the athena interoperability framework...

1I-ESA 2007 Conference, 30 March 2007, Madeira Island, Portugal

Interoperability for Enterprise Software and Applications (I-ESA 2007)

30 March 2007, Madeira Island, Portugal

Arne-Jørgen Berre1, Brian Elvesæter1, Nicolas Figay2, Claudia Guglielmina3, Svein G. Johnsen1, Dag Karlsen4, Thomas Knothe5 and Sonia Lippe6

The ATHENA Interoperability Framework (AIF)

1 SINTEF ICT, Oslo, Norway, {arne.j.berre, brian.elvesater, svein.g.johnsen}@sintef.no2 EADS CCR, Suresnes, France, [email protected] TXT e-Solutions, Genova, Italy, [email protected] AKM, Lysaker, Norway, [email protected] FhG IPK, Berlin, Germany, [email protected] SAP Research, Brisbane, Australia, [email protected]


Presentation outline

● ATHENA Interoperability Framework (AIF)● Conceptual integration● Applicative integration● Technical integration

● ATHENA Interoperability Profiles● Application of AIF● Evaluation, conclusions and future work


ATHENA Interoperability Framework (AIF)


ATHENA Interoperability Framework (AIF)

Conceptual integration

- Reference architecture- Concepts- Models and metamodels- Languages

Technical integration

- Modelling tools- Execution environments

Applicativeintegration

- Methodologies- Use cases- Reference examples

Sources and usage of the AIF

integratesresearchresults ofATHENA

integrates prototypesfor a givenprofile

integrates experience from prototypes and technology testing

used for technology testing based on profiles

used for further identification of research requirements

used for transfer of knowledge regarding application of integration technologies


AIF success criteria (research and development)● Holistic, generic, configurable and extensible solution approach

to interoperability.

● By holistic we mean that the framework should capture and inter-relate information from many perspectives covering business, knowledge, technical (ICT) and semantic issues relevant to interoperability.

● By generic we mean that the framework should be applicable and usable in numerous user scenarios having different interoperability requirements.

● By configurable we mean that the framework should allow to be customised to specific application domains and industry sectors.

● By extensible we mean that the framework should define guidelines and to include new perspectives according to different business and/or stakeholder concerns.

● Instantiation of the framework with research results from ATHENA.

● By instantiation we mean to successfully integrate results from the three research areas enterprise modelling, architectures and platforms, and ontology of ATHENA.


Specification and development of the AIF

Foundation

• IDEAS InteroperabilityFramework

• IEEE Std. 1471

ATHENAInteroperabilityFramework (AIF)

• Conceptual integration• Applicative integration• Technical integration

ATHENASolution Space

• Action Line A1-A8• Action Line B3, B4 and B5

Objectives

1. Holistic, generic,configurable andextensible solutionapproach tointeroperability

2. Instantiation of theframework with researchresults from ATHENA.

ATHENA Use Cases

• Aeronautics andaerospace sector

• Automotive sector• Furniture sector• Telecom sector

Achieves

App

licat

ion

Inpu

t

Principles

ATHENAInteroperabilityProfiles (AIPs)

• (N)CPD profile• e-Procurement profile• PPM profile• SCM profile

Def

ines

Validation of AIFvia pilot experience


AIF – Conceptual integration


ATHENA Interoperability Reference Architecture

Enterprise/Business

Processes

Services

Information/Data

Cross-OrganisationalBusiness Processes

Collaborative EnterpriseModelling

Flexible Execution and Composition of Services

InformationInteroperability

Mod

el-D

riven

Inte

rope

rabi

lity

Sem

antic

s an

d O

ntol

ogie

s

Enterprise/Business

Processes

Services

Information/Data

Provided Required


Conceptual integration


Interoperability reference architectureEnterprise/Business

Processes

Services

Information/Data





Mod

el-D

riven

Inte

rope

rabi

lity

Sem

antic

s an

d O

ntol

ogie

s

Enterprise/Business

Processes

Services

Information/Data

Provided Required


AIF – Applicative integration


ATHENA Interoperability Methodology (AIM)

Definition

Phases

Analysis Negotiation Realisation Operation Termination

Def. #1 Analyis. #1 Neg. #1 Real. #1 Real. #2 Oper. #1 Term. #1

Iterations

Support disciplines

Interoperability disciplines

Project management

Business collaboration modelling

Testing

Implementation

Interoperability maturity analysis

Deployment and assessment

Analysis and requirements

Solution mapping and design


Baseline methodology

EIMM

Interoperabilityanalysis

Requirementssolutionmapping

Test definition

Implementation

Testing

IIAM

Implicit strategicbusiness

needs Optimizedco-operation

model

Interoperabilitymaturity and

modelling approach

Requirements related to

business needs

Solution blueprint(generic solutions)

Solution instance(actual solutions)

Testprocedure

Solutionimplementation

ROI(impact)

Methodology overview(V-model view)

Formalized interoperability business needs

BIF


Requirements – solutions mapping

Interoperability Issues

B4

ATHENA Generic Solution

A4

Specific Solutions

Ax Projects

Specific Requirements

B4

Mapping through filtering based oncontext elements

C

BD

Contextelements

Annotation by the same context

elements

A


ATHENA Knowledge Base (implemented in Protégé)


ATHENA Interoperability Methodology (summary)Definition

Phases



Iterations

Support disciplines


Project management


Testing

Implementation





EIMM



Test definition

Implementation

Testing

IIAM



model


modelling approach


business needs



Testprocedure


ROI(impact)



BIF

Interoperability Issues

B4

ATHENA Generic Solution

A4

Specific Solutions

Ax Projects

Specific Requirements

B4

Mapping through filtering based oncontext elements

C

BD

Contextelements

Annotation by the same context

elements

A

ATHENA Knowledge Base(implemented in Protégé)

Tool support


AIF – Technical integration


Technical architecture – ServicesEnterprise/Business

Processes

Services

Information/Data





Mod

el-D

riven

Inte

rope

rabi

lity

Sem

antic

s an

d O

ntol

ogie

s

Enterprise/Business

Processes

Services

Information/Data

Provided Required


Example configuration and implementation

MPCE

ServiceCompositionand Execution

Data Access andTransformation

Collaborative Product Design and Development

Enterprise/Business

Processes

Services

Information/Data

Knowledge ModelRepository

Enterprise/Business

Processes

Services

Information/DataXML Messages

Business ProcessModels

WSDL

BPEL

POP*

ConceptualView

“Requirements”

ConceptualView

“Requirements”

Model-GeneratedWorkplace

Model-GeneratedWorkplace

FunctionalView

“BoM”

FunctionalView

“BoM”

Context View“Ramp Up”

Context View“Ramp Up”

Context View“Qualification”Context View“Qualification”


ATHOS

Ontology

A*

Annotations

ReconciliationRules

THEMIS

ARGOS

ARES

Messages/Services

(Johnson)

SOA Modelling andTransformations

BPELExecution

Engine

PIM4SOA

ServiceConfiguration

(Johnson)

XML Schemas

AgentExecution

Framework

CBP Execution(Nehemiah)

Service Access(Gabriel)

CBP Definitions(Maestro

Service Enabling(Gabriel)


ATHENA Interoperability Profiles (AIPs)


Interoperability profileTemplate for ATHENA Interoperability Profile (AIP)

SolutionsInteroperability issues

Use cases(scenarios)

Standard

ATHENA

External

Use case #nUse case #1

ATHENA

Standard

External

Issue #1

Issue #n

An interoperability profile means a collection of ATHENA solutions that work together to solve a set of meaningful interoperability problems (interoperability issues).


Development of interoperability profiles

ATHENA Knowledge Base(implemented in Protégé)

Tool support

Template for ATHENA Interoperability Profile (AIP)



Standard

ATHENA

External


ATHENA

Standard

External

Issue #1

Issue #n


ATHENA Interoperability Profiles (AIPs)ATHENA Interoperability Profile for CPD (Automotive sector)

Solutions

ATHENA Cross-organisational Business ProcessModelling and Enactment

ATHENA Model Exchange and Management

Interoperability issues


Standard

ATHENA

External

POP*Metis MO2GO

Maestro

BRMF

Gabriel JohnsonNehemiah

Data FormatInteroperability

Strategic Sourcing Virtual & Physical Testing

ProcessInteroperability

Distributed inconsistent data

Applications focus ontransactions,

not on business processes

MPCE

Business Processes "hard-coded" in applications

PSI Action Plan

OrangeCATnet

ATHENA Interoperability Profile for NCPD (Aerospace sector)

Solutions

Collaborative Service-oriented Execution Platform

ATHENA Cross-organisational Business Process Enactment

NCPD Modellingand Governance

Semantic Mediation



Standard

ATHENA

External

Liferay

JBOSS

ActiveBPEL


Eclipse

ArgoUML

Business and ICT Decoupling

Networked Collaborative Product Development

Workflow Interconnection

CollaborationOn the Web

Product Data Exchange, Sharing and Retention

PDM coupling

Shark

Maestro

AndroMDA JaweActiveBPEL

DRD KB

OpenLDAP

XSLT Processor

AndroMDA

STEP Mapper

ManufacturingStandards

XPDI Server of Reference

ATHENA Interoperability Profile for e-Procurement (Furniture sector)

Solutions

e-ProcurementmodellingGRAI Tools

SemanticMediation



Standard

ATHENA

External

Confusion resulting from poor product

descriptions

Electronic procurement

Missing information,both from supplier

and buyer

Lag. Time from productorder to delivery could

be shorter

Repetitive manual processfor regular bulk orders

Time spent rating supplier

ARGOSA*

ARES

Conformance Test

ATHENACross-

organisationalBusiness

ProcessEnactment

Gabriel

Johnson

Nehemiah

EXP2XSD

EXP2SCH

EXP2XMI

Maestro

ATHOS

EXP2PIM4SOA2WSDL

ATHENA Interoperability Profile for PPM (Telecom sector)



Standard

ATHENA

External

Enterprise description andknowledge management

(Near) real-time aggregated views

of key business information

Ability of integrated applications through a single point of entry.

Automatic generation of workplaces

MetisMO2GO Grai

Modelling Suite

MPCEPOP*Model Management and Sharing

iKnow

ADARESSIS

ECC5

NETWEAVER

MGWP TIP Services for Web services

TIPPA

Model-generatedWorkplaces

Test Driver

Johnson (+Lyndon)

WSDL

Product Portfolio Management

ATHENA Interoperability Profile for NCPD (Aerospace sector)

Solutions

Collaborative Service-oriented Execution Platform

ATHENA Cross-organisational Business Process Enactment

NCPD Modellingand Governance

Semantic Mediation



Standard

ATHENA

External

Liferay

JBOSS

ActiveBPEL


Eclipse

ArgoUML

Business and ICT Decoupling

Networked Collaborative Product Development

Workflow Interconnection

CollaborationOn the Web

Product Data Exchange, Sharing and Retention

PDM coupling

Shark

Maestro

AndroMDA JaweActiveBPEL

DRD KB

OpenLDAP

XSLT Processor

AndroMDA

STEP Mapper

ManufacturingStandards

XPDI Server of Reference


Application of the AIF


Inventory Visibility and Interoperability (IV&I) pilot at AIAG (Automotive Industry Action Group)

… to model based views required for specification and implementation

Specification andImplementation Assistant

Data Types Requirements

OEMSupplierMaterial Flow

Information Flow

From fragmented disjoined specifications …


Objectives for application

● Completeness: Identification of all critical items to be covered into the model

● Time: Duration for determining the right modelling approach

● Adaptability: What's happen when the entry point and contingencies are not quite clear


Scope of the application

EIMM



Test definition

Implementation

Testing

IIAM



model


modelling approach


business needs



Testprocedure


ROI(impact)



BIF


BIF profile – To be - Approach

Starting Information Base about the IV&I Business Objectives

Identify BIF ProfileCategory Sub Category 5

(fully interope

rable)

4 (qualifie

d)

3 (modera

te)

2 (minimum

)

1 (none)

Management of external

relationships

Cooperation (management) process

Risk & conflict management

Cooperation contract

Collaborative Business Processes

Public Process

Process visibility

Business semantics (business documents)

Business semantics (master data)

Employees & Culture

Partnership management

Trust

Social capital

Information Systems

Interaction type

Cooperation architecture

Security & Privacy


EIMM integrated into the Establishment Methodology

Enterprise MaturityCurrent & Future

Business Scope of Modelling Task

ModellingParameter

Model Quality

Assessment according to the Enterprise Interoperability Maturity Model

(EIMM)

Enterprise Model(Execution and continuous improvement

of enterprise model supported collaboration processes)

Deducing the Modelling Approach

&the Methodology

BIF Profile


Approach – Perform Functional Analysis based on AIF Railroad and required Interoperability Functions

DRDS Knowledge BaseInteroperability Functions

MO2GO

Data

Services

Business

Construction of Cross-Organisational Business Processes

Enterprise Modelling in the context of Collaborative Enterprises


Data Transformation

MD

D

Sem

antic

Processes

Data

Services

Processes

Business

Interoperability Reference Architecture

Business Needs and Requirements

AIAG Scenario

List of generic functions


Context elements modelled in Protégé – Business needs and Generic solutions are annotated with these classes


Mapping Solution - Summary

Generic solution Specific solution

1. Assessment BIF, EIMM

2. Model creation MO²GO tool

3. Model enrichment MO²GO tool

4. Common views creation Process Assistant application

5. Horizontal model transformation

Model exchange POP*, IEM to POP*, ARIS to POP* , GRAI to POP*


Evaluation, conclusion and future work


Evaluation of success criteriaSuccess Criteria Evaluation results

Holistic approach to interoperability

• Meet successfully the criteria to provide a holistic approach to deal with interoperability problems

• Allows the expression of business needs on all of its levels: business, processes, application and services

• The majority of ATHENA tools address at least one dimension of the framework

Generic approach to interoperability

• The genericity of the approach is difficult to be judged within ATHENA programme

• The validation on our pilot scenarios shows that AIF is considered as generic enough to be used outside ATHENA in other scenarios

Configurable approach to interoperability

• Validation as part of future work within new research efforts and/or EIC activities.

Extensible approach to interoperability

• Validation as part of future work within new research efforts and/or EIC activities.

Instantiation of AIF with research results from ATHENA

• AIF was used by 7 scenarios, six of which were instantiation into pilots

• The instantiations of AIF in the ATHENA scenarios and pilots indicated successful cases where individual ATHENA solutions were integrated to provide a solution to a complex interoperability issues

• Other cases highlight situation in which the integration was difficult


Claimed results and major contributions

● ATHENA Interoperability Reference Architecture

● Specification of the ATHENA Interoperability Framework

● ATHENA Interoperability Methodology (AIM)

● ATHENA Interoperability Profiles and Dynamic Requirement Definition

● Interoperability Project Support Suite

● Process-based Interoperability Infrastructure

● Product-based Interoperability Infrastructure

Definition

Phases



Iterations

Support disciplines


Project management


Testing

Implementation





Enterprise/Business

Processes

Services

Information/Data





Mod

el-D

riven

Inte

rope

rabi

lity

Sem

antic

s an

d O

ntol

ogie

s

Enterprise/Business

Processes

Services

Information/Data

Provided Required

Enterprise Modelling Tool Web Browser

Modeling tool interface

Repository

Collaboration space portal

Task Mngmt

Web Service Plugin

Model Generated Workplace

View Mngmt

Role Mngmt

Enterprise Modelling Tool Web Browser

Modeling tool interface

Repository

Collaboration space portal

Task Mngmt

Web Service Plugin

Model Generated Workplace

View Mngmt

Role Mngmt


Future work

● Towards an operational solution on the

Web

● Definition and implementation of

interoperability service utilities (ISUs)

● Refinement of interoperability profiles

● Input to the development of the European

Interoperability Framework (EIF)

Template for ATHENA Interoperability Profile (AIP)



Standard

ATHENA

External


ATHENA

Standard

External

Issue #1

Issue #n


Thank you

the athena interoperability framework...

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