Integrated Definition (IDEF) Modeling Techniques

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Integrated Definition (IDEF) Modeling Techniques

• Ozgun Demirag
• Andy Johnson
• Dima Nazzal
• Yen-Tai Wan

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Outline

• What is IDEF?
• IDEF Family
• Overview
• Examples
• Strengths and Weaknesses
• Rasmussen - Design Maps Definition

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What is IDEF?

• Definition IDEF is the common name referring to
  classes of enterprise modeling languages.
• Objective IDEF is used for modeling activities
  necessary to support system analysis, design,
  improvement or integration.
• Originally, IDEF was developed to enhance
  communication among people trying to understand
  the system. Now, IDEF is being used for
  documentation, understanding, design, analysis,
  planning, and Integration.

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IDEF History

• In the 1970s, IDEF0 originated in the U.S. Air
  Force under the Integrated Computer Aided
  Manufacturing(ICAM) program from a
  well-established graphical language, the
  Structured Analysis and Design Technique (SADT).

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IDEF Family

• IDEF Family of Methods
• IDEF0 for Function Modeling (purposedescription)
  
• IDEF1 for Information Modeling.
  (purposedescription)
• IDEF1x for Data Modeling. (purposedesign)
• IDEF3 for Process Modeling. (purposedescription)
  
• IDEF4 for Object-Oriented Design.
  (purposedesign)
• IDEF5 for Ontology Description Capture.
  (purposedescription)

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IDEF0- Function Modeling Method

• IDEF0 models the decisions, actions, and
  activities of an organization or system, in order
  to communicate the functional perspective of a
  system.
• IDEF0 models are created as one of the first
  tasks of a system development effort because they
  describe
• the functions that are performed,
• what is needed to perform those functions,
• IDEF0 was released as a standard for Function
  Modeling by the Computer Systems Laboratory of
  the National Institute of Standards and
  Technology. (1993)

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IDEF0- Function Modeling Method

• Syntax
• Context Diagram is a model of the function at
  the highest level of inputs, controls, outputs,
  and mechanisms

• Inputs items that trigger the activity
• Controls guide or regulate the activity
• Mechanisms systems, people, equipment used to
  perform the activity
• Outputs results of performing the activity

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IDEF0- Function Modeling Method

• Decomposition Diagram links together the context
  diagrams

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IDEF0- Function Modeling Method

• STRENGTHS
• The model has proven effective in detailing the
  system activities for function modeling.
• IDEF0 models provide an abstraction away from
  timing, sequencing and decision logic. However,
  it is easy to use IDEF0 for modeling activity
  sequences whenever needed. (Order the activities
  from left to right in the decomposition diagram).
• Provides a concise description of systems, by
  using the ICOMS. (Inputs, Controls, Output,
  Mechanism)
• The hierarchical nature of IDEF0 allows the
  system to be easily refined into greater detail
  until the model is as descriptive as necessary
  for the decision making task.

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IDEF0- Function Modeling Method

• WEAKNESSES
• IDEF models might be so concise that only the
  domain experts can understand.
• IDEF models are sometimes misinterpreted as
  representing a sequence of activities.
• The abstraction away from timing, sequencing and
  decision logic leads to comprehension
  difficulties for the people outside the domain.

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IDEF0- Function Modeling Method

• EXAMPLE (source 4)

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IDEF1- Information Modeling Method

• IDEF1 is a method for both analyzing and
  communicating the structure and semantics of
  information within a system.
• IDEF1 models are used to
• Identify what information is currently managed in
  a real-world system, both automated system
  components, and non-automated objects (e.g.
  people).
• Identify the rules for managing the information.
  
• Identify deficiencies in the current management
  of the information.
• Specify what information will be managed in a
  TO-BE implementation. (TO-BE implementation
  Design of the functional architecture)

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IDEF1- Information Modeling Method

• Main IDEF1 Concepts
• Entities Represent the information maintained
  in a system about the real-world objects
• Distinguishing properties
• Persistent
• May be individuated
• Attributes
• Key
• Non-key
• Relations Association between entities

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IDEF1- Information Modeling Method
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IDEF1- Information Modeling Method

• STRENGTHS
• IDEF1 requires active participation of the
  information users, which serves to accurately
  model where and how the information is used and
  managed.
• An effective method for documenting the
  informational requirements of an enterprise,
  providing a foundation for database design.
• IDEF1 enforces a modularity that eliminates the
  incompleteness, imprecision, inconsistencies, and
  inaccuracies found in the modeling process.

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IDEF1x- Data Modeling Method

• IDEF1X is a method for designing relational
  databases.
• IDEF1X Model Graphical and Textual depiction of
  What must I know to do what I do?
• IDEF1X is most useful for logical database design
  after the information requirements are known and
  the decision to implement a relational database
  has been made.
• IDEF1X was released as a standard for Data
  Modeling by the Computer Systems Laboratory of
  the National Institute of Standards and
  Technology. (1993)

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IDEF1x- Data Modeling Method

• EXAMPLE (ref2)

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IDEF1x- Data Modeling Method

• EXAMPLE (ref2)

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IDEF1x- Data Modeling Method

• STRENGTHS
• Powerful tool for data modeling.
• IDEF1X dont have numerous variants, unlike ER.
• Depicts the rules governing the management of
  information.
• Used to validate the concepts in the associated
  IDEF0 model.
• Helps to discover underlying causes for problems.
• WEAKNESSES
• The modeler must be experienced in order to
  create good models.
• Not suited to serve as an AS-IS analysis tool.

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IDEF1 (information Model) vs. IDEF1x (Data Model)
Information Model Data Model
focuses on Information collected, stored, and managed by the organization Logical relationships within the organization reflected in the information focuses on Actual data elements in a relational database Representation structure of the data
used for Problem identification Requirements definition Information system design used for Logical design of databases applications Physical design of database implementation
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IDEF3- Process Description Model

• IDEF3 is a mechanism for collecting and
  documenting processes. IDEF3 captures the
  behavioral aspects of an existing or proposed
  system. (temporal information, including
  precedence and causality relationships associated
  with enterprise processes.)
• The resulting IDEF3 descriptions provide a
  structured knowledge base for constructing
  analytical and design models. (unlike simulation
  languages that build predictive mathematical
  models, IDEF3 builds structured descriptions.)
• These descriptions capture information about
  what a system actually does or will do and also
  provide for the organization and expression of
  different user views of the system.

Sounds Familiar !
Source http//www.idef.com/idef3.html
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IDEF3- Process Description Model

• The development of an IDEF3 Process Flow
  Description consists of expressing facts,
  collected from domain experts, in terms of five
  basic descriptive building blocks.
• Activity
• Denoted as arcs
• Logic
• Denoted as junction boxes
• Unit of Behavior
• Denoted as boxes
• Object State
• Denoted as circles
• State Transition
• Denoted as arcs

Source http//www.idef.com/idef3.html
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IDEF3- Process Description Model

• Organizing Structure Scenario
• A scenario can be thought of as a recurring
  situation, a set of situations that describe a
  typical class of problems addressed by an
  organization or system, or the setting within
  which a process occurs.
• Example
• Scenario
• Parts enter the shop ready for the primer coat
  to be applied. We apply one very heavy coat of
  primer paint at a very high temperature. The
  paint is allowed to dry in a bake oven after
  which a paint coverage test is performed on the
  part. If the test reveals that not enough primer
  paint has been sprayed on the surface of the
  part, the part is re-routed through the paint
  shop again. If the part passes the inspection, it
  is routed to the next stop in the process.

Source http//www.idef.com/idef3.html
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IDEF3- Process Description Model

• Process Description Diagram of the Example

Source http//www.idef.com/idef3.html
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IDEF3- Process Description Model

• Object State Transition Network of the Example

Source http//www.idef.com/idef3.html
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IDEF3- Process Description Model

• Other Example

Source (Zakarian Kusiak, 2001)
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IDEF3- Process Description Model

• Other Example

Source (Bosilj-Vuksics , 2000)
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IDEF3- Process Description Model

• Discussion
• The statement of IDEF3 sounds like

Source http//www.isye.gatech.edu/lfm/8851/ISyE8
851.html
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IDEF4- O-O Design Method

• IDEF4 method is designed to assist in creating
  object-oriented programming software.
• IDEF4 provides a framework for navigating an
  evolving object-oriented design.
• IDEF4 divides the object-oriented design activity
  into discrete chunks. A graphical syntax
  highlights the design decisions that must be made
  and their impact on other perspectives of the
  design.
• IDEF4 model consists of two submodels, the class
  submodel and the method submodel. These two
  structures capture all the information
  represented in a design model.

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IDEF4- O-O Design Method
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IDEF5 - Ontology Description Method

• An ontology is a domain vocabulary complete with
  a set of precise definitions or axioms that
  constrain the meanings of the terms sufficiently,
  to enable consistent interpretation of the data
  that use that vocabulary.
• General ontology construction steps
• 1. catalog the terms
• 2. capture the constraints that govern how those
  terms can be used to make descriptive statements
  about the domain and
• 3. build the model.

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IDEF5 - Ontology Description Method

• The IDEF5 ontology development process consists
  of the following activities.
• Data Collection of raw data needed for ontology
  development.
• Data Analysis to facilitate ontology extraction.
• Initial Ontology Development to develop a
  preliminary ontology from the data gathered.
• Ontology Refinement and Validation.

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The modeling cycle
I DEF
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Rasmussen - Design Maps Definition

• Map 1 Domain, tasks, and user in context
• Map 2 Knowledge base
• Map 3 Road maps for navigation
• Map 4 Knowledge representation in design
• Map 5 Display composition

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Side by Side Comparison

• Map 1 Domain, tasks, and user in context
• Map 2 Knowledge base
• Map 3 Road maps for navigation
• Map 4 Knowledge representation in design
• Map 5 Display composition

• IDEF0 (IDEF Function Modeling)
• IDEF1 (IDEF Information Modeling)
• IDEF1X (IDEF Data Modeling)
• IDEF3 (IDEF Process Modeling)
• IDEF4 (IDEF Object-Oriented Design)
• IDEF5 (IDEF Ontology Description Capture)

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Rasmussen Map 1 compared to IDEF0- Diagram

• Decomposition Diagram links together the context
  diagrams

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Key

• Both require an expert in the field to use and
  understand the model
• This is a result of the method being a very high
  level concept and developing the details for any
  single application is not a trivial matter

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Advantage of IDEF

• IDEF 5 attempts to incorporate the vocabulary of
  the specific application

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References

• Colquhoun, G.J, Baines, R.W, Crossley, Roger, A
  State of the Art Review of IDEF0, International
  Journal of Computer Integrated Manufacturing,
  Vol. 6, No. 4, 1993, pp. 252-264.
• (2) Introduction to IDEF Methodology, USACE LCM
  Managers Guide Version-2 http//www.usace.army.mi
  l/ci/impolicy/lcmis/lcma3.pdf
• (4) Bosilj-Vuksics paper (http//oliver.efzg.hr/
  vbosilj/iceis2000.pdf)