The TSQL Benchmark¹

This document presents the temporal database community with an extensive, consensus benchmark for temporal query languages. The benchmark is semantic in nature. It is intended to be helpful when evaluating the user-friendliness of temporal query languages, including proposals for the consensus temporal SQL that is currently being developed.

The benchmark consists of a database schema, an instance for the schema, and a set of queries on the this database. The queries are classified according to a taxonomy, which is also part of the benchmark.

• Introduction
• Scope
• The Benchmark Database Schema
  • Criteria
  • The Schema
  
  
• The Benchmark Data
  • Criteria
  • The Data
  
  
• Classification of Benchmark Queries
  • Criteria
  • The Taxonomy
    • Top-level Taxonomy
    • Output-based Taxonomy
    • Selection-based Taxonomy
  • Overview and Naming of Categories
  • Forming Classes from Categories
  
  
• The Benchmark Queries
  • Overview
  • Explicit-attribute Output
    • Class O1.S1 (Duration, Interval, Computed)
    • Class O1.S2 (Duration, Interval, Other)
    • Class O1.S3 (Duration, Element, Computed)
    • Class O1.S4 (Duration, Element, Other)
    • Class O1.S5 (Other, Event, Computed)
    • Class O1.S6 (Other, Event, Other)
    • Class O1.S7 (Other, Interval, Computed)
    • Class O1.S8 (Other, Interval, Other)
    • Class O1.S9 (Other, Element, Computed)
    • Class O1.S10 (Other, Element, Other)
  • Valid-time Output
    • Class O2.S1 (Duration, Interval, Computed)
    • Class O2.S2 (Duration, Element, Other)
    • Class O2.S3 (Duration, Element, Computed)
    • Class O2.S4 (Duration, Element, Other)
    • Class O2.S5 (Other, Event, Computed)
    • Class O2.S6 (Other, Event, Other)
    • Class O2.S7 (Other, Interval, Computed)
    • Class O2.S8 (Other, Interval, Other)
    • Class O2.S9 (Other, Element, Computed)
    • Class O2.S10 (Other, Element, Other)
  • Explicit-attribute and Valid-time Output
    • Class O3.S1 (Duration, Interval, Computed)
    • Class O3.S2 (Duration, Interval, Other)
    • Class O3.S3 (Duration, Element, Computed)
    • Class O3.S4 (Duration, Element, Other)
    • Class O3.S5 (Other, Event, Computed)
    • Class O3.S6 (Other, Event, Other)
    • Class O3.S7 (Other, Interval, Computed)
    • Class O3.S8 (Other, Interval, Other)
    • Class O3.S9 (Other, Element, Computed)
    • Class O3.S10 (Other, Element, Other)
  
  
• On the Benchmark Taxonomy
  • Angelo Montanari      Elisa Peressi      Barbara Pernici
  
  
• Comments on the Benchmark
  • Shashi K. Gadia      Sunil S. Nair
  
  
• Comments on the Benchmark
  • Richard Snodgrass
  
  
• Proposal: Calendar Date Standard for Temporal Benchmarks
  • John Roddick
  
  
• Comments on the Benchmark
  • Christian S. Jensen
    • It should be stated clearly in the scope of a benchmark what types of data models, it is relevant to.
    • Consensus benchmarks are useful for avoiding issues related to conflicts of interest.
    • Benchmarks made by users and reflecting specific applications complement generic benchmarks made by researchers.
    • The specificity of the benchmark database schema must be chosen carefully.
    • A taxonomy of queries should help structure the presentation of benchmark queries and should help ensure a complete coverage of possibilities by suggesting a wide range of categories of queries.
    • There is a mismatch in precision between a taxonomy based on a formal query language and queries formulated in natural language.
    • A detailed, covering, easy-to-use, semantic taxonomy is desirable.
  
  
• Comments and Queries
  • Patrick P. Kalua      Edward L. Robertson