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Meta.ppt 1

TDT4250 – Modeling of Information Systems Autumn 2006

Meta-modeling in METIS

John Krogstie IDI, NTNU and SINTEF

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TDT4250 – Modeling of Information Systems Autumn 2006

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Overview of this week

Why meta-modeling? Central concepts Domain-specific modeling using MetaEdit A19 Kelly and Pohjonen: "Domain-Specific Modelling

for Cross-Platform Product Families" (Proc. ER'02) ”

TODAY: Meta-modelling in METIS B3.6 based on : Krogstie, Dalberg and Jensen: "Using

a Model Quality Framework for Requirements Specification of an Enterprise Modeling Languages" in Advanced Topics in Database Research - Vol. 4, (Idea Group 2005)

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TDT4250 – Modeling of Information Systems Autumn 2006

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System development

Analysis Specification Design Coding Test Maintenance

Developer

Installation Use Needs Requirements Procurement Adaptation, integration

User

Traditional models Interactive models

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TDT4250 – Modeling of Information Systems Autumn 2006

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Discussion task: What reasons are there for creating specialized modeling languages: (structure the discussion according to the language quality categories)

Goals of modelling Language extension

Modeling domain

Social actor interpretation Technical actor interpretation Social actor explicit knowledge Model externalization

Comprehensibility appropriateness Organizational appropriateness Participant appropriateness Domain appropriateness Tool appropriateness Modeller appropriateness

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Meta.ppt 5

TDT4250 – Modeling of Information Systems Autumn 2006

Krogstie, Dalberg and Jensen: "Using a Model Quality Framework for Requirements Specification

• f an Enterprise Modeling Languages" in Advanced

Topics in Database Research - Vol. 4, (Idea Group 2005)

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TDT4250 – Modeling of Information Systems Autumn 2006

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Overview of presentation

Brief description of the problem area (Enterprise

modeling)

Brief recap of model quality framework Description of case-study Description of approach Result 1: Specialized modeling language Result 2: Evaluation of modeling tool Conclusion and further work

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TDT4250 – Modeling of Information Systems Autumn 2006

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Usage areas of enterprise modelling

• Human-sense making and communication
• Computer-assisted analysis and simulation
• Business process management
• Model deployment and activation. Models can be activated in three

ways:

• Through people guided by process 'maps', where the system offers no active

support or enforcement,

• Automatically, where the system plays an active role in enforcing the 'script', as in

most workflow engines.

• Interactively, where the computer and the users co-operate in interpreting the

model in the situations that arise. The computer makes decisions about prescribed fragments, while the users resolve ambiguities.

• As basis and context for a traditional system development project
• Difficult to find languages to support all these usage patterns at the

same time

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TDT4250 – Modeling of Information Systems Autumn 2006

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Overview of quality framework

Goals of modelling Language extension

Modeling domain

Social actor interpretation Technical actor interpretation Social actor explicit knowledge

Organizational

Model externalization

Physical Perceived semantic Social Syntactic Pragmatic (human understanding) Pragmatic (tool understanding) Pragmatic (action) Empirical Semantic Pragmatic (learning)

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TDT4250 – Modeling of Information Systems Autumn 2006

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Description of case-study

Case organization:

• World wide organization
• Modeling is widely used

Case project:

• Units in the relevant BA that have developed their own work

processes.

• Ongoing project for developing harmonized work processes to

improve efficiency.

• Implementation of a new software application to support the

processes.

• Process models used actively for different purposes.
• Different stakeholder groups needed different models.
• Models developed in a mix of IDEF0 (in Visio), Word and

Excel, not possible to keep updated

• Need for new modeling approach (language, tool and

methodology)

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TDT4250 – Modeling of Information Systems Autumn 2006

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Main past and current modelling tasks

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TDT4250 – Modeling of Information Systems Autumn 2006

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Structure of overall approach

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TDT4250 – Modeling of Information Systems Autumn 2006

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Goals of modeling (based on first looking at the goals

• f the projects)

The harmonized work processes should be

documented through the models.

The models should help sharing best practice between

different units

The models should teach the developers about the

domain.

The models should define the scope of the software

application.

The models should help analyze and harmonize the

current work processes.

The models should be used as a procedural tool in

everyday work.

The models should support the use of the software

application.

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TDT4250 – Modeling of Information Systems Autumn 2006

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Identified modeling tasks and roles

Software designer Process modeler,

• 4. Use model as basis for

tool development 3.4 Assistance in the use of the tool Tool super user Tool User Tool super user 3.3 Learning the tool Doers a) workers b) managers c) planners d) admin. 3.2 Assisting job performance “Doers” Worker training 3.1 Learning the job

• 3. Manual Activation of

model Process owner Corporate process owner Local operating manager 2 Analyze processes for improvements Process owner Local user Process owner, Process developer Local worker 1.2 Model local process for comparison Worker , Tool user Tool super user Process owner Software designer Process modeler Process owner 1.1 Model harmonized process 1 Visualize processes for communication Model interpreter Model developers Modeling task

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TDT4250 – Modeling of Information Systems Autumn 2006

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Identified modeling tasks and roles

Software designer Process modeler,

• 4. Use model as basis for

tool development 3.4 Assistance in the use of the tool Tool super user Tool User Tool super user 3.3 Learning the tool Doers a) workers b) managers c) planners d) admin. 3.2 Assisting job performance “Doers” Worker training 3.1 Learning the job

• 3. Manual Activation of

model Process owner Corporate process owner Local operating manager 2 Analyze processes for improvements Process owner Local user Process owner, Process developer Local worker 1.2 Model local process for comparison Worker , Tool user Tool super user Process owner Software designer Process modeler Process owner 1.1 Model harmonized process 1 Visualize processes for communication Model interpreter Model developers Modeling task

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Development of modeling language

• Main candidate: METIS and METIS ITM (IT-management) – company standard

(other options; Continue with Visio, UML, METIS ABM, EEML)

• Remodelled the IDEF0 models from Visio, including information from word-

documents and Excel spreadsheets

• Clarified requirements to new language based on the prioritized areas
• Included representatives of main types of model developers and model interpreters
• Implemented new modelling language
• Reduced the number of sub-languages (from 27 to 4 domains)
• Reduced the number of concepts within each of the 4 sub-languages
• Added some new relationships and properties (some of which where derived)
• Updated visual appearance on some symbols
• Tried to minimize difference from METIS ITM to ensure model interoperability within the
• rganization
• Iterations of new versions of the language and practical use of it
• Analytical evaluation based on quality framework (language quality)
• Empirical framework through modelling addittional areas of the business
• CR list maintained as new needs and wishes arose among the users
• Recast the overall process model in this language
• Developed model views to suit the needs of the different stakeholders
• Language grammar management

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Language quality evaluation

• Domain appropriateness. The language has been

developed exactly to cater for the domain of use, and to exclude concepts not in the domain. The domain appropriateness has been validated through remodeling the existing models, and further developing these based on current needs in the

• rganization. Extensions to the language are easy to

do if new needs arise in the future.

• Participant appropriateness. The language was based
• n the concepts already in use in the organization, and

should thus be easy to learn. In practice it turned out that although some people in the organization was used to think in this way, for others there was a learning curve

• Modeler appropriateness. As indicated above the

language was made using familiar concepts. In addition some of the graphical notation was made specifically to fit the current organization.

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TDT4250 – Modeling of Information Systems Autumn 2006

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Language quality evaluation - cont

• Comprehensibility appropriateness. The language has been

made with quite few modeling concepts. More expressiveness has been put into relationship classes and

• bject properties. Using traditional complexity metrics, this is

not necessarily a less complex language. On the other hand, due to the specific functionalities of METIS, the complexity of many relationship classes is easier to handle,

• Tool appropriateness. The language had a formal defined

syntax, and syntax checks could thus be provided by the modeling tool. Since the need for model analysis and model activation was not focused on in the first version of the language, no formal semantics is provided for the language.

• Organizational appropriateness. Although the language is a

further development of a language used in other parts of the

• rganization, these additions is done in such a way as to

make it possible to use the models written in this language by

• thers in the organization using the other language.

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TDT4250 – Modeling of Information Systems Autumn 2006

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Physical quality

• Model repository with versioning: METIS team server includes this.
• Possible to see differences between versions of models: Only

indirectly supported in METIS team server.

• Models available for annotation by many: Possible using the METIS

annotator

• Models available for browsing on web by all users: Possible using the

METIS model browser (or alternatively by creating web-reports). On the

• ther hand, the versions of this was not certified to be included within

the intranet of the organization

• As the requirements on modeling language above illustrates, it is

necessary that the tool provide meta-modeling facilities, both to be able to choose only limited parts of a language (to not be able to model things that are not included in the domain), and to add additional object types (concepts), relationship types, and properties to be able to model what actual is in the domain

• English (single language) interface to models was regarded as

sufficient

• There were no requirements for import/export of models to other tools.

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TDT4250 – Modeling of Information Systems Autumn 2006

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Empirical quality

Possible to differentiate different types of

relationships (with text, color etc): METIS can provide different colors, text etc on the relationships

Role (swimlane-view) available on process model:

Included in newest version of METIS, although not in the same way as currently provided (excel spreadsheets).

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TDT4250 – Modeling of Information Systems Autumn 2006

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Syntactic quality

Support syntax check of the model: METIS enable

both the possibility of syntax error prevention and syntax error detection.

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TDT4250 – Modeling of Information Systems Autumn 2006

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Semantic quality

Support consistency checking when doing

changes to models: METIS have some possibilities to support validation, although limited possibilities to include new rules of consistency

Support constructivity (e.g. to be able to model a

detailed process, and then get the outer properties of a collection of detailed processes automatically derived). Minimally to be able to check for constructivity in the decomposition structures: Partly supported in the IDEF-0 implementation of METIS (part of ITM).

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TDT4250 – Modeling of Information Systems Autumn 2006

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Pragmatic quality

Views according to user group

• Model views: Only the relevant parts of the overall model is

shown, based on model-based or language based criteria: METIS support this very well, and model views can be made

• persistent. On the other hand, it was very difficult to use this

functionality

• Language view: Only relevant parts of the modeling language

used are available for a given task: METIS can support this using the concept of viewstyles.

Scenario-views: Since the models are on a type level, it

is difficult to support scenario-views with the current modeling language. Quite large changes need to be done to also support models on an instance level, but it is possible to implement.

It should be possible to look at the model at different

levels of abstraction: METIS support this well through different types of hierarchical modeling constructs

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TDT4250 – Modeling of Information Systems Autumn 2006

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Social quality

Support differentiating between harmonized and

local process: METIS can support this, e.g. by having specific properties indicating if a process is global or local.

Support the modeling of exceptions: METIS can

support this, but the chosen modeling language then need to be further extended.

Support argumentation-process relating to getting

agreement on new versions of the harmonized

• process. Not specifically supported

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TDT4250 – Modeling of Information Systems Autumn 2006

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Organizational quality

Tool should be aligned with company standard:

METIS was already chosen by another part of the company.

Cost/benefit of tool should be favorable: METIS is

a fairly expensive tools, thus this was an issue all along, since it is often difficult to quantify the value of introducing a new technique.

Need available training of users to be able to get

up to speed locally: METIS is delivered including both canned and human provided courses on different levels.

Tool should be available for the next five years:

METIS has a substantial user base, and has been around in different version for the last 10 years.

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Discussion

What are the disadvantages of using a meta-

modelling environment (said differently, what is the advantages of using a tool supporting a traditional modeling language such as UML) ?

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Physical meta-modeling in METIS

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TDT4250 – Modeling of Information Systems Autumn 2006

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METIS meta-meta model

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TDT4250 – Modeling of Information Systems Autumn 2006

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Summary

In enterprise modeling one often needs to adhere to a

number of different modeling tasks and user groups with very different needs and familiarity with modeling

A need to define specialized modeling languages Contemporary tools (for instance METIS) makes this

quite easy to do (as long as you stick to the meta-meta- model of the tool)

but should be supported by a method

• Interoperability issues

Start of a method based on the parts of a generic

framework for quality of models presented and exemplified through a case study

Plan to gather additional experiences through

supporting other modeling tasks and towards other environments (e.g. in the development of UML-profiles)

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TDT4250 – Modeling of Information Systems Autumn 2006

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Next weeks

User interface modelling Last week open as for contents Overview of main parts of the course Going through some previous exams Specific topics ? Course evaluation

Meta.ppt 30

TDT4250 – Modeling of Information Systems Autumn 2006

Meta-modeling in METIS

John Krogstie IDI, NTNU and SINTEF