficult to understand completely. A theory is needed for distinct notions of correctness and for correctness-preserving transformations that allow the designer to map specifications onto implementation platforms in a guided way.
The project finished in 1997. The partners of the project were GMD (D), University of Twente (NL) and Technical Research Centre of Finland (VTT) having the University of Helsinki as a subcontractor.
Members of the research group are Doc. Jari Veijalainen, Doc. Hannu Erkiö, Doc. Henry Tirri, and Ph.Lic. Juha Puustjärvi.
Publications: [149, 152-155, 158].