Model-based Technology Integration with the Technical Space Concept

In this paper we introduce the concept of Technical Space (TS) to refer to technologies at a higher level of abstraction. Some technical spaces can be easily identified, e.g. the XML TS, the DBMS TS, the programming languages TS, the OMG/MDA TS, etc. As the spectrum of such available technologies is rapidly broadening, the necessity to offer clear guidelines when choosing practical solutions to engineering problems is becoming a must. The purpose of our work is to figure out how to work more efficiently by using the best possibilities of each technology. To do so, we need a basic understanding of the similarities and differences between various TSs, and also of the possible operational bridges that will allow transferring the artifacts obtained in one TS to other TS. The analysis of several technical spaces reveals that they can be perceived in a broader context as model management frameworks, that is, every space is populated with models. An important commonality is that these frameworks are organized according to a three-level architecture based on models, metamodels, and metametamodels. The unified model-based view brings a conceptual foundation to study the possible bridges between spaces. Bridging technical spaces is especially useful when it brings new capabilities not available in a given space. We hope that the presented vision may help us putting forward the idea that there could be more cooperation than competition among alternative technologies.