XML views, part III: An UML based design methodology for XML views

Object-Oriented (OO) conceptual models have the power in describing and modelling real-world data semantics and their inter-relationships in a form that is precise and comprehensible to users. Today UML has established itself as the language of choice for modelling complex enterprises information systems (EIS) using OO techniques. Conversely, the eXtensible Markup Language (XML) is fast emerging as the dominant standard for storing, describing and interchanging data among various enterprises systems and databases. With the introduction of XML Schema, which provides rich facilities for constraining and defining XML content, XML provides the ideal platform and the flexibility for capturing and representing complex enterprise data formats. Yet, UML provides insufficient modelling constructs for utilising XML schema based data description and constraints, while XML Schema lacks the ability to provide higher levels of abstraction (such as conceptual models) that are easily understood by humans. Therefore to enable efficient business application development of large-scale enterprise systems, we need UML like models with rich XML schema like semantics. To address such issue, in this paper, we proposed a generic, semantically rich view mechanism to conceptually model and design (using UML) XML domains to support data modelling of complex domains such as data warehousing and e-commerce systems. Our approach is based on UML and UML stereotypes to design and transform XML views

Conceptual design of an XML FACT repository for dispersed XML document warehouses and XML marts

Since the introduction of eXtensible Markup Language (XML), XML repositories have gained a foothold in many global (and government) organizations, where, e-Commerce and e-business models have maturated in handling daily transactional data among heterogeneous information systems in multi-data formats. Due to this, the amount of data available for enterprise decision-making process is increasing exponentially and are being stored and/or communicated in XML. This presents an interesting challenge to investigate models, frameworks and techniques for organizing and analyzing such voluminous, yet distributed XML documents for business intelligence in the form of XML warehouse repositories and XML marts. In this paper, we address such an issue, where we propose a view-driven approach for modelling and designing of a Global XML FACT (GxFACT) repository under the MDA initiatives. Here we propose the GxFACT using logically grouped, geographically dispersed, XML document warehouses and Document Marts in a global enterprise setting. To deal with organizations? evolving decision-making needs, we also provide three design strategies for building and managing of such GxFACT in the context of modelling of further hierarchical dimensions and/or global document warehouses

Semantic Modelling of e-Solutions Using a View Formalism with Conceptual and Logical Extensions

In industrial informatics, there exists a requirement to model and design views at a higher level of abstraction. Since the classical view definitions are only available at the query or instance level, modelling and maintaining such views for complex enterprise information systems (EIS) is a challenging task. Further, the introduction of semi-structured data (namely XML) and its rapid adaptation by the commercial and industrial systems increased the complexity for view design and specification. To address such and issue, in this paper we present; (a) a layered view model for XML, (b) a design methodology for such views and (c) some real-world industrial applications of the view model. The XML view formalism is defined at the conceptual level and the design methodology is based on the XML semantic (XSemantic) nets, a high-level object-oriented (OO) modelling language for XML domains

About Hierarchical XML Structures, Replacement of Relational Data Structures in Construction and Implementation of ERP Systems

The projects essential objective is to develop a new ERP system, of homogeneous nature, based on XML structures, as a possible replacement for classic ERP systems. The criteria that guide the objective definition are modularity, portability and Web connectivity. This objective is connected to a series of secondary objectives, considering that the technological approach will be filtered through the economic, social and legislative environment for a validation-by-context study. Statistics and cybernetics are to be used for simulation purposes. The homogeneous approach is meant to provide strong modularity and portability, in relation with the n-tier principles, but the main advantage of the model is its opening to the semantic Web, based on a Small enterprise ontology defined with XML-driven languages. Shockwave solutions will be used for implementing client-oriented hypermedia elements and an XML Gate will be de-fined between black box modules, for a clear separation with obvious advantages. Security and the XMLTP project will be an important issue for XML transfers due to the conflict between the open architecture of the Web, the readability of XML data and the privacy elements which have to be preserved within a business environment. The projects finality is oriented on small business but the semantic Web perspective and the surprising new conflict between hierarchical/network data structures and relational ones will certainly widen its scope. The proposed model is meant to fulfill the IT compatibility requirements of the European environment, defined as a knowledge society. The paper is a brief of the contributions of the team re-search at the project type A applied to CNCSIS "Research on the Role of XML in Building Extensible and Homogeneous ERP Systems".XML structures, database management system

Confidentiality of XML documents by pool encryption

The eXtensible Markup Language (XML) is a widely adopted format for documents containing structured information. Structured information contains both the content (words, images etc.) and the ‘markup’ which indicates the role of the content, e.g. ‘section’ or ‘price’. XML is the foundation for a huge variety of existing and emerging applications, including user applications like vector imaging formats, web pages, enterprise application integration, database interfaces or network protocols. Parallel to the increasing use of XML, the level of security provisions for these XML based systems rises. The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) addressed these issues by creating the “XML Signature Syntax and Processing” and “XML Encryption Syntax and Processing” recommendations. These standards define authentication, integrity and confidentiality mechanisms for XML documents. The XML Signature recommendation defines a method for digitally signing arbitrary portions (nodes) of an XML document. XML Signature can sign both tree structures and arbitrary sets of nodes of an XML document. The XML Encryption recommendation specifies a method for encrypting tree structures in an XML document. The XML Encryption recommendation is constrained to protect full tree structures, i.e. there is no mechanism to protect the confidentiality of a single node in a document without affecting the descendants of that node. The access control community transformed access control models originating in database systems to be available for XML based databases. These access control systems offer fine-grained access control enforcement on the node level, similar to the node level integrity protection of XML Signature. For example, XML Access Control systems can restrict the read access to a particular node in an XML tree while allowing access to its child nodes. This thesis is focused on the development of a cryptography based system which can protect the confidentiality of arbitrary nodes in an XML tree. This goal is reached by combining a tree addressing scheme of databases with cryptographic mechanisms. This system is called “XML Pool Encryption”. To verify the results of this thesis, XML Pool Encryption has been implemented using the Java programming language.Die eXtensible Markup Language (XML) ist ein weit verbreitetes Format für Dokumente, die strukturierte Information enthalten. Strukturierte Information umfasst sowohl den eigentlichen Inhalt (z.B. Wörter, Bilder, etc.) sowie Auszeichnungsinformation, um die Rolle der Inhalte zu umschreiben, z.B. “Überschrift” oder “Preis”. XML bildet die Grundlage für eine große Anzahl existierender und im Entstehen begriffener Anwendungen, wie z.B. Vektorgrafik-Formate, Web Seiten, Enterprise Application Integration Systeme, Datenbank Schnittstellen oder Netzwerkprotokolle. Parallel zur steigenden Verbreitung von XML werden immer mehr Vorkehrungen zum Schutz der auf XML basierenden Systeme notwendig. Das World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) hat sich dieser Notwendigkeit angenommen, indem die “XML Signature Syntax and Processing” und die “XML Encryption Syntax and Processing” Empfehlungen verabschiedet wurden. Diese Standards definieren Mechanismen für Authentisierung, Integrität und Vertraulichkeit von XML Dokumenten. Die XML Signature Recommendation definiert einen Mechanismus, um beliebige Teile eines XML Dokumentes (Nodes) digital zu signieren. XML Signature kann sowohl Baumstrukturen als auch beliebig geformte Knotenmengen eines XML Baumes schützen. Die XML Encryption Recommendation definiert einen Mechanismus für das Verschlüsseln von Baumstrukturen innerhalb eines XML Dokumentes. W3C XML Encryption ist hierbei auf die Verschlüsselung kompletter Baumstrukturen beschränkt, d.h. es existiert keine Möglichkeit, die Vertraulichkeit für einzelne Knoten im Dokument zu gewährleisten, ohne dass die Kinder dieser Knoten ebenfalls geschützt werden. Für die Zugriffskontrolle von XML basierten Daten wurden Zugriffsschutzmodelle aus dem Datenbankbereich überarbeitet. Diese Systeme bieten die Durchsetzung fein granularer Zugriffskontrolle auf Knotenebene, ähnlich dem Integritätsschutz beliebiger Knoten bei XML Signature. So ist es beispielsweise möglich, den Lesezugriff auf einen Knoten zu verweigern, während die Kinder dieses Knotens weiterhin lesbar bleiben. Im Mittelpunkt dieser Arbeit steht die Entwicklung eines auf kryptografischen Verfahren basierenden Systems, welches die Vertraulichkeit für beliebige Knoten eines XML Baumes gewährleistet. Dieses Ziel wurde durch die Kombination eines Schemas für die Adressierung von Baumstrukturen mit kryptografischen Verfahren erreicht. Dieses System wird “XML Pool Encryption” genannt. Zur Überprüfung der Resultate dieser Arbeit wurde XML Pool Encryption in Java implementiert

Vacation system

The purpose of this project was to explore the use of Web services to solve enterprise computing problems. XML-based Web services allow complex information systems to be subdivided. In order to explore this architectural paradigm, two systems were built: an employee records sytem, and a vacation system

Engineering XML solutions using views

In industrial informatics, engineering data intensive Enterprise Information Systems (EIS) is a challenging task without abstraction and partitioning. Further, the introduction of semi-structured data (namely XML) and its rapid adaptation by the commercial and industrial systems increased the complexity for data engineering. Conversely, the introduction of OMG's MDA presents an interesting paradigm for EIS and system modelling, where a system is designed at a higher level of abstraction. This presents an interesting problem to investigate data engineering XML solutions under the MDA initiatives, where, models and framework requires higher level of abstraction. In this paper we investigate a view model that can provide layered design methodology for modelling data intensive XML solutions for EIS paradigm, with sufficient level of abstraction

Using XSLT transformations for CMIS eXtent

Today, the XML language is the standard data exchange format in Internet or Intranet environments and is accepted by the all higher level Frameworks. One frequently use case is when the applications communicate with each other or need to integrate the information from different heterogeneous data sources. When we consider the applications from an enterprise level, the ECM Systems are the frameworks that can meet the business needs of the today modern organizations and that can manage all the unstructured electronic information. CMIS is a XML standard that can assure interoperability between these ECM Systems. Recently, a new extension of this standard was proposed, aiming to bring the native XML databases into the same collaboration scenario. In this paper we will try to enlarge this proposal by adding a custom transformation module that will help the developers to integrate more easily new XML documents as new custom CMIS documents query able from CMIS Interface