Ralf-Detlef Kutsche

Model&Metamodel, Metadata and Document Repository for Software and Data Integration

Model-based software engineering (MBSE) projects require and generate numerous artifacts. While MBSE methodology and design tools have reached certain maturity level, the issue of artifact persistence and management has been somewhat left in the background. We present design and implementation of the repository that supports storing and managing of artifacts such as metamodels, models, constraints, metadata, specifications, transformation rules, code, templates, configuration or documentation, and their metadata.

Proving Inductive Theorems Based on Term Rewriting Systems

Sufficient criteria for an equation to be in the inductive theory of a term rewriting system are given. Inspecting only special critical pairs, we need not require the underlying system to be confluent, not even on ground terms. We are able to deal with equations which — if viewed as rules — are possibly not terminating if added to the given rewrite system; we have to restrict, however, their use in the induction process. Modular use of lemmata, already known inductive theorems, is incorporated into the results. As examples we treat natural number arithmetic, sorting lists of natural numbers, and sorting lists over arbitrary data structures.

Model-Centric Engineering with the Evolution and Validation Environment

Reuse is an important aspect of software engineering that promises advantages like faster time-to-market, cost reduction, better maintainability etc. The software industry focuses on components as commercials off-the-shelf in order to gain reusable assets. However, reuse on the design level usually is not addressed. If we come to perceive models as assets of the software process, then the design moves from the periphery of software engineering to the center. This implies several advantages, like an improved system’s overview and insight, because of greater abstraction and easier comprehension of the design concepts.

Guidance for domain specific modeling in small and medium enterprises

We observe that small and medium enterprises who wish to adopt domain specific modeling techniques do so under different preconditions and with different expectations. In our report, we categorize our observations made in 7 different industrial branches. Further, we present the current state of our solution to provide guidance to both ends of stakeholders involved in a DSM development lifecycle, domain experts and DSL designers. By supporting a DSL development process with semantic knowledge bases and metrics, our goal is to make a DSL development feasible and beneficial through the guidance provided by EXAMINE and within the DIESEL-Framework.

Metamodeling Foundation for Software and Data Integration

We propose a model-based methodology for integration of heterogeneous distributed systems, based on the multi-level modeling abstractions, automated conflict analysis and connector code generation. The focus in this paper is on the metamodeling foundation necessary for this process, and consequently we introduce computation independent, platform specific, platform independent and semantic metamodels, which generate a set of domain specific languages used to describe software and data integration scenarios.

Research and practice in federated information systems

EFIS 2000 was held at Dublin City University in June 2000. The principal aim of this third workshop was to bring together new insights from academic research with industry-driven developments and perspectives in the area of federated information systems. This report describes the observations of the workshop together with the outcome and future research possibilities.

Model-Based Interoperability of Heterogeneous Information Systems: An Industrial Case Study

Integration of heterogeneous and distributed IT-systems is one of the major cost-driving factors in the software industry. We introduce a model-based approach for information system integration and demonstrate it on the industrial case-study of data integration between the Oracle database management system and the SAP R/3 enterprise resource planning system. Particular focus is on multi-level modeling abstractions, integration conflict analysis (automatic data model matching), semantic reasoning, code generation and tool support.

Modeling and Analyzing Non-Functional Properties to Support Software Integration

Software integration is one of the major needs as well as cost driving factors in the software industry today. Still, very few established methodologies exist, especially those addressing integration with respect to non-functional properties. Industry studies show that disregarded and hidden non-functional incompatibilities between systems and their interfaces are the constant source of errors and costly workarounds. We introduce a model-based process that allows dynamic definition of non-functional properties in the context of software integration, present a NFP taxonomy, and propose a method for formal analysis of interface incompatibilities with respect to these properties.

(Meta-)Models, Tools and Infrastructures for Business Application Integration

In the context of the Berlin Brandenburg Business Process Integration and Evolution framework BIZYCLE, we are using modeling and metamodeling strategies in order to achieve a platform for the (semi) automatic integration of software components. Our general methodology is based on the principles of the MDA paradigm, distinguishing between platform specific (PSM), platform independent (PIM) and computation independent (CIM) models, and on the general philosophy of solving integration problems on higher levels of abstraction. The basic models and metamodels on CIM, PIM and PSM level, forming the pre-requisite for our further project work, are examined in this article.

Model-Based Software and Data Integration

This book includes selected papers of the First International Workshop on Model-Based Software and Data Integration 2008, held in Berlin, Germany, in April 2008 as a part of the Berlin Software Integration Week 2008. The 9 revised full papers presented together with 3 invited lectures were carefully reviewed and selected from numerous submissions. The papers are organized in topical sections on data integration, software architectures, services and migration, as well as on model-based and semantic approaches.