An Ontological Matching Approach for Enterprise Architecture Model Analysis

Enterprise architecture aligns business and information technology through the management of different elements and domains. Performing an integrated analysis of EA models using automated techniques is necessary when EA model representations grow in complexity, in order to support, for example, benchmarking of business processes or assessing compliance with requirements. Moreover, heterogeneity challenges arise from the frequent usage of multiple modelling languages, each based on a specific meta-model that cross-cuts distinct architectural domains. The motivation of this paper is, therefore, to investigate to what extent ontology matching techniques can be used as a means to improve the execution of automated analysis of EA model representations, based on the syntax, structure and semantic heterogeneities of these models. For that, we used AgreementMakerLight, an ontology matching system, to evaluate the matching of EA models based on the ArchiMate and BPMN languages.

[1]  Mathias Weske,et al.  A Foundational Approach for Managing Process Variability , 2011, CAiSE.

[2]  Heiner Stuckenschmidt,et al.  Results of the Ontology Alignment Evaluation Initiative 2007 , 2006, OM.

[3]  Aris M. Ouksel,et al.  A classification of semantic conflicts in heterogeneous database systems , 1995, J. Organ. Comput..

[4]  Jérôme Euzenat,et al.  Ontology Matching: State of the Art and Future Challenges , 2013, IEEE Transactions on Knowledge and Data Engineering.

[5]  Dimitris Karagiannis,et al.  Facilitate Modelling Using Method Integration: An Approach Using Mappings and Integration Rules , 2007, ECIS.

[6]  José Luis Borbinha,et al.  A Modular Ontology for the Enterprise Architecture Domain , 2013, 2013 17th IEEE International Enterprise Distributed Object Computing Conference Workshops.

[7]  Alon Y. Halevy,et al.  Introduction to the special issue on semantic integration , 2004, SGMD.

[8]  Yun Lin,et al.  Semantic Annotation for Process Models: Facilitating Process Knowledge Management via Semantic Interoperability , 2008 .

[9]  Michael Rosemann,et al.  Developing a meta model for the Bunge-Wand-Weber ontological constructs , 2002, Inf. Syst..

[10]  Birger Lantow.  On the Heterogeneity of Enterprise Models: ArchiMate and Troux Semantics , 2014, 2014 IEEE 18th International Enterprise Distributed Object Computing Conference Workshops and Demonstrations.

[11]  Remco M. Dijkman,et al.  Measuring Similarity between Business Process Models , 2008, CAiSE.

[12]  Maria-Eugenia Iacob,et al.  ArchiMate 2.0 Specification , 2012 .

[13]  Fausto Giunchiglia,et al.  S-Match: An open source framework for matching lightweight ontologies , 2012, Semantic Web.

[14]  Paolo Tonella,et al.  Reasoning on Semantically Annotated Processes , 2008, ICSOC.

[15]  Matthias Lange,et al.  An Experts' Perspective on Enterprise Architecture Goals, Framework Adoption and Benefit Assessment , 2011, 2011 IEEE 15th International Enterprise Distributed Object Computing Conference Workshops.

[16]  Isabel F. Cruz,et al.  AgreementMakerLight results for OAEI 2013 , 2013, OM.

[17]  Dimitris Karagiannis,et al.  Enterprise Model Integration , 2003, EC-Web.

[18]  Jos de Bruijn,et al.  Information Integration with Ontologies: Experiences from an Industrial Showcase , 2005 .

[19]  Wolfgang Klas,et al.  A survey of techniques for achieving metadata interoperability , 2010, CSUR.

[20]  Krzysztof Czarnecki,et al.  Matching business process workflows across abstraction levels , 2012, MODELS'12.

[21]  Lars Nordström,et al.  Enterprise Architecture: A Framework Supporting System Quality Analysis , 2007, 11th IEEE International Enterprise Distributed Object Computing Conference (EDOC 2007).

[22]  Lorena Otero-Cerdeira,et al.  Ontology matching: A literature review , 2015, Expert Syst. Appl..

[23]  Peter Loos,et al.  The Process Model Matching Contest 2015 , 2013, EMISA.

[24]  Robert Winter,et al.  Analysis and Application Scenarios of Enterprise Architecture: An Exploratory Study , 2006, 2006 10th IEEE International Enterprise Distributed Object Computing Conference Workshops (EDOCW'06).

[25]  Marc M. Lankhorst,et al.  Enterprise Architecture at Work - Modelling, Communication and Analysis, 2nd Edition , 2005, The Enterprise Engineering Series.

[26]  Heiner Stuckenschmidt,et al.  A Pattern-based Ontology Matching Approach for Detecting Complex Correspondences , 2009, OM.

[27]  Remco M. Dijkman,et al.  Report: The Process Model Matching Contest 2013 , 2013, Business Process Management Workshops.

[28]  J. Euzenat,et al.  Ontology Matching , 2007, Springer Berlin Heidelberg.

[29]  Jérôme Euzenat,et al.  Specification of a Common Framework for Characterizing Alignment , 2004 .

[30]  Erhard Rahm,et al.  Schema Matching and Mapping , 2013, Schema Matching and Mapping.

[31]  Michel Klein,et al.  Combining and relating ontologies: an analysis of problems and solutions , 2001, OIS@IJCAI.

[32]  Jana Koehler,et al.  Improving Business Process Models with Reference Models in Business-Driven Development , 2006, Business Process Management Workshops.