Semi-automatic distribution pattern modeling of web service compositions using semantics

Enterprise systems are frequently built by combining a number of discrete Web services together, a process termed composition. There are a number of architectural configurations or distribution patterns, which express how a composed system is to be deployed. Previously, we presented a Model Driven Architecture using UML 2.0, which took existing service interfaces as its input and generated an executable Web service composition, guided by a distribution pattern model. In this paper, we propose using Web service semantic descriptions in addition to Web service interfaces, to assist in the semi-automatic generation of the distribution pattern model. Web services described using semantic languages, such as OWL-S, can be automatically assessed for compatibility and their input and output messages can be mapped to each other

Analyzing Consistency of Behavioral REST Web Service Interfaces

REST web services can offer complex operations that do more than just simply creating, retrieving, updating and deleting information from a database. We have proposed an approach to design the interfaces of behavioral REST web services by defining a resource and a behavioral model using UML. In this paper we discuss the consistency between the resource and behavioral models that represent service states using state invariants. The state invariants are defined as predicates over resources and describe what are the valid state configurations of a behavioral model. If a state invariant is unsatisfiable then there is no valid state configuration containing the state and there is no service that can implement the service interface. We also show how we can use reasoning tools to determine the consistency between these design models.Comment: In Proceedings WWV 2012, arXiv:1210.578

Semantic model-driven development of web service architectures.

Building service-based architectures has become a major area of interest since the advent of Web services. Modelling these architectures is a central activity. Model-driven development is a recent approach to developing software systems based on the idea of making models the central artefacts for design representation, analysis, and code generation. We propose an ontology-based engineering methodology for semantic model-driven composition and transformation of Web service architectures. Ontology technology as a logic-based knowledge representation and reasoning framework can provide answers to the needs of sharable and reusable semantic models and descriptions needed for service engineering. Based on modelling, composition and code generation techniques for service architectures, our approach provides a methodological framework for ontology-based semantic service architecture

Harmonizing Software Standards with a Semantic Model

The application of standards in the software development process supports interoperability between systems. Maintenance of standards must be guaranteed on the organisational and technical level. The use of semantic technologies can contribute to the standard maintenance process by providing a harmonizing bridge between standards of different knowledge domains and languages and by providing a single point of administration for standard domain concepts. This paper describes a case study of the creation of a semantic layer between software standards for water management systems in The Netherland

An Ontology-Based Method for Semantic Integration of Business Components

Building new business information systems from reusable components is today an approach widely adopted and used. Using this approach in analysis and design phases presents a great interest and requires the use of a particular class of components called Business Components (BC). Business Components are today developed by several manufacturers and are available in many repositories. However, reusing and integrating them in a new Information System requires detection and resolution of semantic conflicts. Moreover, most of integration and semantic conflict resolution systems rely on ontology alignment methods based on domain ontology. This work is positioned at the intersection of two research areas: Integration of reusable Business Components and alignment of ontologies for semantic conflict resolution. Our contribution concerns both the proposal of a BC integration solution based on ontologies alignment and a method for enriching the domain ontology used as a support for alignment.Comment: IEEE New Technologies of Distributed Systems (NOTERE), 2011 11th Annual International Conference; ISSN: 2162-1896 Print ISBN: 978-1-4577-0729-2 INSPEC Accession Number: 12122775 201

Drawing OWL 2 ontologies with Eddy the editor

In this paper we introduce Eddy, a new open-source tool for the graphical editing of OWL~2 ontologies. Eddy is specifically designed for creating ontologies in Graphol, a completely visual ontology language that is equivalent to OWL~2. Thus, in Eddy ontologies are easily drawn as diagrams, rather than written as sets of formulas, as commonly happens in popular ontology design and engineering environments. This makes Eddy particularly suited for usage by people who are more familiar with diagramatic languages for conceptual modeling rather than with typical ontology formalisms, as is often required in non-academic and industrial contexts. Eddy provides intuitive functionalities for specifying Graphol diagrams, guarantees their syntactic correctness, and allows for exporting them in standard OWL 2 syntax. A user evaluation study we conducted shows that Eddy is perceived as an easy and intuitive tool for ontology specification

Semantic model-driven development of service-centric software architectures

Service-oriented architecture (SOA) is a recent architectural paradigm that has received much attention. The prevalent focus on platforms such as Web services, however, needs to be complemented by appropriate software engineering methods. We propose the model-driven development of service-centric software systems. We present in particular an investigation into the role of enriched semantic modelling for a modeldriven development framework for service-centric software systems. Ontologies as the foundations of semantic modelling and its enhancement through architectural pattern modelling are at the core of the proposed approach. We introduce foundations and discuss the benefits and also the challenges in this context

An ontology framework for developing platform-independent knowledge-based engineering systems in the aerospace industry

This paper presents the development of a novel knowledge-based engineering (KBE) framework for implementing platform-independent knowledge-enabled product design systems within the aerospace industry. The aim of the KBE framework is to strengthen the structure, reuse and portability of knowledge consumed within KBE systems in view of supporting the cost-effective and long-term preservation of knowledge within such systems. The proposed KBE framework uses an ontology-based approach for semantic knowledge management and adopts a model-driven architecture style from the software engineering discipline. Its phases are mainly (1) Capture knowledge required for KBE system; (2) Ontology model construct of KBE system; (3) Platform-independent model (PIM) technology selection and implementation and (4) Integration of PIM KBE knowledge with computer-aided design system. A rigorous methodology is employed which is comprised of five qualitative phases namely, requirement analysis for the KBE framework, identifying software and ontological engineering elements, integration of both elements, proof of concept prototype demonstrator and finally experts validation. A case study investigating four primitive three-dimensional geometry shapes is used to quantify the applicability of the KBE framework in the aerospace industry. Additionally, experts within the aerospace and software engineering sector validated the strengths/benefits and limitations of the KBE framework. The major benefits of the developed approach are in the reduction of man-hours required for developing KBE systems within the aerospace industry and the maintainability and abstraction of the knowledge required for developing KBE systems. This approach strengthens knowledge reuse and eliminates platform-specific approaches to developing KBE systems ensuring the preservation of KBE knowledge for the long term