- 1. Enterprise COllaboration & INteroperabilityTowards
Enterprise Interoperability Service Utilities Brian Elvester1,
Francesco Taglino2, Enrico Del Grosso3, Gorka Benguria4 and Alberto
Capellini5 1 SINTEFICT, Oslo, Norway, [email protected] 2
CNR-IASI, Roma, Italy, [email protected] 3 TXT
e-Solutions, Milano, Italy, [email protected] 4 ESI-Tecnalia,
Zamudio, Spain, [email protected] 5 ATOS, Madrid, Spain,
[email protected] 2008, 18 September 2008,
Munich, GermanyICT1
2. Outline of presentation COIN in one slide Enterprise
interoperability challenges and ISU Software-as-a-Service Utility
(SaaS-U) Enterprise interoperability baseline (Related work) COIN
EI services framework Summary of state-of-the-art analysis Proposed
COIN baseline EI services Conclusion and future work Position
statement Questions (and answers)IWEI 2008, 18 September 2008,
Munich, GermanyICT2 3. COIN in one slideCOIN MOTTO: Enterprise
Interoperability and Enterprise Collaboration are the two sides of
the same COIN The SIDE A of the COIN: Enterprise Collaboration The
SIDE B of the COIN: Enterprise Interoperability The Substrate of
the COIN: Service Platform The Value of the COIN: Software as a
Service Utility SaaS-U The Market of the COIN: Manufacturing
Enterprises (mainly SMEs)IWEI 2008, 18 September 2008, Munich,
GermanyICT3 4. Enterprise interoperability challenges Enterprise
Interoperability [1] is a relatively recent term that describes a
field of activity with the aim to improve the manner in which
enterprises, by means of information and communications technology
(ICT), interoperate with other enterprises, organisations, or with
other business units of the same enterprise, in order to conduct
their business. Interoperability Service Utility (ISU) which
envisions interoperability support as utility-like capabilities
that needs to be supported by an enabling system of services for
delivering basic interoperability to enterprises, independent of
particular IT deployment. The term ISU is used to denote this
overall system. The ISU is envisaged to provide interoperability as
a technical, commoditised functionality, delivered as services. Web
technologies for Enterprise Interoperability Knowledge-oriented
collaboration Science base for Enterprise InteroperabilityIWEI
2008, 18 September 2008, Munich, GermanyICT4 5.
Software-as-a-Service Utility (SaaS-U) The ISU challenge is
addressed by COIN by providing a service infrastructure for
Enterprise Interoperability in the business context of Enterprise
Collaboration. New business concept the Software-as-a-Service
Utility (SaaS-U) model. The SaaS-U paradigm fits well fit the ISU
concepts and can be seen as a software application delivery model
where a software vendor develops Web-native software services and
hosts and operates them for use by its customers over the Internet.
Customers do not pay for owning the software itself any longer but
rather for using it on-demand. They use it through an API
accessible over the Web and often written using Web services. The
baseline EI services will be offered as Semantic Web Services on
top of the WSMX environment [17].IWEI 2008, 18 September 2008,
Munich, GermanyICT5 6. Enterprise interoperability (EI) baseline
The COIN project aims to provide open source implementations of all
its services so the focus of the analysis has been on open source
software solutions. A first preliminary study of the enterprise
interoperability (EI) baseline led us to identify 3 categories of
results with candidates to be part of the EI services baseline. SP5
COIN Enterprise Interoperability Baseline Services Item/result
Models, Standards: MDI, UPMS, POP*, EIMM, EIDM, IIAM, BIF, AIF, EI
Roadmap, ISU Grand Challenge, IdaBC EIF, SOKUKnowledge Interop.:
ATHOS, ASTAR, ARGOS, ARES, MOMO, Domain Ontologies, UBLbased EIB,
Semantic Reconciliation RulesBusiness Interop.: BPMN, BPEL, iBPM,
BPEL4PEOPLE, CoCoS, PIM4SOA, Process-Workflow MiningIWEI 2008, 18
September 2008, Munich, GermanyType of
resultSourceAccessFramework+models (SINTEF, IC Focus, ESI)ATHENA,
INTEROP, SECSE, Modelware DGINFSO, OMGFree and Open-to-all Access
OSS (Eclipse Public License)Framework+software (CNR, TXT, ESI,
SINTEF)ATHENA. INTEROP, Abilities, OASISOSS GPL License
(sourceforge) Source Code Access (COIN partners) Free and
Open-to-all AccessFramework+software (TXT+UIBK+TUV)OMG, ECOLEAD
InContext Ecospace SFIDAPMISource Code Access (COIN partners) Free
and Open-to-all AccessICT6 7. Interoperability & EA frameworks
Interoperability barriers Interoperability approachesIntegrated
UnifiedOrganisational interoperabilityFederated Enterprise
levelsBusinessSemantic interoperabilityProcess ServiceTechnical
interoperabilityData Organisational Conceptual TechnologicalEIF
1.0INTEROPRequired(Business)
ProcessesServicesInformation/DataModel-Driven
InteroperabilityEnterpriseCollaborative Enterprise Modelling
Cross-Organisational Business Processes Flexible Execution and
Composition of Services Information/Data InteroperabilitySemantic
Mediation InteroperabilityProvidedEIF 2.0
(draft)Enterprise(Business)
ProcessesServicesInformation/DataATHENAIWEI 2008, 18 September
2008, Munich, GermanyARISZACHMANICT7 8. Refining the EI baseline
according to the AIF The three EI baseline categories (1)
models/standards, (2) knowledge and (3) business interoperability
were refined into 6 EI service categories (1) model-driven, (2)
enterprise modelling, (3) business process, (4) service*, (5)
information/data and (6) semantic mediation according to the ATHENA
Interoperability Framework (AIF) which was chosen as the baseline
for the COIN EI Services Framework. Required(Business) Processes
*Service interoperability is addressed by the COIN Service Platform
(SP3)ServicesInformation/DataIWEI 2008, 18 September 2008, Munich,
GermanyModel-Driven InteroperabilityEnterpriseCollaborative
Enterprise Modelling Cross-Organisational Business Processes
Flexible Execution and Composition of Services Information/Data
InteroperabilitySemantic Mediation
InteroperabilityProvidedICTEnterprise(Business)
ProcessesServicesInformation/Data8 9. Five service categories for
EI Model-driven interoperability services support enterprises to
formalise, exchange and align models that are relevant to set up
collaborations. Enterprise modelling interoperability services
support enterprises to factually co-operate with other, external
organisations in spite of e.g., different working practices,
legislations, cultures and commercial approaches. Business process
interoperability services support enterprises to make proper
external views of enterprise internal processes synchronised by a
collaborative inter-enterprise business process. Semantic mediation
interoperability services support enterprises to apply
ontology-based techniques for semantic mediation such as semantic
reconciliation of business documents in order to support
interoperability among heterogeneous software applications. Data
interoperability services support enterprises to exchange and share
business documents among organizations, by filling interoperability
gaps related to the payload (format and content) and to the
messages and/or structures to be exchanged.IWEI 2008, 18 September
2008, Munich, GermanyICT9 10. State-of-the-art analysis of existing
EI tools/services (from FP6 projects) EI framework
categorySub-service categoryTools/services analysedModel-driven
interoperability servicesMetamodellingEclipse Modeling Framework
(EMF)Language engineeringEclipse Graphical Editing Framework (GEF),
Eclipse Graphical Modeling Framework (GMF), UML profilesModel
mapping and transformationMODELWARE Model Transformation Tool Suite
(MTTS), ATL model-to-model transformation tool suite, MOFScript
model-to-text transformation tool suiteMethod engineeringEclipse
Process Framework (EPF)Enterprise modellingUEML, EMPOSME, POP*,
POP* profile, Reference Model for Collaborative Networks, SOA Tools
Project (STP)Enterprise models interchangeUEML, POP*, METIS POP*,
ARIS POP*, GRAI Tools POP*, Mo2Go POP*Enterprise model
deploymentPOP*, PIM4SOA, POP* PIM4SOA, PIM4SOA WSA, POP* Maestro,
POP* JPDLEnterprise interoperability maturity assessmentEnterprise
Interoperability Maturity Model (EIMM)Cross-organizational business
process modellingMaestro modelling toolSemantic business process
modellingSUPER semantic business process modelling toolBusiness
processes managementSUPER Management ToolBusiness process
monitoringSUPER Monitoring ToolBusiness process analysisSUPER
analysisOntology editingATHOS, KAON, OILEd, OntoEdit, ProtgOntology
engineering and maintenanceODE/WebODE, On-To-Knowledge,
UPONSemantic annotationASTAR, MWSAF, WSMO Studio, Cohse, MnM,
OntoMat-AnnotizerSemantic transformation rules buildingARGOS,
OWLmt, WSMT, Semantic Bridging moduleSemantic reconciliation
engineARES, MAFRA Execution Engine, OWLmt Engine, WSMW Run-time
Data MediatorData mappingGIMMI Mapping Wizard, PROBO Legacy
Integration Module, SemaphoreData infrastructure frameworkApache
Tuscany, Service Data Object (SDO), Data Access Service
(DAS)Business document modellingABILITIES UBL business document
modellingBusiness document interchangeABILITIES Service BusBusiness
document process integrationABILITIES Interconnection of Business
ProcessesEnterprise modelling interoperability servicesBusiness
process interoperability servicesSemantic mediation
interoperability servicesData interoperability servicesIWEI 2008,
18 September 2008, Munich, GermanyICT10 11. Lessons learnt The
research projects on interoperability in the European Commission
Sixth Framework Programme have developed a vast set of standalone
software products and tools, as well as some Webbased services to
address interoperability issues. However, some of these solutions
are difficult to integrate and use for SMEs. Experiences from
piloting activities in the ATHENA project suggested that Enterprise
Interoperability is very challenging and that the expected gains
from interoperability research will consist in finding technologies
and methods that will fasten interconnection of applications
through standardised Web infrastructure for software application
communication and for collaboration [21]. In the COIN context,
Enterprise Interoperability services provide functionality for
applying IT solutions that overcome interoperability gaps between
two or more enterprises and thus enabling them to set-up and run
collaborations. The main goal of the EI services is to improve
interoperability, mainly for SMEs, which means to reduce the costs
of data reconciliation, systems integration and business processes
synchronization and harmonization.IWEI 2008, 18 September 2008,
Munich, GermanyICT11 12. Proposed COIN baseline EI services EI
services framework categorySub-service categoryServices to be
implemented for M12Model-driven interoperability
servicesMetamodelling-Language engineering-Model mapping and
transformationCOIN Model Transformation Service EngineMethod
engineering-Enterprise modelling-Enterprise models interchangeCOIN
POP* Transformation ServiceEnterprise modelling interoperability
servicesEnterprise model deployment Enterprise interoperability
maturity assessmentCOIN Semantic Business Process Modelling Service
COIN Semantic Business Process Management ServiceBusiness process
monitoring-Business process analysis-Ontology editingAthos Ontology
ServiceOntology engineering and maintenance-Semantic
annotationAstar Semantic Annotation ServiceSemantic transformation
rules buildingArgos Semantic Transformation Rules ServiceSemantic
reconciliation engineAres Semantic Reconciliation ServiceData
mappingCOIN Massive Data Interoperability ServiceData
infrastructure framework-Business document modelling-Business
document interchangeCOIN Transactional Data Interoperability
ServiceBusiness document process integrationData interoperability
services-Business processes managementSemantic mediation
interoperability servicesCross-organizational business process
modelling Semantic business process modellingBusiness process
interoperability servicesCOIN Enterprise Interoperability Maturity
Assessment Service-IWEI 2008, 18 September 2008, Munich,
GermanyICT12 13. Specification of baseline EI services COIN
Deliverable D5.1.1 State-of-the-Art and Baseline EI Services
Specifications (July 2008, to be released at
http://www.coin-ip.eu)IWEI 2008, 18 September 2008, Munich,
GermanyICT13 14. Benefits of COIN baseline EI services #COIN
baseline EI serviceProviderBenefits for users1COIN Model
Transformation Service EngineSINTEFThe model transformation service
engine will be a service entry point for storing model
transformations that are aimed at aligning the huge diversity of
models used in the design, integration and implementation tasks of
enterprise applications and systems.2COIN POP* Transformation
ServiceESIPOP* Transformation service will be exposed a semantic
Web service in the COIN platform. This service will provide the
functionality of modelling in the context of POP* to JPDL
transformation. The results of the transformation should be
published into the open source JBPMN platform.3COIN Enterprise
Interoperability Maturity Assessment ServiceESIThe EIMA will help
to assess an organization's maturity level concerning the use of
enterprise models as well as the capability of these models to
enable the company to be part of collaboration. Based on this
assessment, companies will be guided to choose the right concepts
for improving their capabilities, by taking into account actual
market and enterprise challenges. Following a lightweight scope,
the performance of this assessment will be done through an informal
evaluation based on a questionnaire and involving few resources of
the organization.4COIN Semantic Business Process Modelling
ServiceATOSThe Semantic BP service will help to reduce the
complexity of tasks related to transformation between different BP
models as well as transformation in executable process models with
semantic annotations.5COIN Semantic Business Process Management
ServiceATOSThe BP Management service will to manage the life cycle
of deployed BP models independently on the underlying engines
actually executing the model.6Athos Ontology ServiceCNRThe
AthosOntologyService will provide functionalities for ontology
management. Ontology is a pre-requisite for semantics-based
mediation and reconciliation of business documents.7Astar Semantic
Annotation ServiceCNRThe AstarSemanticAnnotationService will
provide functionalities for management of semantic annotations.
Semantic annotation allows digital resources to be described in
terms of a common reference represented by a domain ontology. Such
an activity represents a first identification of semantic and
structural mismatches among different information structures (e.g.,
business document schemas), which is needed for fulfilling
interoperability issues among heterogeneous information
systems.8Argos Semantic Transformation Rules ServiceCNRThe
ArgosSemanticTransformationRulesService will provide
functionalities for management of transformation rules service.
Transformation rules represent the semantic mapping able to drive
the mediation and reconciliation.9Ares Semantic Reconciliation
ServiceCNRThe AresSemanticReconciliationService will represents the
final step towards the actual mediation and reconciliation of
business documents among heterogeneous information systems.10COIN
Massive Data Interoperability ServiceTXTThe massive data
interoperability is a service to allow communication among a set of
multiple data providers and a set of multiple data consumers. In a
multi-point communication, the interoperability problem grows
exponentially according to the number of entities involved in the
communication. The service will allow the data providers to map
their data structure to the requested schema and fill the schema
itself with the data coming from their data sources.11COIN
Transactional Data Interoperability ServiceTXTThe transactional
data interoperability is a service that allows the communication
between two actors: a customer and a supplier. The scenario of the
communication is the exchange of business documents in the order to
invoice procurement process.IWEI 2008, 18 September 2008, Munich,
GermanyICT14 15. Conclusions and future work Position the COIN
service platform as a technology enabler for developing and
offering Enterprise Interoperability services according to the
Software-as-a-Service Utility (SaaS-U) paradigm. Candidates for the
development of baseline EI services based on state-of-the-art
analysis of previous FP6 research projects. The development of
these services will follow two phases. The first phase involves
wrapping and potentially re-implementing parts of the solutions as
Web services. (Ongoing) The second phase involves enriching the
service descriptions with semantics in order to make them Semantic
Web Services. (End of 2008)Future work focused on developing new
and innovative EI services for (1) information interoperability new
service communication and coordination in business collaborations.
(2) knowledge interoperability develop semantic profiles and the
environment to expose, compare and semantically mediate such
profiles. (3) business interoperability provide new formalisms and
languages for interactive and collaborative BPM.IWEI 2008, 18
September 2008, Munich, GermanyICT15 16. Position statement:
Application architectures vs. userinvolving modelling and execution
architectures#n applicationsabrEAIsIntegrated workplacey1 y2Layered
and hardwired application architecture with prescribed solutions
coded by different programmers. The enterprise application
integrator fixes the interoperability issues. IWEI 2008, 18
September 2008, Munich, GermanyInteractive modelling and execution
platform with user-involving modelling and execution services. The
user designs the interoperation.ICT16 17. References [1] M.-S. Li,
R. Cabral, G. Doumeingts, and K. Popplewell, "Enterprise
Interoperability Research Roadmap, Final Version, Version 4.0",
July 2006. [17] WSMX, "WSMX (Web Service Modelling eXecution
environment)". http://www.wsmx.org:8080/wsmxsite/ [21] ATHENA A4,
"D.A4.2: Specification of Interoperability Framework and Profiles,
Guidelines and Best Practices", ATHENA IP, Deliverable D.A4.2,
2007.
http://interopvlab.eu/ei_public_deliverables/athena-deliverables/IWEI
2008, 18 September 2008, Munich, GermanyICT17 18. Thanks for your
attention!IWEI 2008, 18 September 2008, Munich, GermanyICT18 19.
Questions?IWEI 2008, 18 September 2008, Munich, GermanyICT19