graphsto

Graphsto is a term used in graph data processing to describe systems and methods for transforming graph structures into other graphs or representations. It covers graph-to-graph transformations, as well as conversions from graphs to alternative formats such as relational tables or textual encodings. The term is not tied to a single standard, but to a class of pipelines that preserve structural information while mapping nodes, edges, and attributes to new schemas.

Core concepts include a graph store component that keeps the source and target graphs, and a transformation component that specifies how elements are mapped. Transformations can be declarative, using a graph transformation language, or imperative, implemented as pipelines. Typical data models used in graphsto include property graphs and RDF, with support for schema or ontology alignment.

Workflow and architecture: In a typical workflow, data is ingested into a graph store, semantic alignment is performed via ontologies, a transformation specification is executed, and the result is materialized in a target graph or other format. Tools may offer provenance tracking, versioning, and incremental updates.

Applications and challenges: Graphsto practices are relevant to knowledge graphs, data integration, interoperability, and lineage tracking. Challenges include scalability, preserving semi-structured information, ensuring semantic equivalence, and achieving interoperability across systems.

See also: graph database, RDF, property graph, graph transformation, ETL, knowledge graph.