2,476 research outputs found
Higher-Order Process Modeling: Product-Lining, Variability Modeling and Beyond
We present a graphical and dynamic framework for binding and execution of
business) process models. It is tailored to integrate 1) ad hoc processes
modeled graphically, 2) third party services discovered in the (Inter)net, and
3) (dynamically) synthesized process chains that solve situation-specific
tasks, with the synthesis taking place not only at design time, but also at
runtime. Key to our approach is the introduction of type-safe stacked
second-order execution contexts that allow for higher-order process modeling.
Tamed by our underlying strict service-oriented notion of abstraction, this
approach is tailored also to be used by application experts with little
technical knowledge: users can select, modify, construct and then pass
(component) processes during process execution as if they were data. We
illustrate the impact and essence of our framework along a concrete, realistic
(business) process modeling scenario: the development of Springer's
browser-based Online Conference Service (OCS). The most advanced feature of our
new framework allows one to combine online synthesis with the integration of
the synthesized process into the running application. This ability leads to a
particularly flexible way of implementing self-adaption, and to a particularly
concise and powerful way of achieving variability not only at design time, but
also at runtime.Comment: In Proceedings Festschrift for Dave Schmidt, arXiv:1309.455
Design and implementation of a software agent platform applied in E-learning and course management
Text in English; Abstract: English and TurkishIncludes bibliographical references (leaves 86-89)xi, 115 leavesIn this thesis, we report an experience on constructing a software agent platform for development and implementation of software agent systems running with integrated e-learning and course management applications which are developed and running under different technologies. The proposed platform consists of an agent development framework namely JADE (Java Agent Development Environmet), a common database infrastructure serving to many different applications and the applications infrastructure running on different platforms. An example e-university application module which is an integrated course management software running on the proposed platform namely Course ON-LINE and an agent application running as an add-on utility to this application namely GAIA is explained in detail to demonstrate the use of the proposed application.Bu çalışmada farklı teknolojiler kullanılarak geliştirilen ve farklı platformlarda çalıştırılmakta olan ve tümleşik yapıdaki uzaktan eğtim ve ders yönetimi araçları uygulamalarla birlikte çalışabilecek yazılım etmen sistemlerinin geliştirilebilmesini sağlayan bir yazılım geliştirme ve çalıştırma ortamı inşa etme deneyimi aktarılmıştır. Önerilen ortam JADE (Java Agent Development Environmet), isimli bir etmen geliştirme aracı, etmen sistemleri dahil tüm uygulamaların ortak kullandıkları bir veritabanı altyapısı, ve farklı ortamlarda çalışan ve farklı teknolojilerle geliştirilmiş uygulamaların altyapısından oluşmaktadır. Önerilen ortamın kullanılışını göstermek için tümleşik ders web sayfaları yönetim aracı olan ve e-üniversite uygulamalarının bir parçası olan Course ON-LINE ve onunla birlikte çalışan bir yazılım etmeni uygulaması olan GAIA uygulamaları detaylıca sunulmuştur
The state of adoption and the challenges of systematic variability management in industry
Handling large-scale software variability is still a challenge for many organizations. After decades of research on variability management concepts, many industrial organizations have introduced techniques known from research, but still lament that pure textbook approaches are not applicable or efficient. For instance, software product line engineering—an approach to systematically develop portfolios of products—is difficult to adopt given the high upfront investments; and even when adopted, organizations are challenged by evolving their complex product lines. Consequently, the research community now mainly focuses on re-engineering and evolution techniques for product lines; yet, understanding the current state of adoption and the industrial challenges for organizations is necessary to conceive effective techniques. In this multiple-case study, we analyze the current adoption of variability management techniques in twelve medium- to large-scale industrial cases in domains such as automotive, aerospace or railway systems. We identify the current state of variability management, emphasizing the techniques and concepts they adopted. We elicit the needs and challenges expressed for these cases, triangulated with results from a literature review. We believe our results help to understand the current state of adoption and shed light on gaps to address in industrial practice.This work is supported by Vinnova Sweden, Fond Unique Interminist´eriel (FUI) France, and the Swedish Research Council.
Open access funding provided by University of Gothenbur
Microservice-based Reference Architecture for Semantics-aware Measurement Systems
Cloud technologies have become more important than ever with the rising need for scalable
and distributed software systems. A pattern that is used in many such systems is a
microservice-based architecture (MSA). MSAs have become a blueprint for many large
companies and big software systems. In many scientific fields like energy and environmental
informatics, efficient and scalable software systems with a primary focus on measurement
data are a core requirement. Nowadays, there are many ways to solve research questions
using data-driven approaches. Most of them have a need for large amounts of measurement
data and according metadata. However, many measurement systems still follow deprecated
guidelines such as monolithic architectures, classic relational database principles and are
missing semantic awareness and interpretation of data. These problems and the resulting
requirements are tackled by the introduction of a reference architecture with a focus on
measurement systems that utilizes the principles of microservices.
The thesis first presents the systematic design of the reference architecture by using the
principles of Domain-driven Design (DDD). This process ensures that the reference architecture
is defined in a modular and sustainable way in contrast to complex monolithic
software systems. An extensive scientific analysis leads to the core parts of the concept
consisting of the data management and semantics for measurement systems. Different data
services define a concept for managing measurement data, according meta data and master
data describing the business objects of the application implemented by using the reference
architecture. Further concepts allow the reference architecture to define a way for the system
to understand and interpret the data using semantic information. Lastly, the introduction of
a frontend framework for dashboard applications represents an example for visualizing the
data managed by the microservices
Conceptual modeling for the design of intelligent and emergent information systems
A key requirement to today's fast changing economic environment is the ability of organizations to adapt dynamically in an effective and efficient manner. Information and Communication Technologies play a crucially important role in addressing such adaptation requirements. The notion of `intelligent software' has emerged as a means by which enterprises can respond to changes in a reactive manner but also to explore, in a pro-active manner, possibilities for new business models. The development of such software systems demands analysis, design and implementation paradigms that recognize the need for ‘co-development’ of these systems with enterprise goals, processes and capabilities. The work presented in this paper is motivated by this need and to this end it proposes a paradigm that recognizes co-development as a knowledge-based activity. The proposed solution is based on a multi-perspective modeling approach that involves (i) modeling key aspects of the enterprise, (ii) reasoning about design choices and (iii) supporting strategic decision-making through simulations. The utility of the approach is demonstrated though a case study in the field of marketing for a start-up company
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