Modelling generic infrastructure with modular e-Framework
description
Transcript of Modelling generic infrastructure with modular e-Framework
Steve Bennett & Dr Nick Nicholas
“Modelling generic infrastructure with modular e-Framework”
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This talk is not about TARDIS
It’s about a novel way of using the e-Framework to model generic, recurrent infrastructure in e-Research and the e-Humanities by using slightly malformed UML component diagrams to bridge the gap between non-technical “service usage models” and more traditional service oriented architectures at decreasing levels of abstraction… using TARDIS as an example.
(And I’m not Steve Androulakis)
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The problem
• Identify recurrent infrastructure services
• Describe once. Only.
• Refer to these solutions wherever helpful.
• Examples:– Annotation– Searching– Moderation
• Not domain specific!
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e-Frameworkfor education and research
• Models information infrastructure, in terms of services (service-oriented approach)
• Describes services and service usage models (bundles of related services to perform a
function)
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TARDIS, briefly
A registry of crystallography datasets
1. You upload an experiment “manifest”.
2. Admins approve your experiment.
3. Now anyone can view the metadata.
4. Links to data on your system.
5. Bonus: Persistent identifier from ANDS.
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Requirements
Business processes
SUMs (blocks of functionality expressed in SOA)
Data sources
Other services
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SUM diagrams• Req’ts BPs services/SUMs• Are good for early planning,
brainstorming. (Ask Lyle!) • Are vague about service-data source
relationships
SUM composition diagrams• Spell out:
– What business objects a service operates on
– What parts of a SUM are used– Which services are exposed
• Good for discussing implementation
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SUM Composition Diagram(UML component diagram)
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Service genres are abstract
Service genres:
• Well-defined descriptions of categories of service.– Behaviour, semantics.
• Independent of technology, protocol, etc.• Provide a common vocabulary.
– RSS is an example of “Syndicate”.– So is OAI-PMH.
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Expression level
Binds the SUM’s elements to technologies and protocols
(Not normally bound to a specific instance)
Genre-level Expression-level
Technology
Service name
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Service Expressions = Interoperability
• Interfaces between institutions are fully specified:
• Within trust boundaries they’re not:
TARDIS
Research institution
TARDIS
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Modular SUMs• Re-usable chunks of
functionality• Use and/or expose
several services• Customised as needed
X
XX
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Modular SUMs
• Searchable Collection• Annotation• Moderation• Persistent Identifiers• Validation
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Online Heritage Resource Manager
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Lessons/pitfalls
• e-Framework works best as a communication/brainstorming tool
• Many modelling decisions are arbitrary:– Grouping business processes– Create or Add? Read or Obtain? Doesn’t really
matter.• Choose your level of rigour wisely.
– Too permissive: anything is possible, nothing is certain.
– Too rigorous: everything is hard, nothing is quick.• Don’t spend weeks writing artefacts.
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