Realizing OPM Realizing OPM PhilosophyPhilosophy

in the Context of in the Context of Full Life- Cycle Full Life- Cycle

SupportSupportAvi SofferAvi Soffer

Technion, Israel Institute of TechnologyTechnion, Israel Institute of Technology

Thesis Advisor: Prof. Dov DoriThesis Advisor: Prof. Dov Dori

SwSTE’03 Herzlia, Israel November, 2003

November, 20032 IEEE Software International Conference

Realizing OPM PhilosophyRealizing OPM Philosophyin the Context of Full Life Cycle in the Context of Full Life Cycle

SupportSupport Talk OutlineTalk Outline

When philosophy meets engineering …When philosophy meets engineering …

OPM and its philosophyOPM and its philosophy Systems life cycle Systems life cycle Main ArgumentMain Argument: There are : There are difficulties in thedifficulties in the realization of the OPM philosophy in realization of the OPM philosophy in the the context of Full Life Cycle Supportcontext of Full Life Cycle Support The proposed solution: The proposed solution: The Model Continuity The Model Continuity PrincipalPrincipal

November, 20033 IEEE Software International Conference

What is Object-Process What is Object-Process MethodologyMethodology (OPM) (OPM) ??

A comprehensive systems modeling A comprehensive systems modeling and development methodologyand development methodology

Major features:Major features: Integration of structure, function, and Integration of structure, function, and

behavior into a single, unified model behavior into a single, unified model Bi-modal expression of the model: Bi-modal expression of the model:

diagrams and semantically equivalent diagrams and semantically equivalent natural languagenatural language

November, 20034 IEEE Software International Conference

Objects and Processes Have Objects and Processes Have Equal Significance in an OPM Equal Significance in an OPM

ModelModel OBJECT

A thing that exists

PROCESS A thing that transforms

objects

STATE Describes the

object’s situation

November, 20035 IEEE Software International Conference

System Life CycleSystem Life Cycle

AssimilationAssimilation UsageUsage MaintenanceMaintenance

DeploymentDeployment

AnalysisAnalysis DesignDesign Implementation and TestingImplementation and Testing

DevelopmentDevelopment

IdentifyingIdentifying ConceivingConceiving Requirements ElicitationRequirements Elicitation

InitiationInitiation

November, 20036 IEEE Software International Conference

System Life Cycle Evolution System Life Cycle Evolution ModelModel

November, 20037 IEEE Software International Conference

OPM Complexity OPM Complexity ManagementManagement

System modeling at any desired level of System modeling at any desired level of detaildetail

Flexible combinations of three Flexible combinations of three abstraction/refinement scaling abstraction/refinement scaling mechanisms:mechanisms: (Visibility) Out-zooming/In-zooming(Visibility) Out-zooming/In-zooming (Hierarchy) Folding/Unfolding(Hierarchy) Folding/Unfolding (Manifestation) (Manifestation)

Suppressing/ExpressingSuppressing/Expressing

November, 20038 IEEE Software International Conference

Zooming into System Zooming into System Developing PhaseDeveloping Phase

November, 20039 IEEE Software International Conference

The Essence of System The Essence of System DevelopmentDevelopment

Modeling the system in specific stages of Modeling the system in specific stages of developmentdevelopment Creation ofCreation of Conceptual models Conceptual models that represent the that represent the

system in the different stages system in the different stages Production of artifacts that are pertinent to each Production of artifacts that are pertinent to each

stagestage

Each model highlights a particular view of the Each model highlights a particular view of the system for a certain audience:system for a certain audience: Function / BehaviorFunction / Behavior Human interface Human interface Structure /Architecture Structure /Architecture DesignDesign Implementation.Implementation.

November, 200310 IEEE Software International Conference

What is the ProblemWhat is the Problem??

The stage’s conceptual models differ in:The stage’s conceptual models differ in: The domain and ontology they are founded The domain and ontology they are founded

upon upon The level of abstraction they expressThe level of abstraction they express Their interfaces with the relevant Their interfaces with the relevant

stakeholdersstakeholders Consequence: Consequence: discontinuity of discontinuity of information flowinformation flow

form the complete life-cycle form the complete life-cycle perspectiveperspective

November, 200311 IEEE Software International Conference

The Problem:The Problem:Discontinuity of Information Discontinuity of Information

FlowFlow

Tower of Babel Tower of Babel

November, 200312 IEEE Software International Conference

The OPMThe OPM PhilosophyPhilosophyThe OPM philosophy is that the same system The OPM philosophy is that the same system model that was started in the initiation model that was started in the initiation phase is gradually developed all the way to phase is gradually developed all the way to the deployment phase, and the transitions the deployment phase, and the transitions between the system's lifecycle phases are between the system's lifecycle phases are gradual and smooth rather than abrupt.gradual and smooth rather than abrupt.

Main ArgumentMain Argument There are difficulties in the realization of There are difficulties in the realization of OPM’s smoothOPM’s smooth transition philosophy.transition philosophy.

The reasonThe reason Information gapsInformation gaps along the system's along the system's Life-CycleLife-Cycle Evolution model. Evolution model.

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The System Development The System Development PhasePhase

November, 200314 IEEE Software International Conference

Analysis of the Information Analysis of the Information Gap in the System Gap in the System

Development PhaseDevelopment Phase

Models are based on different ontologiesModels are based on different ontologies Refer to concepts and entities that Refer to concepts and entities that belong tobelong to

separate domains.separate domains.

SpecificationSpecification

WhatWhat needs to be needs to be donedone

ProblemProblem domain domain

ImplementationImplementation

HowHow it is done it is done

SolutionSolution domaindomain

November, 200315 IEEE Software International Conference

The Model Continuity The Model Continuity PrinciplePrinciple

GoalGoal A single unified model that supports life cycle A single unified model that supports life cycle

evolutionevolution Seamless transition between various conceptual Seamless transition between various conceptual

models that represent the different stages of the models that represent the different stages of the life cycle life cycle

What is required?What is required? A connection mechanismA connection mechanism

What does this mechanism do?What does this mechanism do? Facilitates consistent modeling of the Facilitates consistent modeling of the system's system's specification and its implementation.specification and its implementation.

November, 200316 IEEE Software International Conference

Attributes of the ConnectorAttributes of the Connector Maintains the relationshipsMaintains the relationships between between

individual elements of the connected individual elements of the connected modelsmodels

Supports bi-directional transformationSupports bi-directional transformation to allow traversal of the different stage to allow traversal of the different stage models from any point in any directionmodels from any point in any direction

Implementation of each connector is Implementation of each connector is dependent upon the detailsdependent upon the details of the of the source and destination modelssource and destination models

November, 200317 IEEE Software International Conference

Potential ApplicationsPotential Applications EnhancingEnhancing OPCAT OPCAT: an OPM-based : an OPM-based

Integrated Software Engineering Integrated Software Engineering Environment (I-SEE)Environment (I-SEE)

Better handling of system development Better handling of system development issues in the areas of:issues in the areas of: Requirements engineeringRequirements engineering Verification and validation Verification and validation Change managementChange management ReuseReuse Round-trip engineeringRound-trip engineering Process management and control.Process management and control.

November, 200318 IEEE Software International Conference

ConclusionConclusion OPM advocates the integration of the OPM advocates the integration of the

various life-cycle system aspects into a various life-cycle system aspects into a single modelsingle model..

There are There are information gapsinformation gaps between the between the conceptual models that represent the conceptual models that represent the different aspects of the system as it is different aspects of the system as it is being developed. being developed.

Bridging these gaps will enable full Bridging these gaps will enable full implementation of OPM’s life-cycle implementation of OPM’s life-cycle smooth transition philosophysmooth transition philosophy..

November, 200319 IEEE Software International Conference

Thank YouThank You!!www.ObjectProcess.orgwww.ObjectProcess.org

Avi Soffer