Human-Centred Knowledge-Based Model Access Service for Engineers Peter Katranuschkov & Alexander Gehre TU Dresden, Germany CIB W78 Conference Aarhus

P. Katranuschkov, A. Gehre CIB W78 Conference Aarhus Outline MASMAS Knowledge-Based Model Access Service = MAS 1. Background 2. Objectives 3. Architecture 4. Services – Basic – Advanced (Reasoning agent, Ontology Browser) – Example (Browser Walkthrough) 5. Conclusions

P. Katranuschkov, A. Gehre CIB W78 Conference Aarhus Background MAS is being developed in the frames of the EU project ISTforCE (IST , Feb – September 2002) Main ISTforCE deliverable: Open collaboration environment where end users and providers of eng. information, services and tools can meet Achievements in ISTforCE strongly supported by MAS: –Human-centred instead of project-centred environment –Multi-project support –Flexible product data exchange and sharing –Infrastructure for on-line e-Business, including legal and financial aspects of the collaboration process MAS is a self-contained system but its functionality is fully unfolded only through the integration with the other infrastructure services of the ISTforCE platform

P. Katranuschkov, A. Gehre CIB W78 Conference Aarhus ISTforCE Core Information Services MAS within the ISTforCE platform Project Infrastructure Services Multi-Project Integration Services Generic Infrastructure Services peopleprojectsservicescompanies PDMSEDMS...ECSTOS... PPS Remote (Rental) Engineering Services CAD / CAFMAnalysis Tools... ISTforCE RES MAS

P. Katranuschkov, A. Gehre CIB W78 Conference Aarhus ISTforCE Core Information Services MAS within the ISTforCE platform Project Infrastructure Services Multi-Project Integration Services Generic Infrastructure Services services EDMS...TOS... Remote (Rental) Engineering Services ISTforCE RES CAD / CAFMAnalysis Tools... PPSMAS peopleprojectscompanies PDMSECS

P. Katranuschkov, A. Gehre CIB W78 Conference Aarhus ISTforCE Core Information Services MAS within the ISTforCE platform Project Infrastructure Services Multi-Project Integration Services Generic Infrastructure Services services EDMS...TOS... Remote (Rental) Engineering Services MAS ISTforCE RES CAD / CAFMAnalysis Tools... PPS ECSPDMS peopleprojectscompanies

P. Katranuschkov, A. Gehre CIB W78 Conference Aarhus MAS Objectives Central access point for product model services based on IFC and STEP/EXPRESS User-friendly management of product models –Transparent access to different Product Data Servers –Set of functions for product data processing on model / object / attribute level –Advanced knowledge based functionality (sophisticated queries, request interpretation, solvers) –Intelligent product model browsing Enabling model access to a wide range of clients using different communication paradigms

P. Katranuschkov, A. Gehre CIB W78 Conference Aarhus Sun EJB Framework Information Logic (EJB Cont.) Presentation Logic (Web Container) MAS Architecture Explanation Component Front - End (Servlets, JSP, HTML) Product Data Servers Core Information Services MAS Clients ( Local Appl., RES, Web-Browser ) Product Data Controller Client Adapters (RMI-IIOP, CORBA) Reasoning Agent Product Model & Ontology Provider Access Control Interface (XML/HTTP)

P. Katranuschkov, A. Gehre CIB W78 Conference Aarhus Basic Services SPF-based product model access -upload and download of product models using a standard Web Browser or a MAS Client Adapter -generalized access to different project-specific product data servers supported by information provided by the Core Information Server -Integrated Persistent Model Cache to efficiently support consistency and version management w.r.t. the plugged-in product data servers Product data access on object / attribute level -generic access methods for simple filtering / inspection / querying / retrieval / modification of objects and their attributes using appropriate RPC mechanisms (Client Adapters) T hese basic services are essential for the advanced MAS functions and for the integration of client applications

P. Katranuschkov, A. Gehre CIB W78 Conference Aarhus Reasoning Agent Solver response Advanced Services: Reasoning Agent request Solution Provider Request Interpreter III III MAS integrated Product Model Server

P. Katranuschkov, A. Gehre CIB W78 Conference Aarhus Advanced Services: Engineering Ontology Translation of the strictly formalised IFC data structures to an engineering vocabulary Definitions completely based on the XML standard (uses XML Schema as baseline) Open extensible specification Real time mapping between the EO definitions and the underlying IFC 2x model Easy to learn and use client-side Ontology Browser

P. Katranuschkov, A. Gehre CIB W78 Conference Aarhus Engineering Ontology Information Flow navigate, access operations uses EO Presentation Schema (xslt) and Java Server Pages (jsp) to create Presentation Documents (html) Web Container EO Repr. Instance IFC to EO mappings MAS - PDS provides the IFC product model data IFC Engineer‘s Web Browser HTML document with browsing / navigation functionality render Ontology Repository EO Definition (xml) EO Specification Schema (xsd) EO Extended Specification (xsd) Explanation Component Ontology Provider add/update validate specifications uses the Ontology Repository to create an EO Representation Instance (xml) on the basis of IFC model data Ontology Interpreter EO specifications

P. Katranuschkov, A. Gehre CIB W78 Conference Aarhus MAS Explanation Component: Walkthrough

P. Katranuschkov, A. Gehre CIB W78 Conference Aarhus MAS Explanation Component: Walkthrough

P. Katranuschkov, A. Gehre CIB W78 Conference Aarhus MAS Explanation Component: Walkthrough

P. Katranuschkov, A. Gehre CIB W78 Conference Aarhus MAS Explanation Component: Walkthrough

P. Katranuschkov, A. Gehre CIB W78 Conference Aarhus MAS Explanation Component: Walkthrough

P. Katranuschkov, A. Gehre CIB W78 Conference Aarhus MAS Explanation Component: Walkthrough

P. Katranuschkov, A. Gehre CIB W78 Conference Aarhus MAS Explanation Component: Walkthrough

P. Katranuschkov, A. Gehre CIB W78 Conference Aarhus MAS Explanation Component: Walkthrough

P. Katranuschkov, A. Gehre CIB W78 Conference Aarhus MAS Explanation Component: Walkthrough

P. Katranuschkov, A. Gehre CIB W78 Conference Aarhus MAS Explanation Component: Walkthrough Geometry view Still under development …

P. Katranuschkov, A. Gehre CIB W78 Conference Aarhus Summary: Achievements Revisited Human-centred instead of project-centred environmentHuman-centred instead of project-centred environment transparent access to product data services, intelligent ontology-based browsing capabilities, personal planning support Multi-project supportMulti-project support access to multiple product servers for multiple projects Flexible product data exchange and sharingFlexible product data exchange and sharing broad range of functions for full/partial model exchange and sharing, advanced add-on functionality based on agent technology, open architecture for further ext. Infrastructure for on-line e-Business, including legal and financial aspects of the collaboration processInfrastructure for on-line e-Business, including legal and financial aspects of the collaboration process integrated authentication and access control features

We must either institute conventional forms of expression or else pretend that we have nothing to express. - George Santayana, Soliloquies in England Thank you for your attention