Developing a Model Driven Approach for engineering applications based on mOSAIC

Several difficulties commonly arise during the software development process. Among them are the lengthy technical process of developing a system, the limited number and technical capabilities of human resources, the possibility of bugs and errors during the testing and implementation phase, dynamic and frequently changing user requirements, and the need for a system that supports multi-platforms. Rapid application development (RAD) is the software development life cycle (SDLC) that emphasizes the production of a prototype in a short amount of time (30-90 days). This study discovered that implementing a model-driven architecture (MDA) approach into the RAD method can accelerate the model design and prototyping stages. The goal is to accelerate the SDLC process. It took roughly five weeks to construct the system by applying all of the RAD stages. This time frame does not include iteration and the cutover procedure. During the prototype test, there were no errors with the create, read, update, and delete (CRUD) procedure. It was demonstrated that automatic transformation in MDA can shorten the RAD phases for designing the model and developing an early prototype, reduce code errors in standard processes like CRUD, and construct a system that supports multi-platform.

The most important element of industrial software development is the creation of a common vocabulary of terms for exchanging information between software and industrial engineers. Based on this cooperation, technical domain knowledge is converted into data structures, algorithms and rules. Currently, when people are used to receiving short and quick messages, the most efficient way of knowledge extraction is work on examples or mockups to facilitate better understanding of the problem. Shorter rounds in the presentation of mockups allows continuous work on live object models rather than specifications which make experts more open for sharing their knowledge and provides quicker and more reliable feedback on the data structure and the completeness of the model. Latest research and progress in the area of Model Driven Architecture (MDA) resulted in advanced tools for the creation of models, automatic source code generation as well as whole frameworks for creating application skeletons based on these models. In this paper a collaborative process which uses MDA approach (model, tools and frameworks) for extracting knowledge from domain experts is presented. During presented process, a cooperation of a software engineer and a domain expert via phone calls and one live workshop resulted in a complete model of machine and drive including specific machine features and diagnostic processes. Finally, a working diagnostics application was verified by the domain expert proving that MDA resulted in the expected results. The diagnostics application was verified on real data collected on the winding machine for more than one month, collected diagnostics data included more than 150 signals and 20Gb of raw analog data to dig into before getting condensed diagnostics results. Additionally to the process itself, the article presents identified risks, benefits from applying the MDA approach and lessons learned from applying this new innovative process. For further work, the possibilities of extending and dynamically extending existing models should be studied. In previous works we have focused on an ontology based approach, which does not meet all expectations when it comes to application in real world environment. As simpler and more mature technology, MDA was shown to be more productive and easier to adapt for building industrial applications.

Manufacturing companies today face an increasingly dynamic environment. Development of production planning systems requires approaches that offer flexibility in development of solutions. Applying the UML (Unified Modeling Language) and MDA (Model Driven Architecture) paradigm can ensure compatibility between applications developed on different platforms. The MDA approach to software development becomes an obvious choice. In this approach, the models drive the process of software development. These models are defined at different levels of abstraction to represent various aspects of the system. The transformation of models from one level of abstraction to another, or the transformation of models to executable code is performed by using automated transformation tools. The strength of MDA lies in the fact that it is based on widely used industry standards for visualizing, storing and exchanging software designs and models. The models in MDA are abstracted at three different levels – the Computation Independent Model (CIM), the Platform Independent Model (PIM) and the Platform Specific Model (PSM). The key to the success of MDA lies in automated or semi-automated model-to-model and model-to-code transformations. In this paper, we examine how a platform-independent model of an MRP-based production planning system can be created using MDA approach, from which several platform-specific systems can be achieved, as required.

The Model Driven Architecture (MDA) approach is emerged in the last years as a novel software design methodology for the development of software systems. In this approach the focus of software development is shifted from writing code to modeling. In MDA, developers implement models that are automatically transformed into the target code of the system. Alongside MDA, the Model Driven Testing (MDT) is emerging as a relevant research topic in both industrial and scientific communities. MDT is a methodology where test cases for the system are automatically obtained starting from test models to maximize specific model coverage criteria. Eventually, test cases are executed to verify the system code that is generated through an MDA approach. In this paper, we conduct an exploratory study in order to evaluate the differences that may exist between the model coverage guaranteed by the test cases and the code coverage reached when they are executed on the auto-generated code. Moreover, we identify the main factors that may influence these differences.

The model driven architecture (MDA) is an approach to software engineering in which models are systematically developed and transformed into code. This paper discusses some of the issues which would need to be overcome when attempting to certify a safety critical design or software developed with the MDA approach, partially based on our experience with an avionics software case study. We particularly focus on the need to certify MDA artefacts and produce a compelling system safety case

A way to specify component-based software architectures for embedded real-time systems is introduced. Component models are specified taking the Model Driven Architecture (MDA) approach, and employing UML notations. First, the principle of the developing process based on the MDA approach and the new concepts of UML-specified component architectures are addressed. Then, a conceptual framework architecture for the design of embedded real-time systems is presented, in which platform-independent component models are built. Taking specific platform features into regard, specific component models result from transformations mapping the platform-independent component model to either the Process and Experiment Automation Real-Time Language (PEARL) or to Function Blocks according to IEC 61131-3 or IEC 61499.

SummaryThe Model‐Driven Architecture (MDA) is an approach that aligns modeling and automation for software development. By applying such an approach to data warehouse (DW) projects, we can minimize a great deal of time and cost. Furthermore, most of OnLine Analytical Processing (OLAP) platforms seem to be like black boxes that provide wizards only to business intelligence developers to create and manipulate OLAP objects without allowing their sustainability and migration from a platform to another. That is why many works in the literature have proposed using the MDA approach in DW projects. However, most of them have mainly focused on the generation of the DW relational model from the conceptual one, and they overlooked the OLAP model and the cube implementation.To deal with this problem, we propose in this paper an MDA solution to automate the process of getting OLAP cube and its implementation through a set of metamodels and automatic transformations among them. In fact, the proposal generates the OLAP and DW relational models (PSMs) from the conceptual one, using also a PDM model that describes the target business intelligence platform. After that, the source code to create the cube is got from both PSM models. For this aim, we define a set of transformation rules implemented using the Atlas transformation language. Finally, a case study will be provided to validate our approach.

Software development is a complex process and the information technology market is faced by many challenges. Among the challenges is the effect of technology "platforms" change (languages, operating-systems, interoperability solutions, architecture frameworks etc.). Model Driven Architecture (MDA) is a new development method as a positive effort from the Object Management Group (OMG) to overcome software development problems including but not limited to technology change. The philosophy of MDA regarding technology change is the separation of concerns. In MDA, structures and behaviors based on the business functions are abstracted and modeled in a Platform Independent Model (PIM). The implementation specific structures and behaviors are modeled in a Platform Specific Model (PSM). The PIM is then realized into the PSM through a mapping process to automatically generate the software. Current practice shows that MDA approach works quite well but, in most cases, behavioral models are used for other purposes like documentation rather than complementing the structural models to facilitate automatic software generation. This paper examines the issues and challenges when mapping behavior models between different abstraction layers, respectively PIM and PSM using state machine models. A general solution to one of those challenges is discussed and outlined using a case study.

This paper presents a System level Model Driven Architecture (MDA) approach for power estimation of real time operating system (RTOS) communication and synchronization services at early design phases.The approach integrates the Architecture Analysis and Design Language (AADL) in the design flow. We describe how to extend the language for modeling RTOS communication and synchronization services, and we explain how power consumption analysis can be performed on software components in the AADL platform independent model (PIM), once deployed into components in the AADL target hardware platform model. Operating system services are considered as components in the MDA approach in order to take them into account in the estimation methodology. This paper focuses on consumption analysis of RTOS communication and synchronization services.

Semi-formal transformation of secure business processes into analysis class and use case models: An MDA approach

Business corporations use frameworks and heterogeneous tools in the running of their systems. Most of these systems require the interaction between heterogeneous architectures, technologies and platforms. This integration is usually a complex task, which Model-Driven Architecture (MDA) approach to Model-Driven Software Development (MDSD) has promised to facilitate. In this paper we present a MDA-based methodology to platforms integration and show how it is successfully applied to a real business environment. In particular, the integration of three technological platforms (a framework based on Struts and J2EE, the transactional system CICS and the document manager FileNet) into a single development environment was carried out. Using this development environment, application code is 100% generated from UML-based models.KeywordsBusiness LogicApplication CodePlatform IntegrationIntegration MethodologyHeterogeneous PlatformThese keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.

Chapter 8 - A research review on semantic interoperability issues in electronic health record systems in medical healthcare

This chapter describes the application of MDA (Model-Driven Architecture) and UML for the modeling and specification of collaborative business processes, with the purpose of enabling enterprises to establish Business-to-Business collaborations. The proposed MDA approach provides the components and techniques required for the development of collaborative processes, from their conceptual modeling to the specifications of these processes and the partners’ interfaces in a B2B standard. As part of this MDA approach, a UML Profile is provided, which extends the semantics of UML 2 to support the analysis and design of collaborative processes. This UML Profile is based on the use of interaction protocols to model collaborative processes. The application of this UML Profile in a case study is presented. Also, an overview is provided about the automatic generation of B2B specifications from conceptual models of collaborative processes. In particular, the generation of B2B specifications based on ebXML is described.

DISCRETE EVENT BASED APPROACH TO THE SIMULATION OF A CONTINUOUS NAVAL SYSTEM

The number and complexity of Web applications which are part of Business Intelligence (BI) applications had grown exponentially in recent years. The amount of data used in these applications has consequently also grown. Managing data with an acceptable level of quality is paramount to success in any organizational business process. In order to raise and maintain the adequate levels of Data Quality (DQ) it is indispensable for Web applications to be able to satisfy specific DQ requirements. In order to achieve this goal, DQ requirements should be captured and introduced into the development process together with the other software requirements needed in the applications. However, in the field of Web application development, and to the best of our knowledge, no proposals exist with regard to the way in which to manage specific DQ software requirements. This paper considers the MDA (Model Driven Architecture) approach and, principally, the benefits provided by Model Driven Web Engineering (MDWE) in order to put forward a proposal for two artifacts. These two artifacts are a metamodel and a UML profile for the management of Data Quality Software Requirements for Web Applications (DQ_WebRE).