1. General Adaptation Framework
IOG

2. Contents
Adaptation in brief
GAF overview
Data Representation Standards
Semantic Adaptation
Adapter Software Design

3. Adaptation in brief

4. Adaptation as a general concept
There is a diversity of heterogeneous systems, applications, data formats and ways of interaction;
All those systems were tailored for particular tasks, purposes and goals;
The world is heterogeneous and we face the challenge trying to integrate heterogeneous systems into a unified environment;
The “Smart Resource” project has encountered exactly such kind of a problem.

5. General Adaptation
“General adaptation” assumes a design of a sufficient framework for an integration of different (by structure and nature) resources into Global Understanding eNvironment (GUN).
This environment will provide a mutual interaction between heterogeneous resources.
Adaptation assumes elaboration of a common mechanism for a new resource integration, and its provision with a unified way of interaction.

6. Adapter concept
The main idea of adaptation is based on a concept of “adapter”, which plays role of a bridge between an internal representation of resource and a unified environment.
Adapter is a software component, which provides a bidirectional link between a resource interface and an interface of the environment.

7. Adaptation of SmartResource
GUN assumes interoperability of SmartResources;
By Smart Resource we mean a conjunction of Real World Resource (RWR), Adapter and Agent;
By extending RWR within Adapter and Agent we make it GUN compatible;
General Adaptation includes development of Adapter for RWR.

8. GAF overview

9. We assume dividing a design of the framework into two layers:
GAF goals
We intend to design a common framework for adaptation of heterogeneous resources.
We assume dividing a design of the framework into two layers:
Structured software design for modules, classes, behavior and protocols;
Semantic adaptation of different formalizations of the industrial maintenance domain edges.

10. GAF components MODEL Submodels: Adapter Functionality
Data representation standards
Software interfaces
Semantic Adaptation (data mapping model)
Adapter Configuration Properties
PROCESS
Subprocesses:
Adapter Development
Adapter Composition
Adapter Deployment
Adapter Operation
TOOL SET
Tools, which provide an UI for specification of problem domain features according to the GAF model; support of activity within GAF process and corresponding users
SCENARIOS
Roles of participants in Adaptation Processes and their interaction with Tools and submodels

11. Process Description Template:
Processes in detail
Process Description Template:
Preconditions for process start
Process execution
Result

12. Adapter Operation Process
Pre-conditions
Deployed Adapter
Process description
Automated on-line interoperability and data mapping between Agent and RWResource
Result
GUN-compatible Resource

13. Adapter Deployment Process
Pre-conditions
Composed Adapter
Process description
Specification of Adapter runtime property values according to a submodel of Adapter Configuration Properties;
Adapter Installation.
Result
Deployed Adapter, ready to operate

14. Adapter Composition Process
Pre-conditions
New combination of interoperating modules (e.g. another Network connection standard) or/and
New data schema for already supported data model occurrence
Process description
Software Modules Composition:
Modules selection;
Modules assembling;
Adapter Functionality Semantic Specification.
Semantic adaptation:
New class definition (resource declaration in the ontology)
Creation of new properties for a new class (if needed)
Device’s interface properties definition (connection type, data types, etc. Taken from ontology)
Mapping of resource’s data representation to RscDF data representation
Result
Composed (Deployable) Adapter
Specified Adapter Functionality
Adapter Configuration Properties template (allowed values, etc.)

15. Adapter Development Process
Pre-conditions
RWResource with a specified interface and a data format
Access to Semantic Adaptation, Data representation standards, Software interface models
Ontology mapping/editing tool (mapping to already existent standards of communication and data representation)
Process description
Software development process
Semantic annotation of the Developed Modules
Result
Software modules for data access or transformation
Documented and registered in ontology

16. Data Representation Standards

17. Family of Standards
Arbitrary number of standards exist, which define each other on different levels of abstraction and thus form a hierarchy:
Standard n
define …
Standard 2
define
Standard 1
define
Formal data
representation

18. XML data representation
Problems
domain
Problem domain
XML Schema Specifications
XML Schema
XML Specifications
XML document

19. Database Data Representation
Problems
domain
Problem domain
Relational Model
SQL
DDL Specification
DB Schema
DML Specification
Content of DB

20. Semantic Data Representation
Problems
domain
Problem domain
OWL/RDFS Specifications
RDF Schema/Ontology
RDF Specifications
RDF document

21. Arbitrary Data Representation
Problem
domain
Problem domain
Concrete
Abstract
Model Specification
Domain specific model
Data Representation
Syntax Specification
Domain specific data

22. Nested Models
More abstract models define more specific ones. In different cases arbitrary number of models can be found in chains and layers
Domain
Domain …
Domain
Abstract
Concrete …
Model Specification
Model Specification
Domain specific model

23. Model2Model Adaptation
Semantic Adaptation results in a mapping of data encoded according to one model to another model of data representation
Model 1
Model 2
adaptation
Encoded Data
Encoded Data

24. Possible Formalization of Domain
Problem domain
DB Schema
RDF Schema/Ontology
XML Schema
Content of DB
RDF document
XML document
Relational
model
OWL/RDFS/RDF
XML

25. OWL Specification as a language for RscDF Schema
RDFS Specification as a language for RscDF Schema
RscDF Schema of the maintenance domain
RscDF document with encoded data
RDF Specification as a language for data representation in RscDF document
XML as a language of RscDF Schema and document serialization

26. Semantic Adaptation

27. Semantic Adaptation
During the data transformation process, Data Transformer involves format’s metadata (schemas) and transformation rules.
Schemas, rules and underlying ontologies constitute the semantic adaptation.

28. Semantic Adaptation tasks
Semantic Adaptation defines a functionality to work with semantics of:
Adapter Functionality (Services provided by the adapter)
Data representation standards and models of the adapted systems
Software interfaces standards of the adapted systems
Configuration properties of the adapter runtime environment
Semantic Adaptation uses an Ontology-based approach to define the semantics mentioned above:
This involves associating commonly understood meaning to the definition of adapter properties, functionality, configuration, and associated meta-data standards

29. Semantic Adaptation Stages
Analysis of problem domain and elaboration of a conceptual model;
Analysis of data representation formats;
Analysis of corresponding metadata (particular Database schema, for instance);
Analysis of a standard’s specification (e.g. XML Schema Specification standard);
Elaboration of the model for transformations of particular standards of data representation;
Specification of data mapping rules;
Choosing and/or Development of the mechanism or tool of transformation (appropriate patterns, APIs etc).

30. Semantic Adaptation Stages (Example)
Conceptual model elaboration
Domain description:
Paper machine produces paper, uses cellulose …
Domain decomposition
Entities, classes, properties, relations, behavior …
Domain formalization
ER diagrams, UML, Ontology
Description
Decomposition
Formalization

31. Semantic Adaptation Stages (Example)
Analysis of data representation format
What data format is:
XML, text file, Excel table, Oracle data base…
What API could be used to process:
SQL queries, Java DOM API, XQquery…
Data’s access methods:
JDBC, OLE …
What standards are used to represent a format:
ASCII, W3C family standards …
XML format
Processed by
Access by
Standard
XQuery
Java API
W3C family

32. Semantic Adaptation Stages (Example)
Metadata analysis
What structure a schema has:
Elements, relationship, types…
Possible variations:
XML tags or values…
Hierarchy of elements and restrictions:
Nesting of classes, range…
Analysis
SmartResource is subclass of Class
It has SmartMessage as ancestor
Range: enumeral types
<message title=“simple”></message>
or <message>
<title>simple</title>
</message>

33. Semantic Adaptation Stages (Example)
Analysis of standard
What standard specification is:
Syntax, vendors, schema…
What formal theory exist:
Relational algebra, frame model…
What methods of transformation exist:
XSLT, productions rules…
Capabilities and restrictions:
Possibilities of formalization, querying …
Analysis
- Relational theory
- SQL97 standard
- Relational algebra (selection,
projection, join)
- transformable to object model,
XML model

34. Semantic Adaptation Stages (Example)
Model of transformation
What approaches of a transformation exist:
XSLT, piping…
What are the source/target resources:
XHTML to XML, Oracle DBMS to XML,
XML to RDF…
Possibility for further extension:
Costs of extension during evolution…
Role of metadata:
Schema integration, compatibility … B A C
- A can be transformed to C with XSLT
A is the XML file, C is an RDF file
A’s schema is dynamic
Schemas are interoperable

35. Semantic Adaptation Stages (Example)
Data mapping rules
What is the protocol of transformation:
Elements and types matching…
What is rule’s format representation:
Ontology, XSLT…
Manual or semiautomatic matching
Rules engine
1. Entity “Person ” correspond to tag <person>
2. Entity “Salary” corresponds to property “Income”

36. Semantic Adaptation Stages (Example)
Mechanism of transformation
What possible approaches are there:
Tolls, APIs, Services…
What is the cost of particular approach:
Time for development, price of product…
Interoperability and extensibility of chosen approach:
Supported platforms, extensible API …
- Shall we use ready tools or develop from scratch?
- What API could be used in transformation? (XSLT, SAX, DOM)?
- What functionality must be implemented (XML to RDF or more)?

37. RSCDF transformation into particular standard
How it could work
One of the approach of adaptation is serializing RSCDF format
into intermediate well standardized and elaborated format. As the basis,
it’s intended to use XML format for this approach.
Database
RSCDF format
in GUN
XML
XML
IDE (Electronic Data
Interchange)
RSCDF transformation into particular standard
HTML
Possible solution: Design and development of unified mechanism of transformation
RSCDF into XML format and vice versa

38. Set of XSLT style sheets
How it could work
Design and development of transformation mechanism from RSCDF to XML format, which will allow to map schemas and data from RSCDF to XML.
There are some projects which have elaborated pilot methods of transformation RDF to XML ( Since RSCDF is enhanced subset of RDF it’s possible to adopt these methods.
RDF model
and XPath expressions
RDF
context
XML
context
Set of XSLT style sheets
The transformation is carried out by either
replacements of XPATH expressions or by the set of
XSLT style sheets

39. XML to other formats transformation
How it could work
XML to other formats transformation
Once the mechanism of transformation from RSCDF to XML and XML to RSCDF has been designed it’s possible to use standard approaches for future transformation
Other formats
XML
XML
XHTML
RDBMS
Choosing the XML format as the start point will allow to unify process of adaptation

40. How it could work Mapping XML to XML XML to XML transformation
based upon two XML schemas.
It’s also might be necessary to perform some processing functions to pipe data from source to target.

41. Mapping XML to relational model
How it could work
Mapping XML to relational model
The process of mapping
starts from the loading
of database scheme and
XML scheme.
Then engineer manually fulfils matching between XML elements and database entities.
While mapping it might be
necessary to use processing
functions.

42. Ontology 2 Ontology transformation
Ideal case:
transformation
World
Ontology
Corresponds to world ontology
O 1 t
O 2 t t t
O 3
O n

43. Ontology 2 Ontology transformation
When all domain descriptions refer to common vocabulary (World ontology), mapping can be done explicitly
However incompleteness of one ontology may cause inability to transform in both directions

44. P2P ontology mapping
One ontology is mapped to other manually or in semi-automatic way
Mapping rules construction may meet following problems:
Different expert vision of problem domain
Models may be inconsistent conceptually
Paradigms the models are based on may cause hardly convertible schemas
O 1
O 2

45. Adapter to particular standard
Formats and structures of data review:
Flat files (ASCII text files)
Tables (Excel)
Trees and taxonomies (xml, ontology-files)
Marked up structures (HTML)
Relational model (RDBMS)
Object model (Classes and objects)
Compound structure (any mixed specific structures)

46. Generic model mapping schema
Model mapping tool
(schema mapping)
Model mapping tool
(schema mapping)
Model A
Model B …
Data transformation
(reusable part)
Data
Data transformation
(reusable part) …
Target
model
Model mapping tool
(schema mapping)
Model N
Data transformation
(reusable part)

47. Model mapping scheme … … XML Schema DB model XML document DB content
Model mapping tool
(schema mapping)
Document transformation
(reusable part)
Model mapping tool
(schema mapping)
XML Schema
DB model …
XML document
Document/
content transformation
(reusable part)
DB content
RscDF-schema …
RscDF document
Model mapping tool
(schema mapping) …
Data transformation
(reusable part)

48. Document transformation
RscDF 2 XML Schema mapping tool
XML Schema 2 DB model mapping tool
XML document DB …
Document transformation
(reusable part)
Document transformation
(reusable part)
RscDF-document …
Model mapping tool
(schema mapping) …
Document transformation
(reusable part)

49. Existent Mapping tools
Existent tools:
RDBMS 2 XML Schema
XML 2 XML (XSLT)
RDF 2 XML
etc

50. Automation Problem Statement
It is evident that fully automated semantic adaptation cannot be implemented
The question is what level of automation is possible and how achieve it

51. Automation of Semantic Adaptation
With given unambiguous semantic description resources become machine processable, hence automated adapter composition is possible
However unambiguous semantic description requires human to map the meaning of concepts and relations unless there is already existent common ontology
The tools will be needed to simplify the process of mapping for human
Tools will use faceted classification, adapted for each particular domain in order to make easily accessible the most relevant concepts

52. Automated Semantic Adaptation
case1: Explicit mapping (human assisted)
case2: Shared ontology (both resources use same ontology or at least are mapped to it)
case3: Shared ontology lookup & composition (may be wrapped as a service or implemented as an embedded functionality)

53. Adapter as Software Design

54. Adapter Design Adapter Adapter Concrete Implementation using
Transformator
Adapter Concrete
Implementation using
integration patterns
Parser
Parser
Resource
API
Agent
API
Adapter
Transformator
Network Connection
Network Connection
Parser
Parser
Resource
API
Agent
API
Adapter Backbone
Abstract Design
using structural and
behavioral patterns
Network Connection
Network Connection

55. Adapter Complexity Simplification
Use model based software development techniques
Pre-defined software abstractions based on integration and design patterns provide a robust framework for developing adapters
Partitioning logic of adaptation to multiple adapters even for one resource
Integration function (Connection, Parsing, Transformation, etc.)
Support function (System Logging, Error handling, Audit Trail, etc.)
Reuse all external transformers instead of developing transformer functionality in each adapter

56. Design Issues
This part of design includes techniques and methods for software development of components and modules
Different approaches exist for reusable and well structured software design - such as structural patterns, design patterns, etc
Pattern approach allows to elaborate well-thought abstract adapter design with further reuse of it for concrete adapter implementation

57. Example Structural Pattern
Data Piping Pattern
Data
Extractor
Transformer
Data Source
Data Target
Loader
For application to application adaptation “Data piping” pattern
could be used
Each component of this pattern is responsible for particular function

58. Structural Pattern
Data Piping Pattern
Data
Extractor
Transformer
Data Source
Data Target
Loader
Data extractor is responsible for getting/extracting data from
source resource. Since we have heterogeneous resources with
diversity of access methods (RS 232, Bluetooth, WLAN, LAN,
etc), formats of data and APIs, each Data Extractor module
must be developed for particular source of data.

59. Structural Pattern
Data Piping Pattern
Data
Extractor
Data
Transformer
Data
Loader
Data Source
Data Target
After data extraction they are piped to the Data Transformer module. Data Transformer performs transformation evolving
metadata of formats (schemas) and data transformations rules.
Format’s metadata (schema) with data transformation rules
(mapping) together constitute semantic adaptation.

60. Structural Pattern
Data Piping Pattern
Data
Extractor
Transformer
Data Source
Data Target
Loader
After transformation process, data are ready to be stored
in appropriate place. Data Loader performs this function.

61. CONCLUSIONS

62. Stage of project progress
According to the first stage of the project we have distinguished tasks for general adaptation framework implementation such as: elaborating software design for generic adapter and possible solutions of semantic adaptation.
It was designed general class structure of adapter and considered different approaches of data and software adaptation.

63. Further work Design the architecture of adapter components
Design the mechanism of assembling of adapter components
Analyzing the roles of participants in adaptation processes and their interaction
Development the tools which provide UI for data semantic adaptation
Implementation of Device Adapter for Metso case