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Dragon1 Checklist  Meta Model
Creating a meta model from a system, structure or concept
Description checklist:
This checklist assists in creating a meta model in a controlled way.
Reasons for creating a meta model:
There are five, often reappearing reasons for creating a meta model:
1. Inspire / Teambuilding – To produce a common glossary of terms in organizations and teams.
2. Create / Model – To create an architecture model.
3. Create / Reduce Complexity – To standardize, normalize or harmonize and as such reduce
the number of different (types of) entities of a certain classification or type.
4. Communication / Visualization – To create an architecture visualization.
5. Control / Quality – To increase the quality of information exchange and collaboration.
Creating a proper meta model can be subjective and very difficult, because it requires conceptual
thinking. In terms of UML a meta model is a combination of a classification model and an interactive
model. A meta model shows all concepts that are identified for the purpose of creating models.
Exact communication of information by means of meta models:
Customer information such as the name ‘John Jones’, product information such as ‘tenant damage
insurance’ and a combination of customer and product (a sale or service provided) such as a '1234tenancy damage insurance package-John Jones' is normally used at six different places in an
organization:
1. In discussions
2. In documents, such as plans, designs and visualizations
3. In e-mails and other person to person information exchange
4. In applications
5. In information gathering
6. In application interfacing
Often guiding and controlling information and data, pertaining to mission, vision, strategic starting
points, architecture principles, design rules and business targets and goals only occur in discussions,
documentation and in e-mails. Often they are insufficiently related to grading, type and classification
of information about the customer, the product and sales.
The less exact information and certain types of data is, or improperly administrated or incorrectly
controlled, the greater the danger is they will become inconsistent, cause errors and lead to gross
miscommunication.
Using a meta model assures that in all six cases more exact communication takes place about any
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Dragon1 Checklist  Meta Model
type of information.
Thus, always suggest a meta model is created to ensure that connecting business targets are
causally related to the subdivision of certain types of customer. Or, allows strategic starting points,
architecture principles and chosen business concepts to be pieced together. In other words,
interrelating strategic building blocks to business building blocks and IT building blocks.
Definition of terms:
Definition Concept
A concept is an idea; an abstract of reality in a context or group approved approach to practical
issues. A concept principle is the enforced way a concept works in a context, producing certain
results.
A concept consists of elements, of relationships between elements, principles and rules pertaining to
inter-relationships.
When elements reappear frequently in other concepts or types of concepts we refer to them as style
elements.
Generically speaking there are three concept levels: fundamental natural concepts, technical
concepts and product/supplier related concepts.
Any one concept level contains different levels of subconcepts.
Definition of a Meta Model
A meta model is a model on the basis of which future-proof assessments can be made about the
contextual environment. In terms of UML this would be a combination of a collaborative model with a
classification model.
Only classifications, types and sort of entities identified in a meta model, e.g. instances and groups,
can be profiled into (object) models and (collaboration) models made from this context.
Rational meta-rules are needed simultaneously with each meta-entity (entity in a meta model) or pair
of meta-entities. For each meta-entity there are synonyms which must be used in context concepts
which are to become standardized in models. For each synonym a translation rule must be identified
which states what needs to be done in the event a synonym is used in a workshop, a system or a
document.
In a meta model information exists which, although it appears causally to be far removed, it must be
linked – for instance mission, vision, strategic starting points, business goals, business concepts,
architecture principles, markets, customers and a range of products and services. Such concepts can
be linked well together in terms of ‘cause-effect-relation’ or ‘action-reaction-relation.’ With a meta
model the creation of a meta model diagram is visualized regarding system, situation, period and/or
space.
A meta model is a model which shows the environment of a limitative range of concepts used to
model the relationship between concepts. One model is made for each concept.
Meta models are created to model and visualize a concept. A meta model assures consistency and a
rapid collection of information. The definition of a concept leads to a profile in a meta model.
If a model is made (visualized) without first creating a meta model on paper chances are that
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Dragon1 Checklist  Meta Model
everything will start off well but will progressively switch to a drawing of something totally different
than intended - in a worst case scenario it may end up in going in a totally different direction than
expected.
This causes that some models may inadvertently consist of three different meta models mixed
together, for instance; a business model, information model and a technical model. Unwittingly
models may also consist of four different levels mixed up, such as a meta model, a conceptual model,
a logical model and a physical model. All of this could be exacerbated by the fact that different
messages are produced, which in turn creates a weakening effect on the total concept.
Not creating a meta model in advance causes problems. Making a meta model first assures that a
better legend becomes available to support the model, or rather the visualization of the model.
Project title:
Review date:
Assessment and recommendation:
Notes:
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Name reviewer:
Signature:
Reviewed objects:
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Questions/remarks/suggestions/marginal notes
Comments
Preparations
What is required in terms of information and know-how prior to
create an adequate meta model?
It is essential to have the knowledge and being able to handle the
generic classifications of an enterprise regarding types, classes
and types of elements or artifacts. It is essential to be ‘in touch’
with the emotional context of certain words and symbols.
Assure in-depth personal knowledge of the terms used in
systems and documents in order to give a good account of facts
during an exchange of different points of view.
A direct or indirect meta model can be made of the content of the
environment of each subject, such as a system, model, plan, view
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Dragon1 Checklist  Meta Model
visualization, subject, document, application, information, etc.
Criteria
To determine the appropriate abstract level for concepts the
following could be considered:
Suppose there is a requirement by an organization to create a
future proof meta model for a certain subject, concept, domain,
system or a solution. It does not have to be too specific and not
too generic for the organization.
The concepts or entities used for the meta model then become in
fact the denominations for classifications, types or kinds of
entities to be used in the model. The concepts of the meta model
are not organization generic, but branch specific.
Municipal basic administration is an example of a specific building
block of information facility, whilst in financial disciplinary terms it
would not be. Administration is a concept (in fact it is a type of
municipal information system) befitting a meta model pertaining to
the use of information facility to municipalities.
Seven steps in creating a meta model during a workshop
Comments
Visit the persons who are owners of entities or those who believe
they are.
Make it your task to ensure that the owners of entities agree to a
standard format for certain concepts.
Get people who attend the workshop to relax.
Entice people to name concepts or write them down.
Let people differentiate between basic concepts, branch concepts
and organizational concepts, as well as differentiate between
classification, type, sort, group and agency. Agency, type and
group are not part of a meta model but a model – sort and
classification do.
Offer alternatives for various concepts.
Allow everyone to come up with ideas, but also to come up with
synonyms.
Technique
Produce an excel sheet of a list of entities or concepts and give
definitions of these entities in a second tab sheet. Write down
synonyms of entities in a third tab sheet. Enter all possible
identifiable sorts onto a fourth tab sheet and write down all
possible rules and relationships of entities onto a fifth sheet. The
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Dragon1 Checklist  Meta Model
latter could include, matters such as: X uses Y, A is a part of B
and Q ensures that P and R exchange information.
Draw in an EA tool or MS PowerPoint the meta model by using
the Dragon1 set of symbols.
Finishing off
Ensure that the owners of the concepts sign off in agreement that
the concepts can be used as they are.
After determination of the meta model the architect can safely
organize information sessions, on the basis of which the meta
model can then be used to undertake a content inventory and
follow through with scanning relative documents.
Pitfalls
Ensure that people can continue to do their own work whilst being
involved in the creation of an architect’s meta model. Explaining a
meta model takes time - showing a meta model however gives a
person the power of: ‘a picture paints a 1000 words’. Show that
only certain information is required to create order in a dynamic
and multi-colored environment.
Creating a meta model can be considered ‘a trick of the trade.’
Ensure that as the architect of a meta model only “personal
views” are provided of system, domain or solution and not those
of someone else. It is the only grip an architect possesses when
everything has to come from him during workshops.
Reference card
Study the reference card of the meta model in Dragon1 EA Tool
for examples of meta model typologies.
Examples of meta model for modeling issues
Imagine that inside a care institution the following concepts were deliberated for years, often with little
variation or accuracy:

Customers, clients, patients and relations

Invoices, instructions, orders and contracts

Care-treatment-combinations, products, range of products and services, provision and quality
of product and services, departments
The documents in which these concepts are used lack in consistency regarding the application of
these concepts. All concepts may vary in meaning in a different context, to the extent that sometimes
concepts carry personal connotations and as a result miscommunication will therefore be possible. If
the care institution has determined certain base starting points and business targets the impact and
adjustment regarding the aforementioned concepts will be less.
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Dragon1 Checklist  Meta Model
The care institution’s information systems have been subjected to the choice of concept names given
by the institution’s suppliers. Caution needs to be taken however that the data-fields remain language
specific and consistent and don’t allow concepts with foreign language descriptions or titles to enter
the systems. This could cause problems when information gets linked together and a different
meaning is contributed to a concept. Here it is important to scrutinize the information type and which
rules and data definition is in operation.
To the architect it is imperative that entities acquire future proof correct descriptions and titles, in order
that an inventory of the value of the entities of the model proves it is acceptable. The meta model
herewith ensures possible adaptability of the models, whilst the meta model itself does not need to
adaptive. The same applies to elements, although it could prove to be convenient if it is.
As such a clear difference needs to be made in the meta model between strategic starting point,
spearheads, strategic, tactical and operational goals, themes, business goals, change goals and
targets. From a definition perspective these concepts don’t change rapidly, but from an organizational
perspective it’s often the case that they become mixed up together.
The care institution’s architect requires that the choice is made in favor of a source concept, from
which other concepts are derived. For instance: all people who have been entered into the database,
with whom we expect to do business during the next two years and all those we have done business
with for the past 2 years, are clients. Only when they have paid will they become customers. If they are
treated by us they become patients and if they are not actively considered by us as clients will they
become relations.
To reach consensus about rules requires experience and could be tiresome, but this is one of the most
important tasks of an architect. In the meta model we will find meta-entities, such as; ‘type of
relationship’, ‘type of product’, ‘type of sales’, ‘type of customer’, ‘type of client’, ‘type of treatment’,
’type of purveyed service’, all provided with data definitions and data relationships.
Use workshop techniques to arrive at rules and agreements and make sure they are confirmed. It is
not advisable to work with more than three levels at a time for each concept, for instance: type of
product  type of packaging  type of packet.
The following matters can then be identified in a model: insurance product 1..4  damage insurance
packet 1..6  auto damage packet 1..2.
Examples of a meta model for enterprise systems,
governance systems, business systems, information
systems and technical systems
A meta model is multi-dimensional – it contains more than one level. In a practical sense a meta
model becomes however unworkable if it contains more than five concept levels. Factually, meta
models contain functional and technical decompositions of concepts, for instance the decomposition of
an information system or a business system.
Dragon1 states that an enterprise consists of systems, which in turn consist of a governance system,
various business systems, various information systems and various technical systems. The total of
technical systems is often referred to as an information facility or an information domestic system.
Information provision is mostly a different view of IT Infrastructure.
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Dragon1 Checklist  Meta Model
The total of business systems is often referred to as a business unit, part enterprise, enterprise,
network or chain. In turn a total of enterprises represent a chain, network or mega-structure.
The architecture of these systems becomes visible when for instance the IT infrastructure of the
information facility is shown.
The definition of an information system denotes the following: An information system consists of a sum
total of persons, applications and data collection which execute processes, activities, tasks and
actions to process information and data in a business oriented organization to support business
systems in an organization. Documents such as user manuals and automated processes (incl. parts
thereof) also belong to an information system, which in turn are part of a business system.
An information system also addresses matters of communication, collaboration and transactions and
as such can be called as an CTI system. It may even be an integral business IT solution, or an
infrastructural facility or just a common facility.
Below we show an example of the decomposition of an information system that could exist in a meta
model.
An information system includes the presence of business applications. An information system and
business applications are consist of tiers (levels). Business applications include the presence of
functionality, i.e. functions of an application and indirect functions of an information system. The tiers
accommodate components, which in turn consist of objects.
This functionality is also present in modules. A module carries responsibility for the implementation of
or activities regarding implementation of certain processes, actions, tasks and operations. The
functionality (or function) of an application is directed toward one application tier (level), which include
components.
Components consist of objects, which in turn include components which provide functionality, which
always travels by way of an interface. An interface that can be called up via an open internet protocol,
and utilized independently of location and platform, and that is linked loosely is referred to as a web
service. An interface or service is always linked to another interface (service). A service can be
published or detected by an application via an electronic broker, which is an application component.
Here we detect Java Enterprise Application Design – for further information please refer to:
http://www.j2ee.me/blueprints/guidelines/designing_enterprise_applications/sample_application/archit
ecture/index.html#1043295
This decomposition falls within the confines of object oriented design of enterprise applications.
This checklist is part of the Dragon1 Open Standard Architecture Framework.
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