Process and Data Logic Integration: Logical Links between UML Use Case Narratives and ER Diagrams

We propose a methodology for providing clear and consistent integration of the process and data logic in the analysis stage of information systems’ development lifecycle. While our proposed approach is applicable across a variety of data and process modeling schemas, in this paper we discuss it in the context of UML use cases for process modeling and ER diagrams for data modeling. We illustrate our approach through an example of modeling an execution of a retail transaction. In our example we integrate a step-by-step processmodel and the corresponding data model at the attribute level detail. We discuss the potential benefits of this approach by illustrating how this methodology, by providing a critical link between process and data models, can result in better conceptual testing early in the analysis process, ensuring better semantic quality of both process and data models

Space Station Mission Planning System (MPS) development study. Volume 2

The process and existing software used for Spacelab payload mission planning were studied. A complete baseline definition of the Spacelab payload mission planning process was established, along with a definition of existing software capabilities for potential extrapolation to the Space Station. This information was used as a basis for defining system requirements to support Space Station mission planning. The Space Station mission planning concept was reviewed for the purpose of identifying areas where artificial intelligence concepts might offer substantially improved capability. Three specific artificial intelligence concepts were to be investigated for applicability: natural language interfaces; expert systems; and automatic programming. The advantages and disadvantages of interfacing an artificial intelligence language with existing FORTRAN programs or of converting totally to a new programming language were identified

An object-oriented approach towards enhancing logical connectivity in a distributed database environment

Thesis (M.S.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sloan School of Management, 1988.Includes bibliographical references.by David Collins Horton III.M.S

Integrating supplier designed components into a semi-automated product development environment

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sloan School of Management; and, Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, 1998.Includes bibliographical references (p. 100).by Jared Alden Judson.S.M

A METHODOLOGY FOR DEVELOPMENT OF DOMAIN SPECIFIC SIMULATION APPLICATIONS AND ENVIRONMENTS

In the modeling and simulation (M&S) arena, simulation developers have been exploring the concepts that facilitate modeling real world elements using appropriate simulation artifacts within the context of the domain of the application. However, there are some critical issues that distort their effectiveness and efficiency. The first issue is the quantity and quality of assumptions and constraints made during the M&S development, concerning the completeness of simulation models to represent reality. The second issue is the levels of model composability and simulation interoperability, affecting the possibility of data exchange and reusability. The third issue is development of an effective simulation-based environment such that the implementation of the concepts effectively implemented. Thus, this research study aims to develop a methodology that addresses these issues to improve the development of simulation models and the creation of simulation modeling environments particular to specific domains. Conceptual simulation modeling (CSM), model transformation, and domain specific simulation environment (DSSE) create the foundations for this methodology to bridge the gap between reality and simulation

Configuration and Change Maturity Optimization - The Case of Complex Engineering Environments

Im derzeitigen globalen Wettbewerbsmarkt, in dem Unternehmen durch die Bereitstellung anspruchsvoller, aber kundenorientierter Lösungen einen höheren Marktanteil erreichen, ist das Management und der Schutz von Produktinformationen über verschiedene Phasen seines Lebenszyklus (von der Erfassung der Kundenanforderungen bis hin zum Prototyping und Start) von bedeutende Bedeutung. Die Disziplin, die Sicherheit für das Produktinformationsmanagement bietet, ist das Konfigurationsmanagement und erfordert je nach Umfang und Komplexität der Anwendungsumgebung mehrere Aktivitäten und Maßnahmen, die ordnungsgemäß implementiert werden müssen. Diese Arbeit zielt darauf ab, einen Optimierungsrahmen für die Industrie zur Verfügung zu stellen, um ihre Kompetenz in dieser Disziplin zu bewerten und ihre Prozesse zu stärken und somit einen Wettbewerbsvorteil unter ihren Konkurrenten zu erlangen. Dieses Ziel wurde erreicht, indem zuerst die kritischen Erfolgsfaktoren des Configuration Managements identifiziert und ein Reifegrad-Modell entwickelt wurde, das die Basisreife von Organisationen im Hinblick auf ihre Konfigurationsmanagementbemühungen bewertet und einen Fahrplan für weitere Verbesserungen liefert. Das entwickelte Reifegradmodell wurde dann durch eine branchenübergreifende Bewertung validiert und die Ergebnisse legten die Grundlage für die Identifizierung des aktuellen Reifegrads in verschiedenen Branchen, Möglichkeiten zur Verbesserung der Verwendbarkeit des Reifegradmodells für Evaluierungszwecke sowie die möglichen Forschungsmöglichkeiten für Lösungen die Verbesserungen in den Prozessfähigkeiten der Disziplin bieten. Das Hauptpotenzial für die weitere Entwicklung des Modells wurde Durch das Fehlen quantitativer Schlüsselleistungsindikatoren (KPIs) identifiziert, und es wurde durch Identifizierung relevanter KPIs, die eine quantitative Messung der Reife von Organisationen ermöglichen, adressiert. Gleichzeitig wurde eine Möglichkeit zur Konzeption eines Entscheidungshilfesystems für den Prozess des Änderungsprozesses identifiziert, das historische Kenntnisse früherer Konfigurationsänderungen nutzen kann, um die Entscheidungsträger bei der Analyse ihrer Auswirkungen durch die Einbeziehung mehrerer Variablen zu unterstützen

Integração da Cloud com rede na perspectiva de operador

Mestrado em Engenharia Electrónica e TelecomunicaçõesCloud Computing (CC) tem sido nos últimos tempos um tema bastante mediático no mundo da tecnologia, sendo claras as suas potencialidades tanto em termos económicos como em ciência de recursos. Apesar destas valências, a adopção massiva deste paradigma está ainda condicionada por aspectos relacionados com interoperabilidade, segurança e Quality of Service (QoS). _E no sentido de colmatar estas condicionantes que surge o conceito de Cloud Networking, que consiste na integração das características de CC na rede. Actualmente a infraestrutura de rede _e baseada em tecnologias que foram desenhadas há muitos anos, numa altura em que o contexto e as necessidades do mundo das comunicações eram completamente distintas das necessidades actuais. Este fenómeno tem sido bastante abordado e referido como a ossificação da rede. Esta infra-estrutura é, actualmente, incapaz de dar resposta _as necessidades do CC, características como a dinâmica e flexibilidade não se reflectem na rede. No entanto, a rede e CC não podem ser dissociados, pois _e esta que estabelece uma ponte e permite o acesso a estes recursos por parte dos utilizadores influenciando negativamente o seu uso. No futuro, a virtualização de redes directamente na infra-estrutura dos operadores de rede irá permitir que os utilizadores interajam e utilizem recursos de rede de uma forma similar ao que fazem com os recursos de CC. O problema _e que esta tecnologia ainda está numa fase embrionária e ainda demorara algum tempo até que se torne uma realidade. Se a longo prazo a virtualização de rede deve ser vista como um objectivo a atingir, a curto prazo deverá ser feito um esforço no sentido de trazer algumas das qualidades referidas para as tecnologias de implementação de redes privadas já difundidas entre os operadores de rede. Actualmente as Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) são o mecanismo mais utilizado pelos utilizadores para integrar os recursos de CC com a sua própria infra-estrutura. No entanto, existem limitações porque esta integração _e processada de uma forma estática em escalas de tempo muito superiores aos de CC e na maioria das vezes obrigando os utilizadores a ter que interagir com uma diversidade de operadores. O objectivo principal desta Dissertação _e desenvolver um protótipo que valide o conceito de Cloud Networking utilizando interfaces e protocolos bem definidos, como _e o caso da Open Cloud Networking Interface (OCNI) e Open Cloud Computing Interface (OCCI). Este protótipo ir_a ser capaz de fornecer um serviço integrado de recursos de rede e CC em que o utilizador só irá ter que interagir com um único fornecedor. Isto obriga a que uma linha de comunicação seja estabelecida entre diferentes operadores para uma rápida e automática integração dos dois domínios. Nesta dissertação irão ser apresentados e estudados interfaces e protocolos que facilitem a interoperabilidade entre operadores com vista a sua implementação num protótipo. No domínio da rede irão ser desenvolvidas ferramentas que permitam o aprovisionamento de recursos com vista a integração de CC com a rede do operador. Irá também ser desenvolvido um orquestrador que permita a um utilizador, através de um único pedido, criar uma infra-estrutura que integre recursos de cloud e rede. Posteriormente irão ser efetuados testes de desempenho da instanciação de um serviço integrado de CC com a rede. Ainda no âmbito desta dissertação irá ser estudada uma plataforma de virtualização de rede na qual irão ser feitos testes de trafego sobre a mesma com vista _a sua integração no protótipo

Integrating military unmanned aircraft into the national airspace system : an application of value-focused thinking and enterprise architecting

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, System Design and Management Program, 2008.Includes bibliographical references (p. 309-318).The research presented in this thesis presents a methodology compatible with the Department of Defense (DoD) Capability-Based Assessment (CBA) process for analyzing and recommending appropriate enterprise architectures for the challenge of integrating Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) in the national airspace system (NAS). Thesis organization is sub-divided into four sections. Section I provides the introduction, context, and recent efforts of the UAS airspace integration challenge and the underlying motivations driving the increased desire to see UAS better integrated into the NAS. Section II details the methodology used in the analysis by extending various value-focused, lean enterprise constructs using rigorous object process methodology (OPM) to describe and build alternative enterprise architectures. Section III applies the methodology to the UAS airspace integration problem specifically with the development and selection of a preferred enterprise architecture and a recommended transformation plan. Section IV concludes with a discussion on extending the methodology for specific application back into the CBA process, the issues involved in creating an executable model for enterprise architecting, and final thoughts on the iterative nature of the methodology and the need to further refine the initial results with the UAS airspace integration enterprise decision makers.by Luke C. G. Cropsey.S.M

Describing, assessing and embedding flexibility in system architectures with application to wireless terrestrial networks and handset processors

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, System Design & Management Program, June 2004."January 2004."Includes bibliographical references (p. 165-168).This thesis presents a framework that can be used to identify the flexibility attributes and determine the value of embedding flexibility in system architectures, from the context of network based wireless applications and wireless handset processors Flexibility is first defined and the three dimensions of flexibility - performance, capacity and functionality are explored. This analysis is used to formulate a general model of the dimensions of flexibility. The analysis to determine the value of embedding flexibility is then done using the example of a flexible handset processor. The Black-Scholes model and the Binomial model are presented as methods for computing the economics of financial options. These methods are then applied to computing the value of flexibility options. In order to determine the value of the underlying asset, which is one of the terms needed for the valuation of flexibility, two approaches are presented: conjoint analysis and concept engineering. The bounds of time to expiation are explored. The cost of embedding flexibility is then assessed. Finally, a few methods are proposed for determining the optimal flexibility design vector and implementing a portfolio of real option based flexibility strategy.by Prithviraj Banerjee.S.M