Implementation -- Service -- Effect: The ISE Metamodel of Critical Infrastructures

Abstract

The ISE (Implementation - Service - Effect) metamodel is a general modelling framework for systems of critical infrastructures taking the various viewpoints from different sectors and professions into account. While not neglecting the technical basis, it provides the necessary abstractions needed for risk or emergency management of critical infrastructures in a complex environment. ISE supports an iterative modelling approach that allows ongoing refinement steps based on the analysis of the current model. This iterative approach is able to minimise some of the existing problems commonly found in critical infrastructure modelling and simulation. By focusing on the services provided by critical infrastructures it is possible to bridge the gap between the business view and the engineering view on critical infrastructures. The technical realisation of services is described in the implementation layer; the effects of the successful or unsuccessful delivery of services are described using the effect layer. A sound mathematical foundation provides the basis for all kinds of analysis starting with topological analysis of the dependency structures up to statistical analysis of results obtained by the simulation of complex agent-based models