1. Information Modeling Perspective & Summary Russell Peak Senior Researcher Manufacturing Research Center Georgia Tech Extended Lecture Shinshu University · Nagano City, Japan April 22, 2002

2. 2 Information Hierarchy & Engineering IT - Informal Definitions Adapted from Yee Hsun U, Gintic, Singapore Information Hierarchy Model Relative Absolute Information Technology (IT) is the technology of modeling, archival, retrieval & distribution, organizing & processing, and further creation of intelligence, knowledge, information and data based on the Information Hierarchy model. Engineering IT is the enabling Information Technology, combined with domain technology and knowledge, to solve engineering and engineering-related problems. Intelligence Knowledge Information Data Usefulness Interpreted Organized + structure + relations + application In this short course context, the term “information” is used generically to include all the above unless otherwise noted.

3. 3 Information modelling u Information modelling is to capture the characteristics of a real world object or process using a formalised notation. u Information modelling is important to be able to capture, use, and exchange information –It is a model that rarely (ever?) captures 100% reality –Can make a given model adequate for a given set of purposes (i.e., questions and tasks it needs to support) –Can have multiple models of varying fidelity –Trade-offs: fidelity/capability vs. complexity/ease-of-use vs. cost Based on Source: http://www.epmtech.jotne.com

4. 4 Information modelling (cont.) u Non-IT examples of information modelling: –Speech (meaning) is modelled via textual language (letters forming words that are combined according to a grammar) –Enables capture, usage, and exchange of speech (meaning) using a non-audio medium. –Can be exact (as in legal contracts) or intentionally vague (as in poetry) u Music is also modelled using a limited set of symbols Based on Source: http://www.epmtech.jotne.com

5. 5 Real World Telephone number Name of person Address Street City ENTITY PERSON; name: STRING; lives_in: Address; owns: Telephone; END_ENTITY; ENTITY Telephone; no : INTEGER; END_ENTITY; ENTITY Address; street: STRING; city: STRING; END_ENTITY; Person STRING name Address lives_in STRING street city Telephone owns INTEGER no Represents An abstraction of the real world Abstraction (Model) Based on Source: http://www.epmtech.jotne.com

6. 6 Multi-fidelity Models & Content Sufficiency Example: Supporting age in a people information model How old are you? u In years: –fidelity 1:age = current year - year of birth... –fidelity 2:also consider: is today before/after birthday? u In days: –fidelity 3:do not consider leap years –fidelity 4:consider leap years u In hours: –fidelity 5:consider time zone –fidelity 6:consider planetary orbit adjustments u In seconds: –fidelity 7:is sufficiently accurate data available? Model content depends on: a) operations to be supported (including questions to be answered ) b) desired accuracy c) available resources Can have various calculation methods for each fidelity level