Storage, Indexing, Query Processing, and Benchmarking in Centralized and Distributed RDF Engines: A Survey

Abstract

The recent advancements of the Semantic Web and Linked Data have changed the working of the traditional web. There is a huge adoption of the Resource Description Framework (RDF) format for saving of web-based data. This massive adoption has paved the way for the development of various centralized and distributed RDF processing engines. These engines employ different mechanisms to implement key components of the query processing engines such as data storage, indexing, language support, and query execution. All these components govern how queries are executed and can have a substantial effect on the query runtime. For example, the storage of RDF data in various ways significantly affects the data storage space required and the query runtime performance. The type of indexing approach used in RDF engines is key for fast data lookup. The type of the underlying querying language (e.g., SPARQL or SQL) used for query execution is a key optimization component of the RDF storage solutions. Finally, query execution involving different join orders significantly affects the query response time. This paper provides a comprehensive review of centralized and distributed RDF engines in terms of storage, indexing, language support, and query execution.