Property Graph Model

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Blueprints provides a set of interfaces for the property graph data model. An example instance is diagrammed above. In order to make a data management system “Blueprints-enabled,” the Blueprints interfaces must be implemented. However, note that there are various Graph interfaces, each with different types of functionality. For example, if an application only needs a Graph, then a TransactionalGraph implementation is not required of the underlying graph.

The following diagram identifies the names of the different components of a Graph. In general, these are the basic components of a property graph.

• Graph: An object that contains vertices and edges.
  • Element: An object that can have any number of key/value pairs associated with it (i.e. properties)
    • Vertex: An object that has incoming and outgoing edges.
    • Edge: An object that has a tail and head vertex.

A property graph has these elements:

1. a set of vertices
   • each vertex has a unique identifier.
   • each vertex has a set of outgoing edges.
   • each vertex has a set of incoming edges.
   • each vertex has a collection of properties defined by a map from key to value.
2. a set of edges
   • each edge has a unique identifier.
   • each edge has an outgoing tail vertex.
   • each edge has an incoming head vertex.
   • each edge has a label that denotes the type of relationship between its two vertices.
   • each edge has a collection of properties defined by a map from key to value.