Questions

1
Questions Answers about Merode

• What are the phases of the methodology?
• What is Existence Dependency ?
• What companies are using Merode? What is the size
  of the p...
• What is the size of projects that have been
  realized with ...
• What are the strong point of Merode ?
• What are the weak points of Merode ?

2
What are the phases of the methodology?

• Currently, the method has two big phases
• Domain modeling which result in the Enterprise
  model
• Functionality modelling which results in a list
  of required input output services.
• Enterprise modeling is iterative

• Iteration between Functionality Modeling and
  Enterprise Modelling is also possible (and
  useful)

class diagram
Object-Event Table
State Charts
3
What are the phases of the methodology?(ctd.)

• The method is being extended with an upfront
  phase for business process modelling with BPMN or
  UseCases.

4
What is Existence Dependency ?

• We assume that models are Transformed to code
  using the MDA-approach. So, once the
  transformation has been defined, every modelling
  concept has a unique implementation pattern
  associated with it.
• As a result, when a single modelling concept has
  two possible implementations that are
  semantically different, we need to enrich the
  model in order to include these semantic
  differences
• Example consider the following diagram
• This diagram contains two associations that each
  have an association end with a cardinality of
  1..1. However the two associations carry a
  semantic difference that is not expressed in the
  diagram
• Each employee is mandatorily assigned to exactly
  one project at one point in time. However, the
  project can change over time.
• Each project has mandatorily been ordered by
  exactly one customer at one point in time.
  However, the project cannot change over time. We
  say that this association end is frozen.
• When an association end with cardinality one is
  frozen, we say that the association expresses
  existence dependency.
• In our example the project is existence
  dependent on customer. But employee is not
  existence dependent on project

ordered by ?
assigned to ?
5
What is Existence Dependency ?

• In the paper on Existence Dependency we
  demonstrate that by transforming each
  non-existence dependent association to an
  association-class, all associations in the model
  become existence dependent. As a consequence,
  each UML-class diagram can be transformed to an
  "Existence Dependency graph"
• In Merode this transformation step is mandatory
  and the resulting "existence dependency graph" is
  used to verify the consistency of the behavioural
  model. (see Existence Dependency-paper)
• For our example the existency dependency graph is
  as follows
• The Mermaid-tool allows to represent the
  Existence Dependency Graph both in UML-notation
  and in the Merode-notation

6
What companies are using Merode?What is the size
of the projects ?

• Novaxess (Netherlands) 50 Domain Object Types,
  200 Event Types
• Thales (UK)
• DLA (Netherlands)
• Developped their own tool
• Sample projects
• Jeugdzorg 30 business processes , 75
  interactions (each of 1à2 services), 75 Event
  Types, 100 Object Types, 400 users
• GPI 25 business processes, 120 interactions,
  120 Event Types, 80 Object types, 2000 users
• Euroned 60 Object Types, 220 Event Types
• Belgium Bank Van Roeselare, Delaware, Datakor,
  Acc, KULeuven, Medior, Balta, IMN
• From the academic world we have had references to
  our work from
• Kansas State University, U. of Obrero, MSU-Iligan
  (Philippines), University of Texas, Carnegie
  Mellon, California State University,

7
What is the size of projects that have been
realized with Merode ?

• In 1997 we collected data from our known users.
• (see http//merode.econ.kuleuven.ac.be/publication
  s/step97.pdf for full paper)

8
What are the strong point of Merode ?

• Reported advantages (see http//merode.econ.kule
  uven.ac.be/publications/step97.pdf for full
  paper)

9
What are the weak points of Merode ?

• None
• The analysis phase might take more time
• This is compensated by the fact that design and
  implementation are shorter.
• There is no "professional" tool support
• We don't have the budget to develop maintain
  the tool professionally. Therefore we made it
  available as open source software. There is a
  yearly maintenance and elaboration cycle by means
  of internships for programmers. Your suggestions
  for improvement are always welcome.
• The methodology is unknown to many developers.
• The method is still incomplete
• The elaboration with Business Process Modelling
  is under development
• The elaboration of systematic guidelines for
  transformation to code is on its way. Guidelines
  for the transformation of event types to event
  dispatchers have already been published (see
  http//merode.econ.kuleuven.ac.be/publications.asp
  x)