Current data systems catalog and link data using a synthetic modeling approach that requires much domain knowledge in order to interact with the system. Domain knowledge includes what keyword to look for and how data artifacts are linked. OSCAR offers a semantic solution to data management by using ontology and reasoning. Information is automatically linked according to its internal ontology. An internal ontological reasoning engine handles information inference. Artifacts are linked by information mined from the input metadata and reasoned according to the internal ontology.

OSCAR is designed from the ground up in accordance to the RESTful service architecture. Key components of OSCAR include a framework for handling RDF/OWL data (including reasoning), a repository for reliable store and retrieval of data, a fast indexed search, and security architecture to support authentication, authorization, and communication. OSCAR has been implemented using JAVA to maximize portability, and was designed and developed to leverage industry-standard open source components.

This work was done by Thomas Huang, Nga T. Quach, and Rudranarayan M. Mukherjee of Caltech for NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. This software is available for commercial licensing. Please contact Dan Broderick at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Refer to NPO-49088



This Brief includes a Technical Support Package (TSP).
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Ontological System for Context Artifacts and Resources (OSCAR)

(reference NPO49088) is currently available for download from the TSP library.

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