Fuzzy Query Processing in Distributed databases

Abstract

The problem of evolving databases to make them more intuitive, user-friendly and to be able to answer vague human queries with separate needs for each user has become a popular research topic. The solution to this problem in part has been proposed via databases that aim at inserting fuzzy data into databases hence handling vague human like queries. It has been suggested in many research papers that fuzziness may be applied to databases. However, this approach is infeasible and inefficient for real time processing. In the past 30 years of research, fuzzy databases are still not popular in industry because of unwillingness of companies to replace crisp data with fuzzy data in their databases due to excessive precomputation and possible chances of data inconsistency. Having fuzzy databases also places severe constraints on the database as it will become very difficult to run crisp queries on fuzzy databases. This problem becomes even more complex with the advent of “Big Data”. This paper proposes a three pronged fuzzy logic based technique as a layer of computation above traditional query processing to solve such queries in real time. This fuzzy logic based approach to querying in distributed databases can be used to solve ambiguous queries, incorporating the preferences of each user in the current scenario of excessive data. The results obtained using the fuzzy logic approach are compared with those obtained using traditional approach in terms of accuracy, time taken for each approach and closeness of the results to users requirements.