UML for ODP system specifications

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UML for ODP system specifications

• Bryan Wood
• Convenor, JTC1/SC7/WG19
• Bryan.Wood_at_Open-IT.co.uk

ITU-T/SG 17 Geneva, 14 March 2004
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Use of UML for ODP system specifications - X.906
ISO/IEC 19793

• A standard covering
• definition of a set of UML profiles for
  expressing a system specification in terms of
  ODP viewpoint specifications
• relationships between the resultant ODP viewpoint
  specifications
• relationships between a system specification
  using ODP viewpoint specifications and the OMG
  Model Driven Architecture

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The Reference Model of ODP

• A framework for ODP standardization and system
  specification covering all aspects of distributed
  systems (enterprise context, functionality,
  infrastructure, technology) and comprising
• a comprehensive and coherent set of
  object-oriented modelling concepts
• a structure for specifications in terms of
  viewpoints on a system
• a language (concepts and rules) for expressing
  each viewpoint specification

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Modelling concepts

• Interpretation concepts
• entity, abstraction, system, architecture
• Basic modelling concepts
• object, action, environment (of an object),
  interface, activity, location (in space/time)
• Specification concepts
• composition/decomposition (of objects), type (of
  an ltXgt), ltXgttemplate, role

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Modelling concepts

• Organisational concepts
• configuration (of objects), ltXgtgroup,ltXgt domain
• Properties of systems and objects
• transparency, contracts, QoS, policy and
  prescriptions on behaviour,
• Naming concepts
• Name, identifier, name space,name resolution
• Behaviour concepts
• activity structure, contractual behaviour,
  causality, binding, dependability

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Viewpoints

• Different abstractions of the same system
• reflect different concerns
• expressed in terms of specific viewpoint concepts
  and rules (viewpoint languages) based on the
  foundation modelling concepts
• A mechanism for dealing with the complexity of
  distributed systems

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Viewpoint Specifications

• Specifications of a system from different
  viewpoints
• related and mutually consistent
• Using the viewpoint languages and the foundation
  modelling concepts

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ODP viewpoint specifications - different concerns
System
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The enterprise specification

• Specifies the roles played by an system in its
  organisational environment
• An object model of a social/commercial
  organisation in terms of
• enterprise objects
• communities (of enterprise objects)
• objectives
• behaviour
• roles
• processes
• policy

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The information specification

• Specifies system behaviour abstracted from
  implementation
• An object model of the system describing the
  semantics of information and of information
  processing in the system in terms of
• information objects
• invariant schema - predicates on information
  objects that must always be true
• static schema - state of information objects at
  some location in time
• dynamic schema - allowable state changes of
  information objects

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The computational specification

• Specifies computational structure in terms of
  units of distribution and portability and their
  interactions abstracted from the detail of how
  distribution is accomplished
• An object model of the system describing the
  structure of processing in terms of
• computational objects
• interfaces operations supported
• invocations operations invoked
• activities sequences of invocations
• computational bindings

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The engineering specification

• Specifies the mechanisms and services that
  provide the distribution transparencies and QoS
  constraints required by the system
• An object model of the system describing the
  infrastructure supporting the computational
  structure
• basic engineering objects
• (infrastructure) engineering objects
• clusters, capsules, nodes
• channels
• functions

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The technology specification

• Specifies the procurable pieces from which the
  system is built.
• An object model of the system
• defining the configuration of technology objects
  and the interfaces between them that comprise
  the ODP system
• identifying conformance points

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An ODP system specification
- information - changes to information -
constraints
Information
- mechanisms and services to provide the
required distribution transparencies and
QoS constraints.
Engineering

• hardware and software components implementing
  the system

Technology
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ODP system specifications and UML

• RM-ODP defines clear and comprehensive concepts
  and a framework supporting system specification
• RM-ODP does not define a notation for expressing
  a system specification
• UML defines a notation for system specification
• UML does not define clear and comprehensive
  concepts and a framework supporting system
  specification

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UML Profiles for ODP Viewpoints
Universe
of Discourse
(UOD)

models (not defined)
models
ODP
UML
maps to
(through a profile)
Viewpoint specification
Viewpoint model
expresses
expresses (not explicitly defined)
UML
notation
e.g. We dont say this class models Fred We say
this class maps to this EO, which models Fred
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ODP system specifications and the OMG Model
Driven Architecture

• A system specification that is compliant with the
  RM-ODP also satisfies the requirements of the
  MDA. Specifically
• the enterprise specification is a computation
  independent model (CIM)
• the information, computational and engineering
  specifications together form a platform
  independent model (PIM), where clause 8 of the
  RM-ODP Part 3 defines a virtual machine which is
  the context for platform independence
• the technology specification is a platform
  specific model (PSM)
• the correspondences between the viewpoint
  specifications express the transformations by
  means of which one model is derived from another.

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Who needs the standard?

• Needed by system specifiers
• Needed for communication between system
  specifiers
• Needed for communication between stakeholders and
  implementors
• Needed for a stable business functionality
  description
• independent of technology and technology change
• Needed for mission critical business systems

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Sources

• Japanese Association of Healthcare Information
  System Industry (JAHSI) of a Japanese Hospital
  Information Reference Enterprise Model
• European research projects
• e.g. COMBINE - investigating the organisation and
  process for component-based system development
• Industrial Practice
• OMG
• UML profile for Enterprise Distributed Object
  Computing (EDOC)

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Timetable - Targets

• Start of Project May 2003
• SC7 WD May 2004 SC7 meeting
• 1st CD Dec 2004
• FCD May 2005 SC7 meeting
• FDIS Dec 2005
• IS May 2006 SC7 meeting

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Questions ?