INTEROP deliverable DTG 6.2 : Method repository

This deliverable presents the INTEROP method chunks repository (MCR), its architecture and provided services. It includes the definition of a reusable method chunk, its structure, illustrated with examples of method chunks stored in the repository and guidelines for method chunks definition and characterisation covering tasks TG6.2 and TG6.3 of the work plan of the task group. The main result is the definition of the structure of the method chunk repository emphasizing the link to interoperability. Interoperability is a first-class concept in the structure of the method chunk repository. It not only characterizes method chunks, i.e. procedures to solve interoperability problems, but also interoperability cases, i.e. the presentation of actual problems involving interoperability issues. TG 6 has produced three MCR prototypes. Two experiments were undertaken using the Metis system and one using ConceptBase. The task group attended a two-day intense workshop on Metis. As a result, two experiments with Metis as platform for the method chunk repository are under way and reported in this deliverable. One is realizing the structure of the MCR as specified in this report. The other is an alternative approach that serves as a benchmark and is reported in the appendix. The ConceptBase prototype utilizes the metamodel presented in this deliverable. We have analysed three cases involving various aspects of interoperability. One case is about establishing a broker platform for insurance agents, the second about linking the information systems in the public utility sector, and the third case is establishing the relation of the ATHENA Model-Driven Interoperability Framework to the goals of the MCR. The results of the TG6 have been published at the ISD conference 2006 and the ER conference 2006. Copies of the papers are included in the appendix. The report of the example session with the method chunk repository has been shifted towards deliverable TG6.3 (Tutorial of the MCR). This is the more logical place. We want to emphasize that TG6 was not only busy in drafting concepts, exploring the state of the art, and analyzing cases. We are actually experimenting with a prototype and consider this a valuable contribution to the network. As soon as the prototype is stable, knowledge about interoperability solutions can be coded in this repository and can guide designers of interoperable systems by experience knowledge

Modelling and linking company data in the EubusinessGraph platform

In the business environment, knowledge of company data is essential for a variety of tasks. The European funded project euBusinessGraph enables the establishment of a company data platform where data providers and consumers can publish and access company data. The core of the platform is the semantic data model that is the conceptual representation of company data in a common way so that it is easier to share and interlink company data. In this paper we show how the unified model and Grafterizer, a tool for manipulating and transforming raw data into Linked Data, support the linking challenge proposed in FEIII 2019. Results show that geographical enrichment of RDF data supports the interlinking process between company entities in different datasets

INTEROP deliverable DTG 6.3 : tutorial on situational method engineering for interoperability

This deliverable summarises the achievements of the TG6 in the form of tutorial entitled Situational Method Engineering for Interoperability. The tutorial starts with the introduction to situational method engineering and the motivation how this method engineering discipline could support enterprise systems interoperability projects. It includes the definition of a method chunk, the template for method chunks construction and examples of method chunks. Then, the notion of a method chunk repository (MCR) is defined and motivated. The main objective of such a repository is to support capitalisation and reuse of the methodological knowledge related to the interoperability domain. This knowledge can be extracted from existing methods and technique or captured from best practices and experience in realising various interoperability projects. Besides method chunks, the MCR also aims to capture knowledge about the application of these chunks in different projects and the evaluation of their fitness to these projects. The MCR became even more interesting if it is integrated into a collaborative method engineering tool (meta-case tool). In this tutorial we design the architecture of such a tool. We specify the actors interacting with the MCR and the services to be provided by the tool. Finally, the interoperability classification framework is proposed as an indexation mechanism to be used with the MCR. This framework aims to support method chunks characterisation in order to link method chunks to the interoperability problems they address. It also supports situation assessment of an application case (project) in order to identify the interoperability problems that occur in this case. Finally, this framework is a basis for the matching mechanism between the case situation and the method chunks. The last results of the TG6 have been published in the proceedings I-ESA’07. This paper has won the Best Paper Award; a copy is included in the appendix

INTEROP deliverable DTG 6.3 : tutorial on situational method engineering for interoperability

This deliverable summarises the achievements of the TG6 in the form of tutorial entitled Situational Method Engineering for Interoperability. The tutorial starts with the introduction to situational method engineering and the motivation how this method engineering discipline could support enterprise systems interoperability projects. It includes the definition of a method chunk, the template for method chunks construction and examples of method chunks. Then, the notion of a method chunk repository (MCR) is defined and motivated. The main objective of such a repository is to support capitalisation and reuse of the methodological knowledge related to the interoperability domain. This knowledge can be extracted from existing methods and technique or captured from best practices and experience in realising various interoperability projects. Besides method chunks, the MCR also aims to capture knowledge about the application of these chunks in different projects and the evaluation of their fitness to these projects. The MCR became even more interesting if it is integrated into a collaborative method engineering tool (meta-case tool). In this tutorial we design the architecture of such a tool. We specify the actors interacting with the MCR and the services to be provided by the tool. Finally, the interoperability classification framework is proposed as an indexation mechanism to be used with the MCR. This framework aims to support method chunks characterisation in order to link method chunks to the interoperability problems they address. It also supports situation assessment of an application case (project) in order to identify the interoperability problems that occur in this case. Finally, this framework is a basis for the matching mechanism between the case situation and the method chunks. The last results of the TG6 have been published in the proceedings I-ESA’07. This paper has won the Best Paper Award; a copy is included in the appendix

The ATHENA Interoperability Framework

International audienceIn this paper we present results from the ATHENA Integrated Project in defining the ATHENA Interoperability Framework (AIF) for enterprise applications and software systems. The AIF provides a compound framework and associated reference architecture for capturing the research elements and solutions to interoperability issues that address the problem in a holistic way. The AIF also provides an associated methodological framework which describes the approach towards interoperability from the decision to evaluate collaboration until solution maintenance, and the reference guidelines for the adoption of the reference architecture

INTEROP deliverable DTG 6.1 : state of the art: Exploration of methods and method engineering approaches

The main objective of this deliverable is to provide material for the requirements analysis for a method chunk repository. The work has been carried out within INTEROP Task Group 6 starting at the Valencia work shop in May 2005 until the Bologna workshop in October 2005. The deliverable focuses on the state of the art analysis, the concepts and the collaboration platform on which we plan to build the rest of our work to develop, manage, apply and use method chunks and to analyse the impact on key interoperability issues. We strive to reuse available knowledge and results and associate our efforts to the ATHENA project. IT solutions provided by new technologies, give rise to development and sharing of reusable method chunks. By a method chunk we mean an autonomous and coherent part of a method supporting the realisation of some specific system development or management activity Method chunks and reference models can become visual models in digital form to support user interactive adaptation, extension, use, management and maintenance of other models, knowledge and data. By utilising new technology it is our aim to provide a flexible and useful method chunk repository. Method chunks can be used to package a variety of solutions as reusable, adaptable services and software components. In this context we find that a repository solution can be used to address a set of interoperability issues which have been identified to have relevance to both industry and research. We describe how a method chunk repository can be organised and populated to provide concrete support in dealing with interoperability in practice. We have identified a set of interoperability issues from the ontology, enterprise modelling and architecture & platform domains of INTEROP. In order to provide a better scoping of problems, these have been complemented by a set of interoperability issues concerning business management, process management, knowledge management, information management, software management and data management. The deliverable is a living document which reflects the work plan of Task Group 6. The parts which are completed so far concern the definition of method chunk, concepts and terms, a method chunk meta-model the initial analysis of method chunks, and interoperability issues to be considered in developing the method chunk repository. This content provides the foundation for the requirements on the method chunk repository

INTEROP deliverable DTG 6.2 : Method repository

This deliverable presents the INTEROP method chunks repository (MCR), its architecture and provided services. It includes the definition of a reusable method chunk, its structure, illustrated with examples of method chunks stored in the repository and guidelines for method chunks definition and characterisation covering tasks TG6.2 and TG6.3 of the work plan of the task group. The main result is the definition of the structure of the method chunk repository emphasizing the link to interoperability. Interoperability is a first-class concept in the structure of the method chunk repository. It not only characterizes method chunks, i.e. procedures to solve interoperability problems, but also interoperability cases, i.e. the presentation of actual problems involving interoperability issues. TG 6 has produced three MCR prototypes. Two experiments were undertaken using the Metis system and one using ConceptBase. The task group attended a two-day intense workshop on Metis. As a result, two experiments with Metis as platform for the method chunk repository are under way and reported in this deliverable. One is realizing the structure of the MCR as specified in this report. The other is an alternative approach that serves as a benchmark and is reported in the appendix. The ConceptBase prototype utilizes the metamodel presented in this deliverable. We have analysed three cases involving various aspects of interoperability. One case is about establishing a broker platform for insurance agents, the second about linking the information systems in the public utility sector, and the third case is establishing the relation of the ATHENA Model-Driven Interoperability Framework to the goals of the MCR. The results of the TG6 have been published at the ISD conference 2006 and the ER conference 2006. Copies of the papers are included in the appendix. The report of the example session with the method chunk repository has been shifted towards deliverable TG6.3 (Tutorial of the MCR). This is the more logical place. We want to emphasize that TG6 was not only busy in drafting concepts, exploring the state of the art, and analyzing cases. We are actually experimenting with a prototype and consider this a valuable contribution to the network. As soon as the prototype is stable, knowledge about interoperability solutions can be coded in this repository and can guide designers of interoperable systems by experience knowledge