Evolutionary design of user interfaces for workflow information systems

In this paper we argue that user interface design should evolve from iterative to evolutionary in order to support the user interface development life cycle in a more flexible way. Evolutionary design consists of taking any input that informs to the lifecycle at any level of abstraction and its propagation through inferior and superior levels (vertical engineering) as well as the same level (horizontal engineering). This lifecycle is particularly appropriate when requirements are incomplete, partially unknown or to be discovered progressively. We exemplify this lifecycle by a methodology for developing user interfaces of workflow information systems. The methodology involves several models (i.e., task, process, workflow, domain, context of use) and steps. The methodology applies model-driven engineering to derive concrete user interfaces from a workflow model imported into a workflow management system in order to run the workflow. Instead of completing each model step by step, any model element is either derived from early requirements or collected in the appropriate model before being propagated in the subsequent steps. When more requirements are elicited, any new element is added at the appropriate level, consolidated with the already existing elements, and propagated to the subsequent levels. A workflow editor has been developed to support the methodology.     

A generalized taxonomy of explanations styles for traditional and social recommender systems

Recommender systems usually provide explanations of their recommendations to better help users to choose products, activities or even friends. Up until now, the type of an explanation style was considered in accordance to the recommender system that employed it. This relation was one-to-one, meaning that for each different recommender systems category, there was a different explanation style category. However, this kind of one-to-one correspondence can be considered as over-simplistic and non generalizable. In contrast, we consider three fundamental resources that can be used in an explanation: users, items and features and any combination of them. In this survey, we define (i) the Human style of explanation, which provides explanations based on similar users, (ii) the Item style of explanation, which is based on choices made by a user on similar items and (iii) the Feature style of explanation, which explains the recommendation based on item features rated by the user beforehand. By using any combination of the aforementioned styles we can also define the Hybrid style of explanation. We demonstrate how these styles are put into practice, by presenting recommender systems that employ them. Moreover, since there is inadequate research in the impact of social web in contemporary recommender systems and their explanation styles, we study new emerged social recommender systems i.e. Facebook Connect explanations (HuffPo, Netflix, etc.) and geo-social explanations that combine geographical with social data (Gowalla, Facebook Places, etc.). Finally, we summarize the results of three different user studies, to support that Hybrid is the most effective explanation style, since it incorporates all other styles.     

Computer-mediated knowledge sharing and individual user differences: an exploratory study

Prior research has shown that individual differences in users' cognitive style and gender can have a significant effect on their usage and perceived usefulness of management information systems. We argue that these differences may also extend to computer-mediated knowledge management systems (KMS), although previous research has not tested this empirically. Where employees are expected to use KMS for acquiring and sharing knowledge, we posit that some will gain more benefit than others, due to their innate personal characteristics, specifically gender and cognitive style. Based on a sample of 212 software developers in one large IS organization, we re-open these dormant debates about the effects of cognitive style and gender on technology usage. The paper contains four main findings. First, we present support for the proposition that cognitive style has an impact on KMS usage, although not for all components of the system. Second, that gender significantly affects KMS usage, with males being more likely to use such systems than females. Third, we find a small interaction effect between cognitive style and gender, but only for the use of data mining. Finally, the data suggest that there is a strong association between KMS usage levels and perceived usefulness. We conclude that if organizations do not recognize the inherent diversity of the workforce, and accommodate gender and cognitive style differences into their knowledge management strategies, they may be likely to propagate an intrinsic disadvantage, to the detriment of females and intuitive thinkers.     

Foundations of a new software engineering method for real-time systems

The design of a fault-tolerant distributed, real-time, embedded system with safety-critical concerns requires the use of formal languages. In this paper, we present the foundations of a new software engineering method for real-time systems that enables the integration of semiformal and formal notations. This new software engineering method is mostly based upon the ”COntinuuM” co-modeling methodology that we have used to integrate architecture models of real-time systems (Perseil and Pautet in 12th International conference on engineering of complex computer systems, ICECCS, IEEE Computer Society, Auckland, pp 371–376, 2007) (so we call it “Method C”), and a model-driven development process (ISBN 978-0-387-39361-2 in: From model-driven design to resource management for distributed embedded systems, Springer, chap. MDE benefits for distributed, real time and embedded systems, 2006). The method will be tested in the design and development of integrated modular avionics (IMA) frameworks, with DO178, DO254, DO297, and MILS-CC requirements.     

Socio-technical systems: From design methods to systems engineering

It is widely acknowledged that adopting a socio-technical approach to system development leads to systems that are more acceptable to end users and deliver better value to stakeholders. Despite this, such approaches are not widely practised. We analyse the reasons for this, highlighting some of the problems with the better known socio-technical design methods. Based on this analysis we propose a new pragmatic framework for socio-technical systems engineering (STSE) which builds on the (largely independent) research of groups investigating work design, information systems, computer-supported cooperative work, and cognitive systems engineering. STSE bridges the traditional gap between organisational change and system development using two main types of activity: sensitisation and awareness; and constructive engagement. From the framework, we identify an initial set of interdisciplinary research problems that address how to apply socio-technical approaches in a cost-effective way, and how to facilitate the integration of STSE with existing systems and software engineering approaches.     

Model-based engineering for change-tolerant systems

Developing and evolving today’s systems are often stymied by the sheer size and complexity of the capabilities being developed and integrated. At one end of the spectrum, we have sophisticated agent-based software with hundreds of thousands of collaborating nodes. These require modeling abstractions relevant to their complex workflow tasks as well as predictable transforms and mappings for the requisite elaborations and refinements that must be accomplished in composing these systems. At the other end of the spectrum, we have ever-increasing capabilities of reconfigurable hardware devices such as field-programmable gate arrays to support the emerging adaptability and flexibility needs of these systems. From a model-based engineering perspective, these challenges are very similar; both must move their abstraction and reuse levels up to meet growing productivity and quality objectives. Model-based engineering and software system variants such as the model-driven architecture (MDA) are increasingly being applied to systems development as the engineering community recognizes the benefits of managing complexity, separating key concerns, and automating transformations from high-level abstract requirements down through the implementation. However, there are challenges when it comes to establishing the correct boundaries for change-tolerant parts of the system. Capabilities engineering (CE) is a promising approach for defining long-lived components of a system to ensure some sense of change tolerance. For innovative initiatives such as the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)’s autonomous nanotechology swarms (ANTS), the development and subsequent evolution of such systems are of considerable importance as their missions involve complex, collaborative behaviors across distributed, reconfigurable satellites. In this paper, we investigate the intersection of these two technologies as they support the development of complex, change-tolerant systems. We present an effective approach for bounding computationally independent models so that, as they transition to the architecture, capabilities-based groupings of components are relevant to the change-tolerant properties that must convey in the design solution space. The model-based engineering approach is validated via a fully functional prototype and verified by generating nontrivial multiagent systems and reusing components in subsequent systems. We build off of this research completed on the collaborative agent architecture, discuss the CE approach for the transition to architecture, and then examine how this will be applied in the reconfigurable computing community with the new National Science Foundation Center for High-Performance Reconfigurable Computing. Based on this work and extrapolating from similar efforts, the model-based approach shows promise to reduce the complexities of software evolution and increase productivity—particularly as the model libraries are populated with canonical components.     

Buffer management in real-time active database systems

Real-time active database systems (RTADB) have attracted the attention of researchers in recent times. Such systems are envisioned as control systems for environments as diverse as process control, network management and automated financial trading. Sensors distributed throughout the system report the state of the system to the database. Unacceptable state reports typically results in corrective actions being triggered with deadlines. Thus RTADB's incorporate both real-time as well as active characteristics. We study buffer management in RTADB. Buffer management is recognized as not being a well studied area in real-time systems. As a result of our work, we postulate PAPER, a new buffer management scheme that relies on two strategies: prefetching and priority based buffer replacement. We report the result of studies of the performance of PAPER, as compared to that of existing buffer management algorithms. The insights derived from this paper impact both real-time database systems as well as real-time, active database systems     

Towards modeling and runtime verification of self-organizing systems

According to the fact that the intrinsic dynamism of self-organizing systems challenges the existing methods of engineering for modeling reliable complex systems, in this paper, we propose a new formal-based method to model self-organizing systems. The capabilities of the proposed method which are used to address several challenges in design, development and analysis of self-organizing systems are: modularity and robustness, decentralized control and scalability, required adaptation types, flexible and adaptive control mechanism, separation of adaptation and business logic, and safe adaptation. To evaluate the proposed method, we use self-organizing traffic management system as a case study and exploit the proposed method for modeling this dynamic system. Moreover, we propose and employ a novel policy-based runtime verification mechanism to ensure that the safety properties are satisfied by the implementation at runtime. We provide our case study prototype using Java and the Ponder2 toolkit and apply our runtime verification method to show its proper reaction capabilities to the property violations. This benefit is the result of using dynamic policies in our method to control the behavior of systems.     

Automatic generation of water distribution systems based on GIS data

In the field of water distribution system (WDS) analysis, case study research is needed for testing or benchmarking optimisation strategies and newly developed software. However, data availability for the investigation of real cases is limited due to time and cost needed for data collection and model setup. We present a new algorithm that addresses this problem by generating WDSs from GIS using population density, housing density and elevation as input data. We show that the resulting WDSs are comparable to actual systems in terms of network properties and hydraulic performance. For example, comparing the pressure heads for an actual and a generated WDS results in pressure head differences of ±4 m or less for 75% of the supply area. Although elements like valves and pumps are not included, the new methodology can provide water distribution systems of varying levels of complexity (e.g., network layouts, connectivity, etc.) to allow testing design/optimisation algorithms on a large number of networks. The new approach can be used to estimate the construction costs of planned WDSs aimed at addressing population growth or at comparisons of different expansion strategies in growth corridors.     

Evaluating design proposals for complex systems with work domain analysis

In this paper we propose a new framework for evaluating designs based on work domain analysis, the first phase of cognitive work analysis. We develop a rationale for a new approach to evaluation by describing the unique characteristics of complex systems and by showing that systems engineering techniques only partially accommodate these characteristics. We then present work domain analysis as a complementary framework for evaluation. We explain this technique by example by showing how the Australian Defence Force used work domain analysis to evaluate design proposals for a new system called Airborne Early Warning and Control. This case study also demonstrates that work domain analysis is a useful and feasible approach that complements standard techniques for evaluation and that promotes a central role for human factors professionals early in the system design and development process. Actual or potential applications of this research include the evaluation of designs for complex systems.     

Design of joint systems: a theoretical challenge for cognitive systems engineering

In this paper the “joint systems approach” will be discussed. The approach is considered as a new paradigm in cognitive systems engineering (CSE). Its central idea, that human and technology form a functional unity, is as such not new. Why, then, has this idea become so appealing right now? In the first part of the paper we seek answers to this question by analysing the current situation in product design. The conclusion is that the focus of design is shifting from single products to intelligent environments. This change in focus induces tensions into the design process that urge for solutions. One of them is re-conceptualising the relationship between human and technology, precisely what the joint system approach is about. Three different joint system approaches are considered: the joint cognitive systems approach (JCS), the Risö extended CSE approach, and the joint intelligent systems (JIS) approach proposed by us. Comparisons are made with regard to how these approaches understand the joint system to be organised. While the JCS approach focuses on the human–technology relationship, the other two consider this relationship as embedded in a context of object-oriented activity. As a consequence, environment becomes included in the joint system. In JIS approach we propose the use of the semiotic concept of habit to characterise the ways of functioning of the joint system. “Habit” is a tool for identifying generic patterns in the situation-specific behaviour of the system. Defining habits enables expressing the meaning or purpose of the system’s functioning. In the end of the paper, we propose a design process model for the development of JIS. This approach is aimed at designing systems in usage i.e. to design of practices.     

Requirements-driven database systems benchmark method

Benchmarks are the vital tools in the performance measurement, evaluation, and comparison of relational database management systems (RDBMS). Standard benchmarks such as the TP1, TPC-A, TPC-B, TPC-C, TPC-D, TPC-H, TPC-R, TPC-W, Wisconsin, and AS³AP benchmarks have been used to assess the performance of relational database management systems. These benchmarks are synthetic and domain-specific. Test results from these benchmarks are estimates of possible system performance for certain pre-determined application types. Database system performance on actual database domain may vary significantly from those in the standard benchmarks. In this paper, we describe a new benchmark method that is computer-assisted and developed from the perspective of the user's requirements.     

A style for integrating MS‐Windows software applications to client–server systems using Java technology

Developing software systems by integrating the existing applications/systems over the network has become an established and practical technique. The Microsoft (MS) Windows operating systems today support a huge number of software applications. If these commercial applications could be transformed to software components, this may accelerate the construction of new components. This paper proposes an architectural style to support a three‐phase process for integrating MS‐Windows applications in a distributed system using Java technologies. This style provides a solution with clear documentation and sufficient information that is helpful for the rapid integration of MS‐Windows applications. Finally, an exemplary graphical construction part management system that assembles two MS‐Windows applications was developed in this study to demonstrate the feasibility of this style. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Provoking creativity: imagine what your requirements could be like

Requirements engineering isn't recognized as a creative process. However, as new systems and products emerge, stakeholders are increasingly creating and inventing ideas that they express as requirements. Requirements engineering, with its focus on elicitation, analysis, and management, has yet to fully grasp this trend. We applied techniques to encourage creative thinking during the requirements process for a software-based system in a naturally conservative domain - air traffic management (ATM). We applied unusual theories, such as analogical reasoning from cognitive science, to underpin the use of these techniques, and we report basic results and lessons learned. We focus on the creativity techniques we applied (see the sidebar) and demonstrate them with examples from the ATM domain.     

面向需求的安全关键系统形式化建模与验证方法研究

在安全关键系统领域中,明确的需求对于一个系统的作用至关重要。使用基于模型的系统工程思想对自动飞行控制系统进行面向需求的形式化建模与验证,使用RSML~(-e)语言对自动飞行控制系统(AFCS)需求进行建模,提出一种将RSML~(-e)模型转化成NuSMV 2模型的方法,并用NuSMV 2对模型的属性进行验证。针对一个真实综合航电系统中的自动飞行控制系统GFC700进行分析验证,实验结果表明,该方法对实际系统的安全性分析具有可行性。     

Designing evolvable systems in a framework of robust,resilient and sustainable engineering analysis

“Evolvability” is a concept normally associated with biology or ecology, but recent work on control of interdependent critical infrastructures reveals that network informatics systems can be designed to enable artificial, human systems to “evolve”. To explicate this finding, we draw on an analogy between disruptive behavior and stable variation in the history of science and the adaptive patterns of robustness and resilience in engineered systems. We present a definition of an evolvable system in the context of a model of robust, resilient and sustainable systems. Our review of this context and standard definitions indicates that many analysts in engineering (as well as in biology and ecology) do not differentiate Resilience from Robustness. Neither do they differentiate overall dependable system adaptability from a multi-phase process that includes graceful degradation and time-constrained recovery, restabilization, and prevention of catastrophic failure.We analyze how systemic Robustness, Resilience, and Sustainability are related to Evolvability. Our analysis emphasizes the importance of Resilience as an adaptive capability that integrates Sustainability and Robustness to achieve Evolvability.This conceptual framework is used to discuss nine engineering principles that should frame systems thinking about developing evolvable systems. These principles are derived from Kevin Kelly’s book: Out of Control, which describes living and artificial self-sustaining systems. Kelly’s last chapter, “The Nine Laws of God,” distills nine principles that govern all life-like systems. We discuss how these principles could be applied to engineering evolvability in artificial systems. This discussion is motivated by a wide range of practical problems in engineered artificial systems. Our goal is to analyze a few examples of system designs across engineering disciplines to explicate a common framework for designing and testing artificial systems. This framework highlights managing increasing complexity, intentional evolution, and resistance to disruptive events. From this perspective, we envision a more imaginative and time-sensitive appreciation of the evolution and operation of “reliable” artificial systems. We conclude with a short discussion of two hypothetical examples of engineering evolvable systems in network-centric communications using Error Resilient Data Fusion (ERDF) and cognitive radio.     

Industrial Design and Development Software System Architecture Based on Model-Based Systems Engineering and Cloud Computing

Oriented to the new generation of cyber-physical manufacturing, this paper introduces two breakthroughs of industrial design and development software system: model-based systems engineering (MBSE) and cloud computing. Based on the classic V model for product development, an MBSE double-Vs model is refined which takes both model life-cycle and product life-cycle into consideration for design process re-engineering. Then cloud computing and its re-structuring on traditional industrial software system are discussed. Shift from classic single approach, this research proposes an industrial design and development software system architecture based on model-based systems engineering (MBSE) and cloud computing. The new architecture is shown in a stereoscopic way which amply utilizes the respective advantages of MBSE and cloud computing. At the end of the paper, as an example of actual cases, a flight management system (FMS) design and development platform is detailed to verify the effectiveness of this new architecture. The implement of new system architecture creates an efficient collaborative mechanism for FMS developing.     

Self-maintenance and engineering immune systems: Towards smarter machines and manufacturing systems

This paper discusses the state-of-the-art research in the areas of self-maintenance and engineering immune systems (EIS) for machines with smarter adaptability to operating regime changes in future manufacturing systems. Inspired by the biological immune and nervous systems, the authors are introducing the transformation of prognostics and health management (PHM) to engineering immune systems (EIS). First, an overview on PHM is introduced. Its transformation toward resilient systems, self-maintenance systems, and engineering immune systems is also discussed. Finally, new concepts in developing future biological-based smarter machines based on autonomic computing and cloud computing are discussed.     

Modular formal verification of specifications of concurrent systems

In this paper, we propose a bottom‐up approach for the verification of systems with modular structure: we prove that when the modules are composed in specific ways, the complete software system verifies a composition of the properties each component does. We focus on the process of upgrading systems with new functionalities, where the validity of old requirements needs to be ensured, but also an understanding of the new properties the upgraded system would enjoy is useful. In this work, we assume each component to be specified by a CCS process, and the properties to be expressed by selective mu‐calculus formulae. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A system planning method based on templates for large-scale manufacturing information systems

In the field of manufacturing, there is a need to develop large-scale manufacturing information systems. This is especially true in the Japanese steel manufacturing industry where CIM is the core management technology. But developing such systems requires large amounts of time and manpower, and furthermore, these type of projects are very difficult to manage. Therefore, in order to ease the process of analysis and design, we propose procedures based on a two-dimensional template with specific criteria for large-scale manufacturing IS architectures. In each manufacturing system, there are two important elements that correspond to the two dimensions of the template. One is a functional category and the other is a management structure. We show here the effectiveness of applying this method to system planning of large-scale IS in one representative steel manufacturing plant.