Classification as Evaluation

Ontology is the core component in Semantic Web applications. The employment of an ontology building method affects the quality of ontology and the applicability of ontology language. A weighted classification approach for ontology building guidelines is presented in this chapter. The evaluation criteria are based on an existing classification scheme of a semiotic framework for evaluating the quality of conceptual models. A sample of Web-based ontology building method guidelines is evaluated in general and experimented with using data from a case study in particular. Directions for further refinement of ontology building methods are discussed.

A Rigorous Framework for Model-Driven Development

The model-driven architecture (MDA) is an approach to model-centric software development. The concepts of models, metamodels, and model transformations are at the core of MDA. Model-driven development (MDD) distinguishes different kinds of models: the computation-independent model (CIM), the platform-independent model (PIM), and the platform-specific model (PSM). Model transformation is the process of converting one model into another model of the same system, preserving some kind of equivalence relation between them. One of the key concepts behind MDD is that models generated during software developments are represented using common metamodeling techniques. In this chapter, we analyze an integration of MDA metamodeling techniques with knowledge developed by the community of formal methods. We describe a rigorous framework that comprises the NEREUS metamodeling notation (open to many other formal languages), a system of transformation rules to bridge the gap between UML/OCL and NEREUS, the definition of MDA-based reusable components, and model/metamodeling transformations. In particular, we show how to integrate NEREUS withalgebraic languages using the Common Algebraic Specification Language (CASL). NEREUS focuses on interoperability of formal languages in MDD.

Reuse a Repository of Conceptual Schemas in a Large Scale Project

This chapter describes a methodology and a tool for the reuse of a repository of conceptual schemas. Large amounts of data are managed by organizations, with heterogeneous representations and meanings. Since data are a fundamental resource for organizations, a comprehensive and integrated view is needed for it. The concept of data repository fulfils these requirements, since it contains the description of all types of data produced, retrieved, and exchanged in an organization. Data descriptions should be organized in a repository to enable all the users of the information system to understand the meaning of data and the relationships among them. The methodology described in the chapter is applied in a project where an existing repository of conceptual schemas, representing information of interest for central public administration, is used in order to produce the corresponding repository of the administrations located in a region. Several heuristics are described and experiments are reported.

Indexing Regional Objects in High-Dimensional Spaces

Many spatial access methods, such as the R-tree, have been designed to support spatial search operators (e.g., overlap, containment, and enclosure) over both points and regional objects in multi-dimensional spaces. Unfortunately, contemporary spatial access methods are limited by many problems that significantly degrade the query performance in high-dimensional spaces. This chapter reviews the problems of contemporary spatial access methods in spaces with many dimensions and presents an efficient approach to building advanced spatial access methods that effectively attack these problems. It also discusses the importance of high-dimensional spatial access methods for the emerging database applications, such as location-based services.

Modeling Fuzzy Information in the IFO and Relational Data Model

Computer applications in non-traditional areas have put requirements on conceptual data modeling. Some conceptual data models, being the tool of design databases, have been proposed. However, information in real-world applications is often vague or ambiguous. Currently, less research has been done in modeling imprecision and uncertainty in conceptual data models and the design of databases with imprecision and uncertainty. In this chapter, a different level of fuzziness based on fuzzy set and possibility distribution theory will be introduced into the IFO data model and the corresponding graphical representations will be given. The IFO data model is then extended to a fuzzy IFO data model, denoted IF2O. In particular, we provide the approach to mapping an IF2O model to a fuzzy relational database schema.

The MAIS Approach to Web Service Design

This chapter presents a first attempt to realize a methodological framework supporting the most relevant phases of the design of a value-added service. A value-added service is defined as a functionality of an adaptive and multichannel information system obtained by composing services offered by different providers. The framework has been developed as part of the multichannel adaptive information systems (MAIS) project. The MAIS framework focuses on the following phases of service life cycle: requirements analysis, design, deployment, and run-time use and negotiation. In the first phase, the designer elicits, validates, and negotiates service requirements according to social and business goals. The design phase is in charge of modeling services with an enhanced version of UML, augmented with new features developed within the MAIS project. The deployment phase considers the network infrastructure and, in particular, provides an approach to implement and coordinate the execution of services from different providers. In the run-time use and negotiation phase, the MAIS methodology provides support to the optimal selection and quality renegotiation of services and to the dynamic evaluation of management costs. The chapter describes the MAIS methodological tools available for different phases of service life cycle and discusses the main guidelines driving the implementation of a service management architecture called reflective architecture that complies with the MAIS methodological approach.

An Analytical Evaluation of BPMN Using a Semiotic Quality Framework

Evaluation of modelling languages is important both to be able to select the most suitable languages according to the needs and to improve existing languages. In this chapter, business process modeling notation (BPMN) is presented and analytically evaluated according to the semiotic quality framework. BPMN is a functionally oriented language well suited for modeling within the domain of business processes, and probably general processes outside of the business domain. The evaluation indicates that BPMN is easily learned for simple use, and business process diagrams (BPDs) are relatively easy to understand. Tools can fairly easily map BPDs into the Web Services Business Process Execution Language (WS-BPEL) (formerly known as BPEL4WS) format, but executable systems then require creation of Web services representing the activities in BPDs. An evaluation according to the Bunge-Wand-Weber (BWW) ontology is useful for finding ontological discrepancies, and the semiotic framework is useful for evaluating quality on a relatively general level. Thus, these methods complement each other.

Adoptng Open Source Development Tools in a Commercial Production Environment

Many companies are using model-based techniques to offer a competitive advantage in an increasingly globalised systems development industry. Central to model-based development is the concept of models as the basis from which systems are generated, tested, and maintained. The availability of high-quality tools and the ability to adopt and adapt them to the company practice are important qualities. Model interchange between tools becomes a major issue. Without it, there is significantly reduced flexibility and a danger of tool lock-in. We explore the use of a standardised interchange format (XMI) for increasing flexibility in a company environment. We report on a case study in which a systems development company has explored the possibility of complementing its current proprietary tools with open-source products for supporting its model-based development activities. We found that problems still exist with interchange and that the technology needs to mature before industrial-strength model interchange becomes a reality.

Semantic Analytics in Intelligence

We describe an ontological approach for determining the relevance of documents based on the underlying concept of exploiting complex semantic relationships among real-world entities. This research builds upon semantic metadata extraction and annotation, practical domain-specific ontology creation, main-memory query processing, and the notion of semantic association. A prototype application illustrates the approach by supporting the identification of insider threats for document access. In this scenario, we describe how investigative assignments performed by intelligence analysts are captured into a context of investigation by including concepts andrelationships from the ontology. A relevance measure for documents is computed using semantic analytics techniques. Additionally, a graph-based visualization component allows exploration of potential document access beyond the ‘need to know’. We also discuss how a commercial product using Semantic Web technology, Semagix Freedom, is used for metadata extraction when designing and populating an ontology from heterogeneous sources.

A Concept-Based Query Language Not Using Proper Association Names

This chapter is focused on a concept-based query language that permits querying by means of application domain concepts only. The query language has features making it simple and transparent for end-users: a query signature represents an unordered set of application domain concepts; each query operation is completely defined by its result signature and nested operation’s signatures; join predicates are not to be specified in an explicit form, and the like. In addition, the chapter introduces constructions of closures and contexts as applied to the language which permits querying some indirectly associated concepts as if they are associated directly and adopting queries to users’ needs without rewriting. All the properties make query creation and reading simpler in comparison with other known query languages. The author believes that the proposed language opens new ways of solving tasks of semantic human-computer interaction and semantic data integration.