enterprise interoperability basic concepts, definitions and approaches david chen ims-laps...
TRANSCRIPT
Enterprise Interoperability
Basic Concepts, Definitions and Approaches
David Chen
IMS-LAPSUniversity Bordeaux 1FRANCE
Various views on interoperability
The ambiguous definition of interoperability
User’s expectations
IT provider’sconcepts
Society view of interoperability
DreameBusiness
eGouvERP/CRM/SCM
Collaborative work
Seamlessinteractions
Methodology
Networkedenterprise
Service OrientedArchitecture
Agent technology
XML/ebXML
Middleware
Integration
Standards
Interoperability – general view
Oxford: ‘able to operate in conjunction’.
Webster: “ability of a system to use the parts of another system”
Generally, “Inter-operate” implies that one system performs an operation on behalf of (or for) another system.
Interoperability - IEEE Definition
Ability for two (or more) systems or components to exchange information and to use the information that has been exchanged
IEEE standard computer glossaries (1990)
Interoperability – software view
Two co-operating software can easily work together without a particular interfacing effort.
It also means establishing communication and sharing information and services between software applications regardless of hardware platforms.
In other words, it describes whether or not two software that were developed with different tools and from different vendors can work together.
Interoperability vs. portability
the ease with which a system, component, data, or user can be transferred from one hardware or software environment to another.
a quality metric that can be used to measure the effort to transport or convert the software for use in another environment
The concept of interoperability is closely related to the concept of portability. TOGAF defined the portability as:
Portability is the ability of data or system to be moved, and interoperability is the ability of software or systems to understand and use information coming from other software or systems.
Interoperability vs. interchangeability
Interoperable ≠ interchangeable
Interchangeable
=> replace a system or component to provide a same service with an equivalent behaviors (ex. response time)
Interoperable
=> simply ability to exchange service without necessity to have the same behaviors.
Interoperability – system view
Reversibility: Even if the implementation of the interoperability between partners leads to an adaptation or a modification of the systems, these systems have to be able to come back to their initial state at the end of the interoperation
E1 E2 E1 E2 E1 E2
Initial state Interoperability Initial state
Interoperability vs. integration
INTEGRATION INTEROPERABILITY
Consistency between local and global objectives
Do not seek for consistency
Tightly coupled
Two parts are inter-dependent
loosely coupled
Two parts are independent
Decrease differences (languages, methods, tools,...)
Identity and diversity preserved
Intra-enterprise
(Merge, restructuration, etc.)
Inter-enterprise
(Networked enterprise,…)
Interoperability ≠ collaboration
Interoperability=> has no direct business mission / goal=> does not directly solve any business problem
Two interoperable enterprises may not have any collaboration project
Two enterprises in collaboration may have serious interoperability problems
Interoperability vs. collaboration
Enterprise
a unit of economic organization or activity; especially : a business organization (Merriam-Webster dictionary)
The entire organization, including all of its subsidiaries. It implies a large corporation but may also refer to a company of any size with many systems and users to manage.
The terms "enterprise“, "company“, "corporation" and “firm" are used synonymously.
Enterprise interoperability
Ability of interaction between enterprises (or part of it). The enterprise interoperability is achieved if the interaction can, at least, take place at the three levels: data, application and business process with the semantics defined in a business context
Business
Knowledge
ICT Systems
Sem
antic
sBusiness
Knowledge
ICT Systems
Sem
antics
Enterprise A Enterprise B
Business
Knowledge
ICT Systems
Sem
antic
sBusiness
Knowledge
ICT Systems
Sem
antics
Enterprise A Enterprise B
IDEAS Project
Enterprise interoperability
Hypothesis of the research: - Enterprise systems are not interoperable because of barriers to interoperability
- Barriers are incompatibilities of various kinds at the various enterprise levels
- There exist common barriers to interoperability and generic solutions to remove barriers
Enterprise interoperability
Three main issues:
Interoperability concerns=> the part of an enterprise involved in
interoperation
Interoperability barriers=> the types of obstacles which prevent
interoperability to happen
Interoperability approaches=> the fundamental ways through which barriers
are removed
Interoperability concerns
Data interoperability
Service interoperability
Business interoperability
Process interoperability
Enterprise # 1 Enterprise # 2
Interoperability concerns
Enterprise A Enterprise B
Data
Services
Processes
Business
Data
Services
Processes
Business
Data
Services
Processes
Business
internalcommunication
externalcommunication
Athena‘s View
Interoperability of data
Make work together different data models (hierarchical, relational, etc.) and of the different query languages.
Moreover, their contents are organized according to conceptual schemas (i.e. vocabularies and sets of structures of data) which are related to particular applications.
The interoperability of data is to find and share information coming from heterogeneous bases relating to these various aspects, and which can moreover reside on different machines with different operating systems and data bases management systems.
It is concerned with identifying, composing and making function together various applications (designed and implemented independently)
by solving the syntactic and semantic differences as well as finding the connections to the various heterogeneous data bases.
The term `service' is not limited to the ‘web services’ or any computer based applications; but also functions of the company or of the networked enterprises.
Interoperability of services
Interoperability of processes
It aims to make various processes work together:
a process defines the sequence of the services (functions) according to a specific need of the company.
Generally in a company, several processes run in interactions (in series or parallel).
In the case of the networked enterprise, it is also necessary to study how to connect internal processes of two companies to create a common process.
Interoperability includes mechanisms for linking process description languages (workflow standards) distributed, decentralized process formation and verification.
Interoperability of business
It is concerned with the capability of connecting business relationships internally or externally between enterprises, in spite of for example,
different visions, strategies, collaboration space, values
different business models, cooperation models
different modes of decision-making,
methods of work, legislations, industry dynamics
culture of the company and commercial practices etc.
so that business can be developed and shared between companies more easily.
Interoperability barriersThree types of barriers
Conceptual barriers
=> Main barriers because of different ways to represent and communicate concepts
Technological barriers
=> Additional barriers due to the use of computer technologies to communicate and exchange information and data
Organizational barriers
=> Additional barriers because of different methods of work, ways to assign responsibility, security, etc.
Conceptual barriers
Types of Heterogeneities
• Naming heterogeneity: same entity, different names• mapping using ontologies
• Different schemas, models (structure)• Schemas mapping
• Different formats• Unifying formats
Conceptual barriers
Same meaning, different structure (Missikoff, 2004)
- Data syntax used by the two parties is different- Data structure used by the two parties is different
.251.25SquareXAB035
.751.5RoundXAB023
…Price ($US)
Size (in)
ShapeCatalog No.
.4531S550298
.3537R550296
…Price ($US)
Diam (mm)
Geom.Part No.
Washer
Catalog No.Shape Size Price
iMetal Corp.
E-Machina
iMetal Corp.
E-Machina
Manufacturer
.451.25Square550298
.351.5Round550296
.751.5RoundXAB023
.251.25SquareXAB035
…Price ($US)
Size (in)
ShapeMfr No.
Supplier A Supplier B
Buyer
Ontology
An example of semantic barrier
Mo
re in
teg
rati
on
Integrated=> common format for all models to develop systems
Unified=> common predefined format only exist at meta-level for mapping
Federated=> No predefined common format, need dynamically adjustment and accommodation
Mo
re in
tero
per
abili
tyThere are three basic ways to relate entities together :
Adopted from ISO 14258
Interoperability Approaches
Interoperability Approaches
Example: Unified approach for establishing enterprise model interoperability
Enterprise 1 Enterprise 2
GraiTools
GRAI
MO2GO
IEM
Metis
EEML
ARIS Process Platform
ARISLanguage
POP*
XML Interchange
Format
Enterprise 1 Enterprise 2
GraiTools
GRAI
GraiTools
GRAI
MO2GO
IEM
MO2GO
IEM
Metis
EEML
Metis
EEML
ARIS Process Platform
ARISLanguage
ARIS Process Platform
ARISLanguage
POP*
XML Interchange
Format
(ATHENA A1)