Marie-Noëlle Terrasse

On the definition of generic multi-layered ontologies for urban applications

Cooperation of information systems is essential for providing decision support for urban management applications. This involves sharing data across collections of the heterogeneous information systems that are used to manage large urban infrastructures. The objective of this work is to define a spatial ontology to describe key features of urban applications, providing a foundation for semantic reconciliation among heterogeneous spatial information sources. We propose a multi-layered ontologies definition framework consisting of ontology layers which are composed of a generic functional structure and one or more domain ontologies. The functional structure embodies general ontological concepts described as abstract data types. The domain ontologies are created by specializing the properties and constraints of the functional structure. Inter-ontology relationships are defined to integrate information across functional ontological layers and used to query multiple domain ontologies.

A Metamodeling Approach to Evolution

With the increasing complexity of systems being modeled, analysis & design move towards more and more abstract methodologies. Most of them rely on metamodeling tools that employ multi-view models and the four-layer metamodeling architecture. Our idea is to use the metamodeling approach to classify and to constraint the possible evolutions of an information system with the effect to improve both detection of evolution conflicts and disciplined reuse. Within the domain of UML metamodeling, a refinement of the metamodel-level classification is proposed that includes bases for defining a metric of the evolution (in terms of distance between metamodels).

Objekt Clustering Methods and a Query Decomposition Strategy for Distributed Objekt-Based Information Systems

Emerging developments and advances in distributed processing have created a need for tools and methods to partition and distribute information systems across interconnected processors. In particular, distribution approaches which take into account the key characteristics of OO concepts are required to extend traditional fragmentation results to object oriented database systems. To fulfill the above requirements, we propose a methodology for the distribution design of object-based information systems. The underlying approach consists of techniques and heuristics that can be used to create clusters of inter-related object classes that can be fragmented interdependently, producing distribution units called tree-fragments. We define a corresponding tree-fragment based approach to query decomposition and execution. Several method activation flow metrics are used to support allocation of tree-fragments to network sites.

Metamodelling architectures for complex data integration in systems biology

Systems biology aims at deciphering the functioning of biological systems on the basis of the knowledge of their molecular components and the relations between such components. To address the issues involved, high-throughput technologies are used. Taking advantage of the standards that are being currently developed to achieve consensual representations of technological domains, we present a metamodelling architecture based on these standards. The proposed architecture organises standard-specific metamodels and models into a single hierarchy. Each metamodel describes a consensus that is shared by several models of applications. A metamodel construct for description of faceted element is proposed together with this architecture.

Organizing metadata into models and ontologies for lowering annotation costs of a biological image database

In this chapter we present the initial phase towards lowering annotation costs in a specialized image database application. The proposed coupling of model-based description with a domain-specific ontology allows to use metadata during the annotation process. This makes creating annotations feasible even for domain technicians while guaranteeing consistency of annotations from an expert’s point of view.

UML-Based Metamodeling for Information System Engineering and Evolution

In modelers’ practice metamodels have become the core of UML-based metamodeling environments: metamodels form the basis of application domain descriptions, and they are instantiated into models. In the context of information system engineering and interoperability, we have developped two operations on metamodels: metamodel integration and measure of semantical distance between metamodels. In this paper, we explore application of these operations to information systems’ evolution.

Development Platforms as a Niche for Software Companies in Open Source Software

As long as information systems do not become overly large and while they address a well-known domain, they can be controlled by engineering staff. Nevertheless, when dealing with large-scale, complex, or innovative information systems, it can be difficult to separate design issues and to formulate a meaningful information system proposal. In such a context, platforms for software engineering appear to be a promising approach. In this paper, we propose to view development platforms as a major opportunity for Open Source Software and Open Formats.

A CBIR-framework: using both syntactical and semantical information for image description

Content-based image retrieval systems can use classification or indexing based on syntactical and/or semantic features of images. We aim at providing a framework, which can be instantiated for each specific application: a framework, which combines syntactical and semantic information for image description. We believe that a model, which integrates syntactical and semantic descriptions, together with its similarity measure between images, is the core of such a framework. In this paper, we propose an integrated model with two example applications on which expressiveness of our model have been tested.

A UML-based metamodeling architecture for database design

We use metamodeling for object oriented database design and management. First, in the context of the UML based metamodeling, we provide an overview of what is achievable, e.g., more exhaustive descriptions of classes (their behaviors and their dependencies), validation of external schemas of a database, as well as determination of requirements for software tools to enhance system security. Second, we propose an extension, using our specific metamodeling architecture, for management of federated databases.

FRAGTIQUE: an OO distribution design methodology

We present an OO distribution design methodology based on a ponderated graph called Class Dependency Graph (CDG) which captures structural relationships and query usage frequencies of an OO database. We characterize and select a set of methods for which parallel execution can be optimized. These methods determine the partitioning strategy and are used to partition the CDG into a set of partition trees representing a group of co-referenced classes which must be partitioned together. We define clustering strategy and flow measures which are used: to evaluate the quality of the fragmentation process; and as a metric for the allocation pre-treatment which is based on a distance strings algorithm.