Chin-Bin Wang

Development of an access control model, system architecture and approaches for resource sharing in virtual enterprise

Secure information sharing is one of key factors for success of virtual enterprise (VE). The study identifies the characteristics of a VE and analyzes the requirements of a VE access control. A Virtual Enterprise Access Control (VEAC) model is proposed to handle resource management and sharing across each participating enterprise, which consists of a Project-based Access Control (PBAC) sub-model to manage public resources and a Role-based Access Control (RBAC) sub-model to manage private resources. The architecture of a VEAC model-based system is developed and consists of three core mechanisms including the Virtual Enterprise Access Control Center (VEACC), Security Gatekeeper (SG) and Global Certificate Authority Center (GCAC). Based on the system architecture, the study proposes certificate authentication, user authority and access control approaches to identify users identity on-line, update and search user authority lists, and access private and public resources. The results of this study will facilitate more secure resource sharing, and overcome cooperation barrier from trust among participating enterprises in VE.

Design of a Meta Model for integrating enterprise systems

In the rapidly changing environment of the knowledge economy, an enterprise must respond to potential future changes when developing and implementing enterprise systems, which must be thus flexible and integrateable. The paper presents a method for integrating distributed Relational Database Management Systems (RDBMS) with the backend of enterprise systems developed by various software vendors. This method, with a Meta Model as the core integration technology, will enable enterprise systems to meet the demands of system integration, and to achieve, based on XML document standards, information integration. The method of integration is sufficiently flexible and expandable to integrate existing enterprises systems as well as systems that may be introduced into enterprises in the future. The study, which takes an on-line purchase system for electronic commerce as an example of the use of the proposed Meta Model, addresses the integration of enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems to achieve enterprise resources sharing, shorten purchase time and lower operation cost.

A Formal Virtual Enterprise Access Control Model

A virtual enterprise (VE) refers to a cooperative alliance of legally independent enterprises, institutions, or single persons that collaborate with each other by sharing business processes and resources across enterprises in order to raise enterprise competitiveness and reduce production costs. Successful VEs require complete information transparency and suitable resource sharing among coworkers across enterprises. Hence, this investigation proposes a formal flexible integration solution, named the formal VE access control (VEAC) model, based on the role-based AC model, to integrate and share distributed resources owned by VE members. The formal VEAC model comprises a fundamental VEAC model, a project AC policy (PACP) language model, and a model construction methodology. The fundamental VEAC model manages VE resources and the resources of participating enterprises, in which various project relationships are presented to facilitate different degrees of resource sharing across projects and enterprise boundaries, and cooperative modes among VE roles are presented to enable collaboration among coworkers in a VE. This PACP language model features object-subject-action-condition AC policies that jointly determine user access authorizations. In addition, the methodology supplies a systematic method to identify fundamental elements of the VEAC model and to establish assignments between elements and relations.

Methodology and system framework for knowledge management in allied concurrent engineering

Engineering processes are recognized as one of the most knowledge-intensive business processes. Allied concurrent engineering is a distributed and collaborative engineering process, in which individuals from different disciplines and enterprises cooperate to design a product and to develop related processes through remote coordination, communication and control. The key to the success of allied concurrent engineering is believed to be full understanding and effective sharing of product and process knowledge throughout the development cycle. This study presents a systematic approach to developing a methodology and a system framework for knowledge management to support allied concurrent engineering. The approach presented in this study comprises four phases: (1) allied concurrent engineering characterization, (2) knowledge identification, analysis and modelling, (3) KM strategy and methodology development, and (4) system development. The methodology consists of a rationale behind the methodology, a life cycle model for knowledge management, and a distributed knowledge management framework. The proposed methodology serves as a basis for designing a knowledge management system framework using component technology. Besides providing knowledge management and sharing functions, the system meets the hierarchical, distributed, flexible and dynamic-configurable characteristics of allied concurrent engineering.

Knowledge Refinement for Engineering Knowledge Management

Engineering design is a knowledge-intensive process, including conceptual design, detailed design, engineering analysis, assembly design, process design, and performance evaluation. Each of these tasks involves various aspects of knowledge and experience. They are the most valuable sources for capitalizing enterprise knowledge and know-how on building enterprise memory, which may become part of enterprise assets. Therefore, capturing and representing product design information, design intents, and underlining design knowledge for later reuse is the basis of and one of the key tasks in engineering knowledge management. This study develops an approach for engineering knowledge refinement to facilitate engineering knowledge management. This approach is basically a refinement process that includes the steps of knowledge capture, knowledge representation and storage, and knowledge compilation. This study involves the development of a semantic graph for describing product-related information, design intent and know-how, a tag-based scheme for representing various types of captured product information and engineering knowledge, a case-based representation for a designed entity, and the design of a knowledge compilation model and algorithm. The objective of this study can be achieved by performing the following tasks: (i) developing an engineering knowledge management framework, (ii) establishing an engineering knowledge refinement process, (iii) developing levels of knowledge representation schemes, and(iv) implementing engineering knowledge refinement mechanisms.

Application of ART neural network to development of technology for functional feature-based reference design retrieval

Engineering design is a knowledge intensive process. The execution of each task in the process requires various aspects of knowledge and experience. Therefore, organizing, storing and retrieving product design information, design intents and underlining design knowledge is one of the most important tasks in engineering knowledge management. This study develops a novel scheme for functional feature-based reference design retrieval using adaptive resonance theory (ART1) neural network to provide engineering designers with easy access to relevant design and other knowledge. This retrieval process includes the steps of functional feature-based query, case searching, and case ranking. The technology involves a binary code-based representation for functional features, ART1 neural network for functional feature-based case clustering, functional feature-based case similarity ranking, and a case-based representation for designed entities. The objective of this study can be achieved by performing the following tasks: (i) designing a functional feature-based reference design retrieval process, (ii) developing a functional feature representation, (iii) investigating ART1 neural network, (iv) implementing a functional feature-based reference design retrieval mechanism, and (v) experimenting with functional feature-based case clustering.

Integrated Clustering Approach to Developing Technology for Functional Feature and Engineering Specification-based Reference Design Retrieval

Engineering design is a complex activity, and is heavily reliant on the know-how of engineering designers. Hence, capturing, storing, and reusing design information, design intent, and underlining design knowledge to support design activities is a key issue in engineering knowledge management. To meet the demand for engineering designers regarding functional feature and engineering specification-based knowledge resources, this study proposes a novel scheme for functional feature and engineering specification-based reference design retrieval using an integrated clustering approach for providing engineering designers with easy access to relevant reference design and associated knowledge. The research objectives can be achieved by performing the following five tasks: (i) designing a functional feature and engineering specificationbased reference design retrieval process, (ii) developing a functional feature and engineering specification representation, (iii) investigating and integrating ART1 (adaptive resonance theory 1) neural network, GA (genetic algorithm), and fuzzy ART (fuzzy adaptive resonance theory) clustering techniques, and (iv) implementing a functional feature and engineering specification-based reference design retrieval mechanism and experimenting with an example. The retrieval process involves three steps: functional feature and engineering specification-based query, similar design case search and retrieval, and similar design case ranking. The techniques involved include: (i) a binary code-based representation for functional feature and an EXPRESS language-based representation for engineering specification, (ii) ART1 neural network and genetic algorithm for functional feature-based similar design case clustering, (iii) fuzzy ART for engineering specification-based similar design case clustering, (iv) similarity calculation for ranking similar design cases, and (v) a case-based representation for designed entities.

Flexible authorisation in dynamic e-business environments using an organisation structure-based access control model

In dynamic e-business and e-manufacturing environments, enterprises require a secure access control mechanism based on an access control model to manage employee authorisations flexibly. This study presents an organisation structure-based access control (OSAC) model based on a task-role-based access control (T-RBAC) model. The OSAC model emphasises that employee authorisations are generated directly based on their position in the enterprise organisational structure. The proposed model extends the concepts of static separation of duty (SSD), dynamic separation of duty (DSD), prerequisite, and cardinality constraints in the role-based access control (RBAC) model to present department and role relations that identify the cooperative interactive relations among roles across department boundaries to facilitate resource sharing among roles and simplify enterprise resource management. Various relations and applied examples are demonstrated using the class model in unified modelling language (UML). Examples of inappropriate use of relations that lead to violation of relation are also presented. To demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed model for most businesses, a case study involving an automobile component producer is presented and an OSAC model-based administrative management system is developed to ensure that appropriate resources can be legally used by the correct employees and at the right time. By applying the proposed model, administrators can easily manage resources based on an organisational structure perspective and the resource sharing capabilities of all departments can be improved.

An efficient broadcast scheme for wireless data schedule under a new data affinity model

Data schedule in broadcasting is playing a more importance role due to increasing demand for large client popularity and vast amount of information. For system with multipoint queries, data records which queried by same query are broadcasted contiguously to reduce the average access time. Several techniques have been used in clustering data by defining the affinity between them. The data affinity function defined was mainly aiming at minimizing the linear Query Distance. However, our work showing that in order to minimize the average access time, the objective function shall be in quadratic form. We propose a MinimumGap algorithm(MG) which merge relevant segments base on this new affinity function. Through extensive experiments, the results show not only the querys access time can be reduced by using this new affinity function, by using a dummy segment to speed our algorithm, the scheme we proposed have significant saving on both time complexity and memory space complexity.

Design and implementation of a cooperative enterprise selection mechanism for allied concurrent engineering environment

Allied concurrent engineering (ACE), which combines the concepts of virtual enterprise (VE) and concurrent engineering (CE), is a highly promising business strategy for enterprises in facing global competition. ACE is designed to integrate the activities, resources, information, and organization of enterprises via enterprise alliances, thus minimizing cost, increasing competitiveness, and achieving rapid response to customer expectations. However, success of ACE depends on effective and close cooperation among allied enterprises. Selecting cooperative partners in the context of ACE thus becomes pivotal in enhancing the efficiency of ACE. This study designs and implements a cooperative enterprise selection mechanism for ACE environment. In designing this mechanism, the model and evaluation indicators for selecting cooperative enterprises for ACE are first established. Subsequently, the evaluation indicators with fuzzy semantics are quantified as the weight value via FAHP (Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process) and made into a hierarchical structure. The TOPSIS (Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution) technique is then applied to evaluate suitable cooperative enterprises, ultimately select the best cooperative enterprise and consequently increase the cooperation effectiveness of allied enterprises. Finally, an illustrative example is presented and the system is implemented to demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed approach.