Catálogo de publicaciones - libros

In this pape0072 we present a framework and algorithm for modularization and composition of ORM schemes. The main goals of modularity are to enable and increase reusability, maintainability, distributed development of ORM schemes. Further, we enable effective browsing and management of such schemes through libraries of ORM schema modules. For automatic composition of modules, we present and implement a composition operator: all atomic concepts and their relationships (i.e. fact-types) and all constraints, across the composed modules, are combined together to form one schema (called modular schema).

Context-aware applications rely on implicit forms of input, such as sensor-derived data, in order to reduce the need for explicit input from users. They are especially relevant for mobile and pervasive computing environments, in which user attention is at a premium. To support the development of context-aware applications, techniques for modelling context information are required. These must address a unique combination of requirements, including the ability to model information supplied by both sensors and people, to represent imperfect information, and to capture context histories. As the field of context-aware computing is relatively new, mature solutions for context modelling do not exist, and researchers rely on information modelling solutions developed for other purposes. In our research, we have been using a variant of Object-Role Modeling (ORM) to model context. In this paper, we reflect on our experiences and outline some research challenges in this area.

This is a practical application article that illustrates how Guidant Corporation, a medical device manufacturer of cardiac rhythm management (CRM) devices, utilizes Object Role Modeling (ORM). While some business environments allow only lip service to be paid to best practices, the cardiac rhythm management industry does not have room for error. These medical devices control the heart – lives depend on them. This article discusses Guidant’s use of ORM as a best practice to document the business data rules and establish them as the “single point of truth” across the spectrum of decision support system (DSS) activities.

The number of IT project overspends and failures suggest that many IT projects do not conform to requirements. Despite decades of development the IT industry still seems to lack an effective method of ensuring that a project will be right first time. This paper outlines an ORM based requirements engineering process that aims to reduce the number of IT project failures. The main deliverable of the process is a formal description of WHAT a system is required to do without reference to HOW is to be done. Data or process, which comes first? This paper answers this question by showing how to define processes by starting with an object-role model. To use the approach in this paper you will need the Object-Role Modeling tool embedded within the database function of Microsoft Visual Studio for Enterprise Architects 2003 or later together with two referenced books [Halpin 01] and [Halpin 03].

We propose a generic strategy for generating Information Systems (IS) applications on the basis of an Object Role Model (ORM). This strategy regards an ORM as specifying both static and dynamic aspects of the IS application.

We implemented the strategy in a prototype tool, thereby using state of the art software technology. The tool generates IS applications with a basic functionality.

We regard our strategy as a first investigation of a new way to generate IS applications. Many open and sometimes far reaching research questions arise from this first exploration.

In this paper we investigate the idea of using an ORM model as a starting point to derive an activity model, essentially providing an activity view on the original ORM model. When producing an ORM model of an inherently active domain, the resulting ORM model can provide an appropriate base to start out from. We will illustrate this basic idea by means of a running example. Much work remains to be done, but the results so-far look promissing.

Object-role Modeling (ORM) is a fact-oriented modeling approach for specifying, transforming, and querying information at a conceptual level. Unlike Entity-Relationship modeling and Unified Modeling Language class diagrams, fact-oriented modeling is attribute-free, treating all elementary facts as relationships. For information modeling, fact-oriented graphical notations are typically far more expressive than other notations. Introduced 30 years ago, ORM has evolved into closely related dialects, and is supported by industrial and academic tools. Industrial experience has identified ways to improve current ORM languages (graphical and textual) and associated tools. A project is now under way to provide tool support for a second generation ORM (called ORM 2), that has significant advances over current ORM technology. This paper provides an overview of, and motivation for, the enhancements introduced by ORM 2, and discusses an open-source ORM 2 tool under development.

A language is proposed for the specification of the ontology of a world. Contrary to current ontology languages, it includes the transition space of a world, in addition to its state space. For the sake of a clear and deep understanding of the difference between state space and transition space, two kinds of facts are distinguished: stata (things that are just the case) and facta (things that are brought about). The application of the language is demonstrated using a library as the example case.

In this paper, we describe how ORM is extended, and combined with Concurrent Task Trees (CTT) to model the content as well as the functionality of a web system in the web design method WSDM. As WSDM uses an audience driven design approach, the use of ORM is somewhat different from its use for data modeling in the context of databases. We discuss the differences. We also discuss the benefits of using ORM for our purpose, modeling web systems using an audience driven approach.

A recent evolution in the areas of artificial intelligence, database semantics and information systems is the advent of the Semantic Web that requires software agents and web services exchanging meaningful and unambiguous messages. A prerequisite for this kind of interoperability is the usage of an ontology. Currently, not many ontology engineering methodologies exist. This paper describes some basic issues to be taken into account when using the ORM methodology for ontology engineering from the DOGMA ontology framework point of view.