A framework for method-specific knowledge compilation from databases

Generality and scale are important but difficult issues in knowledge engine ering. At the root of the difficulty lie two challenging issues: how to acc umulate huge volumes of knowledge and how to support heterogeneous knowledg e and processing. One approach to the first issue is to reuse legacy knowle dge systems, integrate knowledge systems with legacy databases, and enable sharing of the databases by multiple knowledge systems. We present an archi tecture called HIPED for realizing this approach. HIPED converts the second issue above into a new form: how to convert data accessed from a legacy da tabase into a form appropriate to the processing method used in a legacy kn owledge system. One approach to this reformed issue is to use method-specif ic compilation of data into knowledge. We describe an experiment in which a legacy knowledge system called INTERACTIVE KRITIK is integrated with an OR ACLE database. The experiment indicates the computational feasibility of me thod-specific data-to-knowledge compilation.