Dr Alvaro A. A. Fernandes

Research Interests

• Databases and Dataspaces, especially query processing and optimization, and query-based techniques for data integration.
  • In the broader context of advanced databases, I am currently interested in the resurgence of massively-parallel approaches to data management, as exemplified by data appliances and by the map/reduce approach to cluster-based computing.
  • In the dataspaces area, I am an active member of a 36-month EPSRC-funded research project on this topic that started in July 2008. The particular approach to dataspaces that this project follows is the intensive use of metadata and of user feedback for continuous improvement of semantic judgements thereby maximizing their utility for the purposes of querying dataspaces.
• Data Management of Streams and Sensor Networks, especially query processing and optimization that reconcile different objective functions, and query-based techniques for data integration.
  • In a recent (Oct 2005-Sep 2008) EPSRC-funded research project, called DIAS-MC, I have been active in developing a sensor network query processing infrastructure, called SNEE, that is distinctive in construing a sensor network as, strictly, a distributed computing platform. Thus, SNEE query plans are fragmented and executed in specific nodes in a truly distribued manner. Routing and scheduling take place at the level of query fragments. SNEE generates code for a target sensor network software layer (currently, nesC/TinyOS).
  • A 36-month EU-funded research project in this topic has started in September 2008, called SemsorGrid4Env. The main focus will be on enabling the construal of sensor networks in environmental monitoring as fully-fledged data resources amenable to high-level, view-based, semantic integration, thereby allowing rapid developement techniques (e.g., mash-ups) to draw data from sensor networks inn emergency response scenarios.
• Adaptive/Autonomic Systems, especially in query processing and in workflow management.
  • I have been an active team member in two EPSRC-funded projects, one still ongoing, whose goal has been to investigate principled ways of developing generic adaptive systems technology in the areas of query processing and workflow execution.
  • In this area, I am currently interested in quality-of-service-driven adaptive strategies that use utility functions to act with global scope in a coordinated fashion and in a principled manner.

Research Projects

Current

1. SemsorGrid4Env: applying semantic-grid ideas to allow mash-ups over diverse environmental sensor networks (project funded by the European Union, started September 2008, for three years, partners in Madrid, Athens, Southampton).
2. Dataspaces: relying on user feedback to refine and improve the outcome of automated schema matching and schema mapping algorithms (project funded by the UK EPRSC, started July 2008, for three years).

Former

1. An Infrastructure for Adaptive System Development (EPSRC EP/C537157/1)
2. DIAS-MC: Design, Implementation and Adaptation of Sensor Networks Through Multi-Dimensional Co-Design (EPSRC EP/C014847/1)
   Local Pages ::: Project Website
3. OGSA-DAI Two
4. OGSA-DAI
5. High-Performance Query Processing for The Grid
6. MyGrid: Directly Supporting the e-Scientist
7. Tripod: A Spatio-Temporal Object Database System
8. ODESSA: An Object-Deductive Spatial System Architecture
9. ROCK & ROLL: A Deductive and Object-Oriented Database Management System

Research Students

I welcome enquiries from prospective PhD students interested in working in my current areas of interest. I maintain descriptions of specific PhD projects I'm interested in supervising (but don't assume that I'm only interested in those PhD projects). Note, however, that you should have considered the question of funding your studies beforehand, as, in general, the School of CS in Manchester does not devolve to academics the power to grant studentships of any kind. On all matters regarding doing a PhD in the School of CS, go to Postgraduate Research and expand the entry in the navigation bar to the left.

I have supervised to completion (sometimes jointly) 8 PhD students and more than 25 MSc students in the course of my career. I currently supervise (often jointly) 4 PhD students.

Current

1. (Oct 2007-to date) Lu Mao on schema mapping for dataspaces (with Norman Paton).
2. (Oct 2007-to date) Chenjuan Guo on schema matching for dataspaces (with Norman Paton).
3. (Oct 2006-to date) Farhana Jabeen on distributed algorithms for spatial operations over sensor networks.
4. (Oct 2005-to date) Ixent Galpin on QoS-aware sensor-network query optimization (with Norman Paton).

Former

1. (2009) Christian Brenninkmeijer on a formally-defined sensor-network query language with empirically-validated analytical cost models (with Norman Paton).
2. (2009) Kwanchai Eurviriyanukul on adaptive query processing (with Norman Paton).
3. (2005) Veruska Aragão on service-oriented mediators.
4. (2005) Ane Tröger on an in-silico experiment language over heterogeneous, autonomous, distributed scientific resources.
5. (2004) Marcelo Aragão on combining induction and deduction for knowledge management in a logic programming setting.
6. (2004) Seung-Hyun Jeong on efficient algorithms for spatio-temporal query processing (with Norman Paton).
7. (2003) M. Akhtar Ali on a comprehensive solution to incrementally maintaining materialized OQL views (with Norman Paton).
8. (2000) James Ohene-Dhan on personalizable hyperlink-based systems

Teaching

Admin

• Being PhD Tutor within the Research School.
• Helping to run the Mentoring Scheme for the department's research students. (The mentors webpage is full of useful information for research students.)

More Information

• On the Information Management Group, on the School of Computer Science, on The University of Manchester, on the city of Manchester.
• On logic programming and database research, see the brilliant DBLP web site.
• On this page's author:
  1. This is my DBLP entry (with the best cross-links).
  2. These are my ResearchIndex and Google Scholar returns [but beware false positives and duplicates] (with citations).
• You can see the pages known to Google or altavista to have backlinks to this page.
• Some old photos, the 1998 photo, a 1993 portrait and its painter @ illugraphics :: http://www.illugraphics.co.uk/.
• If you like football, then let it be known that five stars stand above my heart, and every four years I hunger for one more.

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