MDA环境下可变性元建模方法研究

为模型提供可变性支持对于模型驱动软件开发的实践具有重要意义。可变性建模有利于捕捉领域概念及其特征的共性和差异性,为构造应用模型簇提供了一种模型复用的途径。在研究特征建模的可变性机制和MDA标准建模语言对可变性表示不足的基础上,提出了一种可变性元建模方法,构造可变性概要以支持原子、成组等可变性描述,开发了可变性验证和模型转换算法。通过实际项目的验证,该方法为基于可变性建模的模型内容复用提供了有效支持。     

Simulating simulation-agnostic SysML models for enterprise information systems via DEVS

Systems Modeling Language (SysML) is used as the modeling infrastructure in systems engineering, especially for complex systems design, independently of the system domain. Simulation is a common method to perform system model verification, during the systems development process. However, simulation code generation and execution is not integrated within the system design activity, as it is facilitated by SysML. It is either conducted as an external activity, after system design, or it affects the system design environment and practices, according to specific simulators requirements.This paper presents how existing, simulation-agnostic SysML models from the domain of Enterprise Information System (EISs), can be transformed to executable simulation code and in addition how the simulation results can be incorporated into the source SysML model through the exploitation of Model Driven Architecture (MDA) principles and techniques. To this end, several tools and technologies are utilized, while the verification process is triggered and finalized via the system modeling environment. Adoption of MDA provides a solid, high-level infrastructure and tool availability to the proposed approach.     

Intelligent support for systems development: The notion and the issues

Enterprise modelling and information systems modelling have traditionally utilized techniques developed in the earlier disciplines of systems analysis and operational analysis. However, these tools have proved insufficient even for information systems modelling and their inadequacies make them less than ideal for enterprise modelling. Furthermore, it has proved difficult to integrate the techniques into a uniform framework representation. Extensive research since the early 1980s has produced support tools for information systems engineering in the academic sector which have generally failed to reach widespread commercial use. Commercially developed integrated support systems aimed at enterprise modelling and information system modelling use traditional techniques, with a lack of formalism. The purpose of this paper is to introduce a technique which overcomes the major inadequacies and which provides an integrating framework to represent both the information and the processing, at enterprise and systems modelling levels of abstraction. The technique is based on the use of a transition network, but extended to represent enterprise and system models in a meaningful way. The use of an intelligent repository, with associated processing of the formally defined requirements, specification and design statements, is novel, and provides the additional support to make the technique amenable to handling the design process from informal to formal specification. The use of a graphical user interface, linked directly to the deductive system and repository, ensures intuitive ease of use.     

A method for transforming knowledge discovery metamodel to ArchiMate models

Enterprise architecture has become an important driver to facilitate digital transformation in companies, since it allows to manage IT and business in a holistic and integrated manner by establishing connections among technology concerns and strategical/motivational ones. Enterprise architecture modelling is critical to accurately represent business and their IT assets in combination. This modelling is important when companies start to manage their enterprise architecture, but also when it is remodelled so that the enterprise architecture is realigned in a changing world. Enterprise architecture is commonly modelled by few experts in a manual way, which is error-prone and time-consuming and makes continuous realignment difficult. In contrast, other enterprise architecture modelling proposal automatically analyses some artefacts like source code, databases, services, etc. Previous automated modelling proposals focus on the analysis of individual artefacts with isolated transformations toward ArchiMate or other enterprise architecture notations and/or frameworks. We propose the usage of Knowledge Discovery Metamodel (KDM) to represent all the intermediate information retrieved from information systems’ artefacts, which is then transformed into ArchiMate models. Thus, the core contribution of this paper is the model transformation between KDM and ArchiMate metamodels. The main implication of this proposal is that ArchiMate models are automatically generated from a common knowledge repository. Thereby, the relationships between different-nature artefacts can be exploited to get more complete and accurate enterprise architecture representations.

     

An analysis of the Zachman framework for enterprise architecture from the GERAM perspective

This article presents an analysis of the Zachman framework for enterprise architecture and its mapping onto the Generalised Enterprise Reference Architecture and Methodology (GERAM) framework/ISO IS15704:2000 requirements. Aspects covered concern the ability of the Zachman framework to cover the complete scope of the GERAM metamodel, such as life cycle/life history concepts, modelling framework, enterprise entities and entity recursion, associated enterprise engineering methodologies, modelling languages and reference models.     

Exploring determinants of adoption intentions towards Enterprise 2.0 applications: an empirical study

Enterprise 2.0 is identified as one of the most promising technological innovations in the business domain, with immense potential for enriching communication, enabling collaboration and facilitating learning. Although organisations are increasingly implementing Enterprise 2.0 as a useful means of knowledge sharing and collaboration, no empirical research has been performed to identify individuals’ motivations to participate in Enterprise 2.0 activities. The high practical relevance and dearth of research indicate the importance of the present study. This study aims to apply the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology to propose a research model that incorporates context-specific variables as enhancing constructs to predict individuals’ adoption intentions towards Enterprise 2.0 applications. We also categorise Enterprise 2.0 users into silent and social users and conduct a comparative analysis to examine whether differences exist in factors predicting users’ adoption intentions towards Enterprise 2.0 applications. To test the model, structural equation modelling is employed to analyse data collected from respondents working in seven Chinese companies conducting trial operations of an Enterprise 2.0 platform. The findings of this research provide managers with effective methods to promote individuals’ participation in Enterprise 2.0 activities. This research also provides a theoretical foundation for academics and practical implications for the development of Enterprise 2.0.     

Representation and analysis of enterprise models with semantic techniques: an application to ArchiMate,e3value and business model canvas

Enterprise models assist the governance and transformation of organizations through the specification, communication and analysis of strategy, goals, processes, information, along with the underlying application and technological infrastructure. Such models cross-cut different concerns and are often conceptualized using domain-specific modelling languages. This paper explores the application of graph-based semantic techniques to specify, integrate and analyse multiple, heterogeneous enterprise models. In particular, the proposal described in this paper (1) specifies enterprise models as ontological schemas, (2) uses transformation mapping functions to integrate the ontological schemas and (3) analyses the integrated schemas with graph querying and logical inference. The proposal is evaluated through a scenario that integrates three distinct enterprise modelling languages: the business model canvas, e3value, and the business layer of the ArchiMate language. The results show, on the one hand, that the graph-based approach is able to handle the specification, integration and analysis of enterprise models represented with different modelling languages and, on the other, that the integration challenge resides in defining appropriate mapping functions between the schemas.     

Consistent integration of models based on views of meta models

The complexity of large system models in software engineering nowadays is mastered by using different views. View-based modelling aims at creating small, partial models, each one of them describing some aspect of the system. Existing formal techniques supporting view-based visual modelling are based on typed attributed graphs, where views are related by typed attributed graph morphisms. Such morphisms up to now require a meta model given by a fixed type graph, as well as a fixed data signature and domain. This is in general not adequate for view-oriented modeling where only parts of the complete meta model are known and necessary when modelling a partial view of the system. The aim of this paper is to extend the framework of typed attributed graph morphisms to generalized typed attributed graph morphisms, short GAG-morphisms, which involve changes of the type graph, data signature, and domain. This allows the modeller to formulate type hierarchies and views of visual languages defined by GAG-morphisms between type graphs, short GATG-morphisms. In this paper, we study the interaction and integration of views, and the restriction of views along type hierarchies. In the main result, we present suitable conditions for the integration and decomposition of consistent view models (Theorem 4.1) and extend these conditions to view models defined over meta models with constraints (Theorem 5.1). As a running example, we use a visual domain-specific modelling language to model coarse-grained IT components and their connectors in decentralized IT infrastructures. Using constraints, we formulate connection properties as invariants.     

An institution theory of formal meta-modelling in graphically extended BNF

Meta-modelling plays an important role in model driven software development.In this paper,a graphic extension of BNF (GEBNF) is proposed to define the abstract syntax of graphic modelling languages.Fro...     

Formal process modelling

As the use of formal methods for computer systems development is now widely taught and commonly practised, their use for business process modelling is now considered. In the same way that formal system models are used to rationalize the implementations of complex computer systems, formal process models may be used to rationalize system requirements of complex business processes. The paper examines this thesis by way of a case study in the use of formal modelling to analyse systems requirements for an order fulfilment process.     

New perspectives in ontological analysis: Guidelines and rules for incorporating modelling languages into UEML

Ontological analysis of modelling languages has been mainly used for evaluating quality of modelling language w.r.t. one specific upper ontology. Generally speaking this evaluation has been done by identifying the coverage of the modelling language constructs w.r.t. the ontology and vice-versa. However, a quite limited support has been developed for performing the ontological analysis task. Specifically, various ontologies used for ontological analysis are not associated to a machine readable format; the coverage of modelling language constructs is mostly provided by informal tables mapping one construct on to one ontological concept; the way in which this coverage task is undertaken is poorly specified (resulting in distinct results for distinct experts involved), and finally, preventing any ontology enrichment for dealing with some specialised language constructs. This limited support also prevents application of ontological analysis outcomes to problems and domains dealing with interoperability, integration and integrated usage of enterprise and IS models, which is today one of the key aspects for making interoperable, maintainable and evolvable inter and intra enterprise software systems. The paper provides an overview of the Unified Enterprise Modelling Language (UEML) approach, which introduces advanced support to ontological analysis of modelling languages. The paper is specifically focused on the task of ontological analysis of modelling languages (named incorporation of modelling languages) by introducing and explaining several guidelines and rules for driving the task: therefore, not all the aspects of the UEML approach will be discussed through the paper. The guidelines and rules are illustrated by incorporation of three selected modelling constructs from IDEF3, a well known language for specifying enterprise processes.     

Evaluating ontologies: Towards a cognitive measure of quality

Ontologies are formal specifications of shared conceptualizations of a domain. Important applications of ontologies include distributed knowledge-based systems, such as the semantic web, and the evaluation of modelling languages, e.g. for business process or conceptual modelling. These applications require formal ontologies of good quality. The quality of a formal ontology requires both a good conceptualization of a domain and a good specification of the conceptualization. In this paper, we focus on the latter aspect, and present a method to test how well a specification of a formal ontology corresponds to a conceptualization of a domain held by ontology users. Our experimental method is based on principles of cognitive psychology. We present two experiments to demonstrate our method using upper-level ontologies.     

Kumbang: A domain ontology for modelling variability in software product families

Variability is the ability of a system to be efficiently extended, changed, customised or configured for use in a particular context. There is an ever-growing demand for variability of software. Software product families are an important means for implementing software variability. We present a domain ontology called Kumbang for modelling the variability in software product families. Kumbang synthesises previous approaches to modelling variability in software product families. In addition, it incorporates modelling constructs developed in the product configuration domain for modelling the variability in non-software products. The modelling concepts include components and features with compositional structure and attributes, the interfaces of components and connections between them, and constraints. The semantics of Kumbang is rigorously described using natural language and a UML profile. We provide preliminary proof of concept for Kumbang: the domain ontology has been provided with a formal semantics by implementing a translation into a general-purpose knowledge representation language with formal semantics and inference support. A prototype tool for resolving variability has been implemented.     

A formal framework to integrate express data models in an extended enterprise context

The paper describes a formal framework to integrate EXPRESS models and facilitate sharing and exchanging of data in an Extended Enterprise context. We perceive in the creation of an Extended Enterprise an opportunity to use standardized data models. Hence our research is based on three important ISO standards whose primary objective is to enhance data exchange. These standards are ISO 10303, ISO 15531 and ISO 13584, known as STEP, MANDATE and PLIB, respectively. Although they are intended to overcome incompatibility problems for the computer-based applications that are used during the product life-cycle, they turned out to be semantically incompatible among themselves. This seems to be a major drawback when individual organizations want to share core competences, such as resources, manufacturing processes, or product design, to create an Extended Enterprise. The constructs we propose harmonize incompatible model components so that core competences can be transparent to the net of enterprises. The proposal is exemplified by creating a mediator application and a repository. The mediator application is used by individual firms to gain access to the core abilities that are shared, whereas the repository is a neutral means to store such competences. It complies with part 21 of the ISO 10303 standard. The proposed formal framework provides a sound model of the information system and facilitates data sharing in the Extended Enterprise.     

Management and enterprise architecture click: The FAD(E)E framework

Enterprises are living things. They constantly need to be (re-)architected in order to achieve the necessary agility, alignment and integration. This paper gives a high-level overview of how companies can go about doing ‘enterprise architecture’ in the context of both the classic (isolated) enterprise and the Extended Enterprise. By discussing the goals that are pursued in an enterprise architecture effort we reveal some basic requirements that can be put on the process of architecting the enterprise. The relationship between managing and architecting the enterprise is discussed and clarified in the FAD(E)E, the Framework for the Architectural Development of the (Extended) Enterprise. Frank G. Goethals completed his Master studies in economics (option informatics), at the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium, in 2000. He is presently researching for a Ph.D. under the theme of `Managing data in the Extended Enterprise'. This research is conducted at the K.U.Leuven under the guidance of professor J. Vandenbulcke, and is financed by SAP Belgium. Frank has a strong interest in coordination and dependency theory and Enterprise Architecture. Monique Snoeck obtained her Ph.D. in May 1995 from The Department of Computer Science of the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven with a thesis that lays the formal foundations of the object-oriented business modelling method MERODE. Since then she has done further research in the area of formal methods for object-oriented conceptual modelling. She now is Full Professor with the Management Information Systems Group of the Faculty of Economics and Applied Economics at the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven in Belgium. She has been involved in several industrial conceptual modelling projects. Her research interests are object oriented conceptual modelling, software architecture and software quality. Wilfried Lemahieu holds a Ph.D. from the Department of Applied Economic Sciences of the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium (1999). At present, he is associate professor at the Management Informatics research group of the Faculty of Economics and Applied Economics. His teaching includes Database Management, Data Storage Architectures and Management Informatics. His research interests comprise distributed object architectures and web services, object-relational and object-oriented database systems and hypermedia systems. Jacques A. Vandenbulcke is professor at the Faculty of Economics and Applied Economics of the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium. His main research interests are in Database management, Data modelling, and Business Information Systems. He is co-ordinator of the Leuven Institute for Research on Information Systems (LIRIS) and holder of the SAP-chair on ‘Extended enterprise infrastructures’. He is president of ‘Studiecentrum voor Automatische Informatieverwerking (SAI)’, the largest society for computer professionals in Belgium, and co-founder of the ‘Production and Inventory Control Society (PICS)’ in Belgium.     

Role of data dictionaries in information resource management

The role of information resource dictionary systems (data dictionary systems) is important in two important phases of information resource management:First, information requirements analysis and specification, which is a complex activity requiring data dictionary support: the end result is the specification of an “Enterprise Model,” which embodies the major activities, processes, information flows, organizational constraints, and concepts. This role is examined in detail after analyzing the existing approaches to requirements analysis and specification.Second, information modeling which uses the information in the Enterprise Model to construct a formal implementation independent database specification: several information models and support tools that may aid in transforming the initial requirements into the final logical database design are examined.The metadata — knowledge about both data and processes — contained in the data dictionary can be used to provide views of data for the specialized tools that make up the database design workbench. The role of data dictionary systems in the integration of tools is discussed.