A Language-Action Approach to the Design of UML Models

The Language-Action Perspective provides a communicative view on the organization. In it an organization is characterized as a system of interacting agents. This view is helpful in understanding how the organization works and it can also contribute to the design of information systems in support of it. This design is often done in UML, a language that views an information system as a system of message-passing objects. We suggest an approach to support this design by mapping action models onto UML models

Modeling the Resource Perspective of Business Processes by UML Activity Diagram and Object Petri Net

Given that business processes are performed in an organizational context, it is essential that process modeling notations provide proper mechanisms to represent the resources perspective of business processes. After relating the resource perspective within a framework to other business process perspectives and discussing the lifecycle resource models undergo, this contribution introduces the UML 2.0 activity diagrams as well as object Petri nets regarding their approach to model the resource perspective of business processes. Afterwards, the application of the notations is illustrated by a real-life process of the health-care domain. The following comparison of the notations indicates the benefits and the limitations of both notations.

Enterprise modeling with the Joint Use of User Requirements Notation and UML

This chapter introduces the User Requirements Notation (URN) standardized formal methods and its joint use with Unified Modeling Language (UML) in enterprise modeling. It argues that the joint use of URN and UML can enhance enterprise models and co-evolve with enterprise engineering processes. URN combines goals and scenarios to help reasoning and to capture user requirements prior to detailed design. Furthermore, URN can be integrated partially or entirely into an existing business process modeling approach, without replace current ways of creating and analyzing models in order to be useful. Modelled in the UML, a URN model may be incorporated into the rest of a system’s UML design documentation, seamlessly linking the documentation for the requirements elicitation part of a project to the whole and an be fully integrated with the rest of the design documentation for a software system.

Modeling and Specification of Collaborative Business Processes with a MDS Approach and a UML Profile

This chapter describes the application of MDA (Model-Driven Architecture) and UML for the modeling and specification of collaborative business processes, with the purpose of enabling enterprises to establish Business-to-Business collaborations. The proposed MDA approach provides the components and techniques required for the development of collaborative processes, from their conceptual modeling to the specifications of these processes and the partners’ interfaces in a B2B standard. As part of this MDA approach, a UML Profile is provided, which extends the semantics of UML 2 to support the analysis and design of collaborative processes. This UML Profile is based on the use of interaction protocols to model collaborative processes. The application of this UML Profile in a case study is presented. Also, an overview is provided about the automatic generation of B2B specifications from conceptual models of collaborative processes. In particular, the generation of B2B specifications based on ebXML is described.

Merging and Outsourcing Information Systems with UML

Businesses can change their business structure by merging with other companies or, on the other end of the spectrum, by smoothly outsourcing some of their business processes to other more specialized parties. In this paper we will concentrate on conceptual modelling of merging and outsourcing information systems. Merging of a collection of information systems will be defined as the construction of a global information system that contains exactly the functionality of the original collection of systems. Such global information systems are called federated information systems, when we wish to address the situation where the component systems are so-called legacy systems; i.e. systems that are given beforehand and which are to interoperate in an integrated single framework in which the legacy systems are to maintain as much as possible their respective autonomy. Two major problems in constructing federated information systems concern achieving and maintaining consistency and a uniform representation of the data on the global level of the federation. The process of creation of uniform representations of data is known as data extraction, whereas data reconciliation is concerned with resolving data inconsistencies. Outsourcing of an information system, on the other hand, will be defined as the handing over of part of the functionality of the original system to an outside party (the supplier). Such functionality typically involves one or more operations, where each operation satisfies certain input- and output requirements. These requirements will be defined in terms of the ruling service level agreements (SLAs). We will provide a formal means to ensure that the outsourcing relationship between outsourcing party and supplier, determined by a SLA, satisfies specific correctness criteria. Formal specifications as offered in this paper can prove their value in the setup and evaluation of outsourcing contracts. We shall describe a uniform semantic framework for specification of both federated and outsourced information systems based on the UML/OCL data model. In particular, we will show that we can represent so-called exact views in UML/OCL, providing the means to capture the duality relation between federating and outsourcing.

Adaptation of the UML to Formalized Software Development Process Assessment and Modeling- Dedicated Metamodel and Case Study

This chapter introduces a conceptual metamodel which enables the assessment and semi-formal modeling of business processes in the domain of software engineering based on the UML metamodel. In addition to the definition of an appropriate process modeling method, a basis for performing empirical case stud-ies and structured process assessments is provided by defining and structuring the relevant process entities (artifacts, roles, tools), and process elements and their in-terdependencies on the metamodel level. Above all, some example models are presented which were developed by applying the introduced metamodel during an initial case study. The described metamodel allows the opportunity to create de-tailed organizational UML-based models which describe the relevant roles, work-flows, artifacts as well as the used tools and their interdependencies. Thus, it can facilitate a founded assessment, evaluation and re-engineering of organizational software development processes.

Using UML for Reference Modeling

Within the Information Systems field, information modeling is a vital instrument to develop information systems. However, the modeling process is often resource-consuming and faulty. As a way to overcome these failures and to improve and to accelerate the development of enterprise-specific models, the concept of reference modeling has been introduced. A reference model is a conceptual framework and may be used as a blueprint for information systems development. Yet little research has been undertaken on using Unified Modeling Language (UML) for reference modeling. In this paper, we analyze potentials and limitations of using UML for reference modeling. Our investigation is based on the framework for research on conceptual modeling proposed by Wand & Weber. The framework comprises four elements: reference modeling languages, reference modeling methods, reference models, and reference modeling context. Each framework element is discussed with respect to possible applications and limitations of UML for reference modeling. As well, we illustrate further research opportunities.

Using UML Notation for Modeling Business Interaction

Business modeling is concerned with asking questions and giving answers to these questions. In systems development different types of diagrams, notational rules, are used to document answers and to give inspiration to new questions. Popular notations used today are diagrams, such as use case diagrams and activity diagrams, within the Unified Modeling Language (UML). UML is claimed to be methodology-independent. Such a claim means that there is a need for theories to guide the analyst to direct attention towards desired aspects. This chapter deals with the issue of how business interaction and its support by information systems could be modeled by modeling techniques put forward in UML. A conceptual analysis has been performed, which reveals that it is possible and there is a need to use UML together with the proposed theories in order to arrive at an intentional and conscious design. The analysis has been structured around the concepts of action, actor and business process. The analysis shows that some basic foundations could be covered in the chosen diagrams, but that there is also a need to complement those diagrams with richer properties concerning all these concepts.

Enterprise Modeling with ODP and UML

RM-ODP is a standard defining a framework for the specification of large distributed systems that is based on solid foundations, and that defines five generic and complementary viewpoints for structuring the system specifications in order to deal with their inherent complexity. One of these viewpoints, the enterprise viewpoint, focuses on the purpose, scope and policies for the system and its environment. This viewpoint is independent from any computational and platform-specific concerns, and provides a well-defined approach to enterprise modelling. However, the fact that RM-ODP does not define any notation for describing its viewpoint languages has traditionally hampered its wide adoption by many industrial sectors. On the other hand, UML is a widely accepted notation for system specification, but lacks formal semantics and has limited structuring mechanisms for dealing with large and complex system specifications. In this paper we describe how ODP and UML can be combined for enterprise modelling, showing how enterprise viewpoint specifications can be written in UML to obtain the major benefits of both approaches. The work described here is part of an ISO/IEC and ITU-T initiative to define the use of UML for ODP system specifications.

Enterprise Architecture Modeling with the Unified Modeling Language

Organizations make extensive use of information systems to support planning, decision making, controlling and to leverage competitive advantage. Organizations are also complex entities that integrate contrasting concepts such as strategy, people, processes, technology and information. These concepts must be aligned towards the same purpose to ensure that the organization is able to evolve while maximizing the usage of its resources. However, misalignment issues often occur despite large investments on management, organizational and technological infrastructures. Misalignment also hinders change since it makes difficult understanding the organization and seamlessly communicating its concepts. This chapter describes the key concepts for modeling an organization’s enterprise architecture using the Unified Modeling Language. Enterprise architecture consists on defining and understanding the different elements that shape the organization and how these elements are inter-related with the purpose of understanding and facilitating organizational evolution and change. To achieve this goal, the chapter proposes an enterprise architecture model that separates core organizational concerns as different architectural views, allowing both the modeler and the model user to focus in isolation on Organizational, Business, Information, Application and Technological aspects.