A Multilevel Model of IT Platforms for the Needs of Enterprise IT Landscape Analyses

Conceptual modeling supports analyses of IT artifacts and the enterprise action system they are embedded in. However, in this paper it is argued that for IT landscape analyses existing modeling approaches fall short due to, among others, (a) problems with accounting for specifics of the IT domain, e.g., an elaborate technical terminology with various hierarchy levels, and (b) inadequate support for automated analyses within and across those different levels. In this paper, the authors discuss how a designed multilevel model of IT platforms created using the multilevel modeling language FMMLx can help overcome these problems. To this end, limitations of IT platform models created with conventional, two-level modeling languages are shown. Furthermore, benefits resulting from the application of the selected multilevel modeling language are discussed

Enterprise Modeling Support for SOA Migration

The migration to a Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) is a complex undertaking in terms of aligning business and IT concerns as well as analysis of technical aspects, such as identifying legacy systems in need of wrapping. Conceptual modeling can be particularly helpful for supporting SOA migration in terms of (1) bridging the gap between business and IT concerns, and (2) analyzing the as-is and to-be IT infrastructures. In this paper, based on the identified requirements, we extend a language for IT infrastructure modeling, called ITML. Using an extensively documented SOA migration scenario we show how extended ITML, in tandem with other languages from the MEMO language family, can be used for SOA migration analysis. Finally, we provide a scenario-based comparison between the extended ITML and ArchiMate

Business Functions Ontology and its Application in Semantic Business Process Modelling

Current business process modelling tools support neither restricting names nor using ontologies to describe process artefacts. This lack results in creating non-consistent process models which are difficult to understand, compare, evaluate and re-use, etc. Within this article we argue that the Business Functions Ontology (BFO) developed within the SUPER project may be effectively used while modelling processes as a mean for annotating them and thus help to avoid some of the above mentioned problems. We show the BFO structure as well as an example of its practical application within a tool for business process development

Leveraging the power of formal methods in the realm of enterprise modeling:On the example of extending the (meta) model verification possibilities of ADOxx with Alloy

peer reviewedVerification in the realm of enterprise modeling (EM) ensures both the consistency of EM language specifications (i.e., meta models and additional well-formedness constraints), as well as of enterprise models. The consistency of enterprise models, which integrate different perspectives on an enterprise, ensures that they contain the necessary, in line with domain-specific rules, information for carrying out a variety of model-driven enterprise analyses. Meta modeling platforms are instrumental in carrying out such verification, especially when multiple languages are applied in tandem, as is inherent to enterprise modeling. This paper reports on our practical experiences of using formal methods for verification in the context of EM. Motivated by the required verification capabilities, we show for one example platform, ADOxx, how it can be chained together with Alloy, an example of lightweight formal method, to capitalize on complementary platform strengths. Namely, ADOxx for language specification and use, and Alloy for verification capabilities. We show the verification, both, on the meta model level, in terms of checking the consistency of language specifications, and on the model level, in terms of checking models against well-formedness constraints. We illustrate the chaining of ADOxx and Alloy on the basis of consistency checks of two languages applied in tandem, namely the value modeling language e3value and the IT infrastructure modeling language, ITML. We also carry out experiments with three further languages to reflect upon the performance of Alloy, and its capability to uncover inconsistencies

Towards Cybersecurity by Design: A multi-level reference model for requirements-driven smart grid cybersecurity

This paper provides a first step towards a reference model for end-to-end cybersecurity by design in the electricity sector. The envisioned reference model relies, among others, on the integrated consideration of two currently fragmented, but complementary, reference models: NISTIR 7628 and powerLang. As an underlying language architecture of choice, we rely on multi-level modeling, specifically on the Flexible Meta Modeling and Execution Language (FMMLx), as multi-level modeling supports a natural integration across different abstraction levels inherent to reference models. This paper’s contributions are a result of one full consideration of Wieringa’s engineering cycle: for problem investigation, we describe the problems the reference model should address; for treatment design, we contribute the requirements the reference model should fulfill; for treatment implementation, we provide reference model’s fragments implemented in an integrated modeling and programming environment. Finally, for treatment evaluation, we perform expert interviews to check, among others, the artefact’s relevance and utility

'Laboratory investigations of diclofenac migration in saturated porous media - a case study

At present, concentrations of pharmaceuticals in surface and ground waters are low; however, even low concentrations of certain substances may prove very harmful. One of such pharmaceutical drugs is diclofenac, a popular non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID). For this reason, it is important to determine its mobility in groundwater and to estimate parameters of migration. Authors conducted column tests for two porous media: an artificial one, consisting of glass granules, and a natural one, i.e., sandur sand obtained from a site north of the city of Poznań (Poland). During the test, impulse breakthrough curves of chloride ions and diclofenac were recorded. The results were used to identify a specific sorption model and to determine values of migration parameters. Solutions of the inverse problem using optimisation methods and of equations of mathematical migration models were carried out in a MATLAB environment. Based on test results, the mobility of diclofenac is shown to be very high and comparable to that of chloride ions. The tests also revealed a slight and irreversible sorption of diclofenac on grains of both porous media

A Hierarchy of DSMLs in Support of Product Life-Cycle Assessment

To support understanding and analysis of sustainability related aspects in organizations (e.g., via an assessment of a product’s life-cycle from the cradle to the grave), various instruments, among others, in the field of conceptual modeling, have been proposed. Although existing tools and languages are, to some extent, indeed supporting the product Life-Cycle Assessment (LCA), our investigations show that a hierarchy of Domain-Specific Modeling Languages(DSMLs) is needed to satisfy advanced requirements. In this paper, as an innovation for the field of LCA, we propose an application of multi-level language architecture to design a hierarchy of DSMLs encompassing concepts for LCAs that can be detailed to specific industrial domains and local needs of enterprises. This enables a new generation of instruments allowing users to use and refine concepts, corresponding to their specific needs