Proposal for SC4 Application Programming Business Objects

1
Proposal for SC4 Application Programming
Business Objects

• October 6, 2004
• Keith Hunten
• TC184/SC4/WG12 Convener

2
The Problem Implementation of SC4 Standards is
Difficult and Expensive

• STEPAP AIM implementations are complex thus
  requiring a very knowledgeable implementer
• STEP APs are best understood at the ARM level
• Todays STEP AIM implementations are of a fine
  level of granularity that has proven to be
  inefficient in a services based environment
• Initial AIM implementations in CORBA and other
  service architectures have demonstrated
  flogging issues from a large amount of object
  sharing
• Other SC4 standards have similar issues

3
Proposal Use Application Programming Business
Objects (APBO)

• Formalize the modeling and use of APBOs in SC4
• ARM objects and their attributes will be rolled
  up into a higher level business object (APBO)
  that is of an appropriate granularity to be
  useful for both implementation and human
  understanding
• Also roll up the associated AIM attributes not
  specified in the ARM that are necessary for a
  complete instantiation
• Though primarily ARM referenced it is AIM based
• These APBOs will serve as a template for an
  Application Programming Interface (API)
  specification for implementation
• The API would apply to a range of technologies
  ranging from file based exchange (Part 21, XML,
  )up to Web Services
• Will enable BOTH AIM level and APBO level
  exchanges
• This is not a new idea applications such as
  PLCS DEXs and ProSTEP/OMG AP214/PDM
  implementations have used similar approaches
• This will harmonize the SC4 architecture with
  those programs that wish to implement at the ARM
  or higher level and still preserve the SC4
  architecture