Ontology-based context modeling in service-oriented computing: A systematic mapping

Abstract Context Service-oriented computing and context-aware computing are two consolidated paradigms that are changing the way of providing and consuming software services. Whilst service-oriented computing is based on service-oriented architectures for providing flexible software services, context-aware computing articulates different phases of a context life cycle for changing the behavior of such services. The synergy between both paradigms provides the context to this study. Objective This study analyzes the current state of the art of context models, specifically: (1) which are these proposals and how are they related; (2) what are their structural characteristics; (3) what context information is the most addressed; and (4) what are their most consolidated definitions. Given their dominance on the field, the study focuses on ontology-based approaches. Method We conducted a systematic mapping by establishing a review protocol that integrates automatic and manual searches from different sources. We applied a rigorous method to elicit the keywords from the research questions and selection criteria to retrieve the papers to evaluate. Results Overall, 138 primary studies were selected to answer our research questions. These proposals were studied in depth by analyzing: 1) distribution along time and their relationships; 2) size correlated with the number of classes and levels of the context model, and coverage of the definitions provided as indicator of quality provided; 3) most addressed context information; 4) most consolidated definitions of context information. Conclusions The contribution of this survey is to make available a unified and consolidated body of knowledge on context for service-oriented computing that could be instantiated and used as starting point in a variety of use cases. This sweeping view on the anatomy of context models may help avoiding the postulation of new proposals not aligned with the current research.

[1]  R. M. Suresh,et al.  An ontology-based framework for context-aware adaptive e-learning system , 2013, 2013 International Conference on Computer Communication and Informatics.

[2]  Adam Pease,et al.  IEEE standard upper ontology: a progress report , 2002, The Knowledge Engineering Review.

[3]  Jerry R. Hobbs,et al.  Time in OWL-S , 2004 .

[4]  Claes Wohlin,et al.  Experimentation in Software Engineering , 2012, Springer Berlin Heidelberg.

[5]  Xavier Franch,et al.  Quality models for web services: A systematic mapping , 2014, Inf. Softw. Technol..

[6]  Michael Uschold,et al.  Ontologies: principles, methods and applications , 1996, The Knowledge Engineering Review.

[7]  Ramanathan V. Guha,et al.  Building Large Knowledge-Based Systems: Representation and Inference in the Cyc Project , 1990 .

[8]  Matthias Jarke,et al.  Follow Me, Follow You - Spatiotemporal Community Context Modeling and Adaptation for Mobile Information Systems , 2008, The Ninth International Conference on Mobile Data Management (mdm 2008).

[9]  Tony Gorschek,et al.  Empirical evidence in global software engineering: a systematic review , 2010, Empirical Software Engineering.

[10]  Paulo F. Pires,et al.  On the interplay of Internet of Things and Cloud Computing: A systematic mapping study , 2016, Comput. Commun..

[11]  Michael Uschold,et al.  The Enterprise Ontology , 1998, The Knowledge Engineering Review.

[12]  Anind K. Dey,et al.  Understanding and Using Context , 2001, Personal and Ubiquitous Computing.

[13]  George A. Miller,et al.  WordNet: A Lexical Database for English , 1995, HLT.

[14]  Dan Brickley,et al.  FOAF Vocabulary Specification , 2004 .

[15]  Kai Petersen,et al.  Systematic Mapping Studies in Software Engineering , 2008, EASE.

[16]  Harry Chen,et al.  SOUPA: standard ontology for ubiquitous and pervasive applications , 2004, The First Annual International Conference on Mobile and Ubiquitous Systems: Networking and Services, 2004. MOBIQUITOUS 2004..

[17]  Asunción Gómez-Pérez,et al.  Building Legal Ontologies with METHONTOLOGY and WebODE , 2003, Law and the Semantic Web.

[18]  Pearl Brereton,et al.  Performing systematic literature reviews in software engineering , 2006, ICSE.

[19]  Alessandro Puiatti,et al.  Mobile and Ubiquitous Systems: Computing, Networking, and Services , 2013, Lecture Notes of the Institute for Computer Sciences, Social Informatics and Telecommunications Engineering.

[20]  Ikbal Taleb,et al.  Towards a cloud-based framework for context management , 2011, 2011 International Conference on Innovations in Information Technology.

[21]  Xavier Burgués Illa,et al.  Development of service-oriented architectures using model-driven development: A mapping study , 2015, Inf. Softw. Technol..

[22]  Pearl Brereton,et al.  The impact of limited search procedures for systematic literature reviews — A participant-observer case study , 2009, 2009 3rd International Symposium on Empirical Software Engineering and Measurement.

[23]  Karen Henricksen,et al.  A framework for context-aware pervasive computing applications , 2003 .

[24]  Arkady B. Zaslavsky,et al.  Context Aware Computing for The Internet of Things: A Survey , 2013, IEEE Communications Surveys & Tutorials.

[25]  Martin L. King,et al.  Towards a Methodology for Building Ontologies , 1995 .

[26]  A. Maslow.  Motivation and personality, 3rd ed. , 1987 .

[27]  Euiho Suh,et al.  Context-aware systems: A literature review and classification , 2009, Expert Syst. Appl..

[28]  David Garlan,et al.  Context is key , 2005, CACM.

[29]  Albrecht Schmidt,et al.  There is more to context than location , 1999, Comput. Graph..

[30]  N. F. Noy,et al.  Ontology Development 101: A Guide to Creating Your First Ontology , 2001 .

[31]  Patrick Brézillon,et al.  Understanding Context Before Using It , 2005, CONTEXT.

[32]  Kai Petersen,et al.  Guidelines for conducting systematic mapping studies in software engineering: An update , 2015, Inf. Softw. Technol..

[33]  Albrecht Schmidt,et al.  Advanced Interaction in Context , 1999, HUC.

[34]  Bill N. Schilit,et al.  Context-aware computing applications , 1994, Workshop on Mobile Computing Systems and Applications.

[35]  Guilherme Horta Travassos,et al.  Cross versus Within-Company Cost Estimation Studies: A Systematic Review , 2007, IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering.

[36]  Christine Bauer.  A Comparison and Validation of 13 Context Meta-Models , 2012, ECIS.

[37]  James L. Crowley,et al.  Perceptual Components for Context Aware Computing , 2002, UbiComp.

[38]  Asunción Gómez-Pérez,et al.  METHONTOLOGY: From Ontological Art Towards Ontological Engineering , 1997, AAAI 1997.

[39]  Jadwiga Indulska,et al.  A survey of context modelling and reasoning techniques , 2010, Pervasive Mob. Comput..

[40]  Natalia Juristo Juzgado,et al.  Developing search strategies for detecting relevant experiments , 2009, Empirical Software Engineering.

[41]  Natalya F. Noy,et al.  Semantic integration: a survey of ontology-based approaches , 2004, SGMD.