Objectives  In the face of unstable network environments at sea, this study aims to develop a novel information integration model and method to improve data transmission efficiency and reduce communication costs.

Methods  This study introduces a distributed information integration method based on the "request-response" model, which is combined with the effective organization and management of information elements. By precisely defining the structure of information elements, the efficient acquisition of metadata and the creation of platform metadata databases were achieved. Furthermore, the study involves the design of an information identifier resolution system, metadata mapping configuration, and a dynamic parsing compiler for SQL statements, effectively addressing the issue of semantic heterogeneity and achieving seamless data integration between different software systems.

Results  Experimental results indicate that, compared to traditional models, the "request-response" based data integration method significantly reduces the 24-hour communication volume. In individual data integration experiments, the 24-hour communication volume was reduced considerably from 3456000 bytes in the original model to 3696 bytes (per hour request) and 154 bytes (per day request). For 10-item data integration, the 24-hour communication volume was reduced from 11232000 bytes in the original model to 17952 bytes and 748 bytes. Additionally, this method effectively reduces the frequency of data transmission while maintaining data utilization efficiency, significantly improving data processing efficiency and accuracy.

Conclusions This study demonstrates the efficiency and practicality of the distributed information integration method based on the "request-response" model in unstable maritime network environments. It provides a new technical approach for ship operation and maintenance data integration and offers valuable insights for research in related fields.