DIRECT: a system for mining data value conversion rules from disparate data sources

The successful integration of data from autonomous and heterogeneous systems calls for the resolution of semantic conflicts that may be present. Such conflicts are often reflected by discrepancies in attribute values of the same data object. In this paper, we describe a recently developed prototype system, DIRECT (DIscovering andREconciling ConflicT s). The system mines data value conversion rules in the process of integrating business data from multiple sources. The system architecture and functional modules are described. The process of discovering conversion rules from sales data of a trading company is presented as an illustrative example.