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Semantic-based ArchitecturesSemantic-based Architectures

Eric OkinEric OkinAssistant Deputy Director Assistant Deputy Director

Policy and Architecture; DFAS - DTBPolicy and Architecture; DFAS - DTB

Mike LubashMike LubashXML Team LeaderXML Team Leader

DoD Finance and Accounting Namespace ManagerDoD Finance and Accounting Namespace Manager

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Architecture: Objective

• Develop Knowledge Capital• Better communication

» Humans and applications

• Alignment & consensus» eliminate conflicting initiatives

• Common understanding» improve efficiency and cohesion

• Optimize current performance» leverage technology» automate business processes and activities

• Position the Enterprise for Change• Proper deliverables to capture the enterprise ‘blueprint’• Understanding the impact of change (analysis/gaps) • Traceability from business requirements to implementation

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What Language Do We Use?

Perhaps a better question is…

Is there a common instrument or language to capture associated metadata to achieve our architectural objectives?

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What Language Do We Use? UML?

UML is primarily a… • system design language• graphical language

Business Tools

Architecture Tools

Design Tools

Design Tools

Development Tools

Development Tools

Test Tools

Management Tools

But, we are looking for declarative method for describing our enterprise

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Declarative LanguageDeclarative Language

What Language Do We Use?Requirement:

Business Tools

Business Tools

Architecture Tools

Architecture Tools

Design Tools

Design Tools

Development Tools

Development Tools

Test Tools

Test Tools

Management Tools

Management Tools

A declarative language that addresses

the entire spectrum of our enterprise

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ADML

• The Open Group• World-Wide Web Consortium (W3C)• Object Management Group (OMG)• Micro-electronics and Computer technology Consortium (MCC) • Carnegie Mellon University (CMU)

US Army has publicly stated (at the first Open Group Architecture Tools Symposium, Washington, October 1999) a need for ADML to allow sharing of

architecture information between different vendors' tools.

Architecture Description Markup Language

Business Tools

Architecture Tools

Architecture Tools

Design Tools

Development Tools

Test Tools

Management Tools

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What Language Do We Use? Bad News

No single tool exists for both modeling the enterprise and documenting the applications that

implement the business solution.

• TOG - provided a forum to standardize ADML• W3C - developed the specifications for XML and XSL• OMG - developed the specifications for XMI and MOF• MCC - developed the specification for ADML reliant on XML• CMU - developed the ACME model• DoD - ????

Business Tools

Architecture Tools

Design Tools

Development Tools

Test Tools

Management Tools

Vocabularies -Vocabularies -

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What Language Do We Use? More Bad News

Business Tools

Business Tools

Architecture Tools

Architecture Tools

Design Tools

Design Tools

Development Tools

Development Tools

Test Tools

Test Tools

Management Tools

Management Tools

Oracle's Dynamic Services Framework

Dif

fere

nt

Res

olu

tio

ns

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So Then What?

Vocabularies

Content

We have many ways to express our architecture

Changing Vocabularies and Content is guaranteed

1111

2222

3333 Lets review what we do know…

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The Ever Changing Enterprise

Ontology – Full Business Semantics

Navigation Systems

Services

Some of our artifacts are more stable than others

Enabling Technologies

Interfaces

Vocabularies

Content

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Foundational Layers:

Ontology – Full Business Semantics

Navigation Systems

Services

Need to build upon these stable layers

Enabling Technologies

Interfaces

Vocabularies

Content

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Semantics: Key to Meeting our Architectural Objectives

Ontology – Full Business Semantics

This layer then becomes our driver, our most critical layer, and thus our foundation which to architect –

We need to be able to communicate and

manage this layer well, if not, above layers

become unstable

This layer is also our costliest to change!

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What Experience Tells Us…

Ontology – Full Business Semantics

We need to provide the mechanism to provide many views, many sizes depending on context, so…

• One-size architectures don’t work• One-size processes don’t work• One-size data model doesn’t work• One-size transaction ‘standards’ don’t work

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Semantic-based Architecture: Properties

Ontology – Full Business Semantics

• Context-driven

• All critical business artifacts are defined in an ontology

• Allows semantic alignment in an ontology

• Layers are tailored to business use, and not ‘fixed’

• Logic from conceptual to physical entities is defined

• Differences are documented exposed, and not implied

• Ontology resides and managed in registry/repository

• Ontology constructs requires classifications & relations

• Ontology and metadata artifacts are viewed as a critical

enterprise asset and thus well managed

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Logic is Explicitly Declared: To Physical

Ontology – Full Business Semantics

Message Content

Logical Declarative Layer

Conceptual

Physical

Context

16Ontology – Full Business Semantics

Logic is Explicitly Declared: Between Layers

Navigation Systems

Logical Declarative Layer

Layer 1

Layer 2

Context

With the information collection and building process, layers provide input into others, e.g. Web portals

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Can You Give an Example?

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Enterprise Information Services Layer

Business Applications and Functions

Assurance

Access

Gateway

Workflow

Exchange

Bac

k-E

nd

En

terp

rise

In

form

atio

n

Ser

vice

s L

ayer

-

EIS

LF

ron

t-E

nd

DCR

Collaboration

AppsWeb

BrowserEmailClient

Telephone Wireless

Finance Account HRProjectMgmt

Procure

User Interface - Presentation

22CommonExchangeSOAP-basedEnvelope HTTP

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Common ServicesOracle9i WSFWeb ServicesFramework

DCW

Registry

DCD

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Enterprise Information Services Layer

Business Applications and Functions

Assurance

Access

Gateway

Workflow

Exchange

Bac

k-E

nd

En

terp

rise

In

form

atio

n

Ser

vice

s L

ayer

-

EIS

LF

ron

t-E

nd

DCR

Collaboration

AppsWeb

BrowserEmailClient

Telephone Wireless

Finance Account HRProjectMgmt

Procure

User Interface - Presentation

22CommonExchangeSOAP-basedEnvelope HTTP

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Common ServicesOracle9i WSFWeb ServicesFramework

DCW

Registry

DCDOntologySemantics

OntologySemantics

Navigation Systems

Navigation Systems

ServicesServices

InterfacesInterfaces

XML Enabling

Technology

XML Enabling

Technology

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Enterprise Information Services Layer

SHIFTSHIFT SHIFTSHIFT

Hub n’ Spoke Information Services Layer

Centralized data processing only Virtual Pt.-to-Pt.

Broker-based Metadata Strategy Reuse: High Central

End-to-End Tracking: Yes, CentralIntegration at Broker

Lookup Info: Must publish to BrokerMapping: Two or more

Bandwidth Required: HighestComputing: Central; Big Iron

Impact of Changes: HighPt.-to-Pt. Real-time: No

Technology Solution

Central & Distributed data processing Common Pt.-to-Pt. MechanismEnterprise Metadata Strategy

Reuse: Much OpportunityEnd-to-End Tracking: Services

Integration at Point of UseLookup Info: Kept at Domain

Mapping: OnceBandwidth Required: LowestComputing: Distributed Load

Impact of Changes: LowPt.-to-Pt. Real-time: Yes

Business Solution

Ad Hoc

Distributed data processing Simple Pt.-to-Pt.

No Metadata Strategy Reuse: Little OpportunityEnd-to-End Tracking: LowIntegration at Point of Use

Lookup Info: Kept at DomainMapping: Only Once

Bandwidth Required: LowestComputing: Distributed Load

Impact of Changes: LowPt.-to-Pt. Real-time: Yes

Immediate Solution

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Enterprise Information Services Layer Mapping using EISL, ‘Help from Above’ to Registry for semantic interpretations

Mapping using EISL, ‘Help from Above’ to Registry for semantic interpretations

Uses same registry to align concepts; architectures, layers, processes, messages, etc. from:

• conceptual to conceptual• conceptual to physical• physical to physical

Uses same registry to align concepts; architectures, layers, processes, messages, etc. from:

• conceptual to conceptual• conceptual to physical• physical to physical

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Summary• Architecture is critical to a successful enterprise

• There is not one way, but many ways of capturing, describing, discussing facets of an enterprise architecture

• Architecture spans horizontally across an entity's life cycle and vertically through many resolutions

• Semantic alignment is crucial for communication, and achieved via a business’ ontology stored in a registry

• EISL is an example architecture du jour, tomorrow change will effect some, if not many of the components

• To be successful, metadata artifacts need to be seen as a critical business asset

• Only context-based mechanisms will develop the required knowledge capital and position the enterprise for change