Data abstraction in coordination constraints

Communications in Computer and Information Science 393, 2013This paper studies complex coordination mechanisms based on constraint satisfaction. In particular, it focuses on data-sensitive connectors from the Reo coordination language. These connectors restrict how and where data can flow between loosely-coupled components taking into account the data being exchanged. Existing engines for Reo provide a very limited support for data-sensitive connectors, even though data constraints are captured by the original semantic models for Reo. When executing data-sensitive connectors, coordination constraints are not exhaustively solved at compile time but at runtime on a per-need basis, powered by an existing SMT (satisfiability modulo theories) solver.To deal with a wider range of data types and operations, we abstract data and reduce the original constraint satisfaction problem to a SAT problem, based on a variation of predicate abstraction. We show soundness and completeness of the abstraction mechanism for well-defined constraints, and validate our approach by evaluating the performance of a prototype implementation with different test cases, with and without abstraction.(undefined

On Formal Consistency between Value and Coordination Models

In information systems (IS) engineering dierent techniques for modeling inter-organizational collaborations are applied. In particular, value models estimate the profitability for involved stakeholders, whereas coordination models are used to agree upon the inter-organizational processes before implementing them. During the execution of inter-organizational collaboration, in addition, event logs are collected by the individual organizations representing another view of the IS. The combination of the two models and the event log represent the IS and they should therefore be consistent, i.e., not contradict each other. Since these models are provided by dierent user groups during design time and the event log is collected during run-time consistency is not straight forward. Inconsistency occurs when models contain a conflicting description of the same information, i.e., there exists a conflicting overlap between the models. In this paper we introduce an abstraction of value models, coordination models and event logs which allows ensuring and maintaining alignment between models and event log. We demonstrate its use by outlining a proof of an inconsistency resolution result based on this abstraction. Thus, the introduction of abstractions allows to explore formal inter-model relations based on consistency

Refinement of SDBC Business Process Models Using ISDL

Aiming at aligning business process modeling and software specification, the SDBC approach considers a multi-viewpoint modeling where static, dynamic, and data business process aspect models have to be mapped adequately to corresponding static, dynamic, and data software specification aspect models. Next to that, the approach considers also a business process modeling viewpoint which concerns real-life communication and coordination issues, such as meanings, intentions, negotiations, commitments, and obligations. Hence, in order to adequately align communication and dynamic aspect models, SDBC should use at least two modeling techniques. However, the transformation between two techniques unnecessarily complicates the modeling process. Next to that, different techniques use different modeling formalisms whose reflection sometimes causes limitations. For this reason, we explore in the current paper the value which the (modeling) language ISDL could bring to SDBC in the alignment of communication and behavioral (dynamic) business process aspect models; ISDL can usefully refine dynamic process models. Thus, it is feasible to expect that ISDL can complement the SDBC approach, allowing refinement of dynamic business process aspect models, by adding communication and coordination actions. Furthermore, SDBC could benefit from ISDL-related methods assessing whether a realized refinement conforms to the original process model. Our studies in the paper are supported by an illustrative example

SOA-Driven Business-Software Alignment

The alignment of business processes and their supporting application software is a major concern during the initial software design phases. This paper proposes a design approach addressing this problem of business-software alignment. The approach takes an initial business model as a basis in deriving refined models that target a service-oriented software implementation. The approach explicitly identifies a software modeling level at which software modules are represented as services in a technology-platformindependent way. This model-driven service-oriented approach has the following properties: (i) there is a forced alignment (consistency) between business processes and supporting applications; (ii) changes in the business environment can be traced to the application and vice versa, via model relationships; (iii) the software modules modeled as services have a high degree of autonomy; (iv) migration to new technology platforms can be supported through the platform independent software model

Exposing piaget's scheme: Empirical evidence for the ontogenesis of coordination in learning a mathematical concept

The combination of two methodological resources-natural-user interfaces (NUI) and multimodal learning analytics (MMLA)-is creating opportunities for educational researchers to empirically evaluate seminal models for the hypothetical emergence of concepts from situated sensorimotor activity. 76 participants (9-14 yo) solved tablet-based non-symbolic manipulation tasks designed to foster grounded meanings for the mathematical concept of proportional equivalence. Data gathered in task-based semi-structured clinical interviews included action logging, eye-gaze tracking, and videography. Successful task performance coincided with spontaneous appearance of stable dynamical gaze-path patterns soon followed by multimodal articulation of strategy. Significantly, gaze patterns included uncued non-salient screen locations. We present cumulative results to argue that these 'attentional anchors' mediated participants' problem solving. We interpret the findings as enabling us to revisit, support, refine, and elaborate on central claims of Piaget's theory of genetic epistemology and in particular his insistence on the role of situated motor-action coordination in the process of reflective abstraction