Chapter 7. RDF database fundamentals
This chapter covers
- An overview of RDF databases
- A comparison of RDF and relational databases
- Collecting Linked Data in an RDF database
This chapter will enable you to recognize the benefits of Linked Data modeling over other forms of modeling. The chapter is not intended as a thorough analysis of different database models but will present sufficient content to enable you to understand the features associated with RDF databases. We’ll highlight the differences between the traditional relational database approach and RDF databases. We’ll explain why the Linked Data community finds RDF databases useful and the types of problems such systems solve. We’ll demonstrate how to transform data from Excel, CSV, and XML formats to Turtle for ease of integration into other applications. The final section of this chapter will develop a real-world example involving the collection and reuse of Linked Data as well as storing this content into an RDF database.
In general, databases can be classified in two broad categories, relational and NoSQL (Not Only SQL). RDF databases are just one of the many types of NoSQL databases and the only type based on an international family of standards. RDF databases are also the only ones whose semantic meaning is formally defined. As you can see from figure 7.1, RDF is an integral component of the technology that powers the underlying layer supporting the Semantic Web.