RANDOM SAMPLING ALGORITHMS FOR LANDMARK WINDOWS OVER DATA STREAMS

Zhang Longbo, Li Zhanhuai,Yu Min, Wang Yong and Jiang Yun

In many applications including sensor networks, telecommunications data management, network monitoring and financial applications, data arrives in a stream. There are growing interests in algorithms over data streams recently. This paper introduces the problem of sampling from landmark windows of recent data items from data streams and presents a random sampling algorithm for this problem. The presented algorithm, which is called SMS Algorithm, is a stratified multistage sampling algorithm for landmark window. It takes different sampling fraction in different strata of landmark window, and works even when the number of data items in the landmark window varies dramatically over time. The theoretic analysis and experiments show that the algorithm is effective and efficient for continuous data streams processing.

A PROTOTYPE FOR TRANSLATING XSLT INTO XQUERY

Ralf Bettentrupp, Sven Groppe, Jinghua Groppe, Stefan Böttcher and Le Gruenwald

XSLT and XQuery are the languages developed by the W3C for transforming and querying XML data. XSLT and XQuery have the same expressive power and can be indeed translated into each other. In this paper, we show how to translate XSLT stylesheets into equivalent XQuery expressions. We especially investigate how to simulate the match test of XSLT templates by two different approaches which use reverse patterns or match node sets. We then present a performance analysis that compares the execution times of the translation, XSLT stylesheets and their equivalent XQuery expressions using various current XSLT processors and XQuery evaluators.

INVESTIGATING THE IMPROVEMENT SPACE OF SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT ORGANISATIONS

Joseph Trienekens, Rob Kusters, Frans van Veen, Dirk Kriek, Daniel Maton and Paul Siemons

Actual results of software process improvement projects happen to be quite dissapointing in practice. Although many software development organisations have adopted improvement models such as CMMI, it appears to be difficult to improve software development processes in the right way, e.g. tuned to the actual needs of the organisation and taking into account the environment (e.g. the market) of an organisation. This paper presents a new approach to determine the direction of improvement for an organisation. This approach is based on literature research as well as an empirical investigation among eleven software development organisations in The Netherlands. The results of the research show that software development organisations can be classified and can be positioned on the basis of their internal and external entropy, c.q. the level of (dis)order in the business system and its environment. Based on a possible imbalance between the internal and external entropy, directions for software process improvement can be determined. As such the new approach can complement and improve the application of current software process improvement methodologies, e.g. CMMI

PERHAPS A RECIPE FOR CHANGE? - WILL E-VOTING HAVE THE DESIRED EFFECT?

Mark Liptrott

This work is a progress report and briefly describes the main findings from the literature review of the research into electronic voting as it identifies factors which affect the decision-making processes of the English local authorities which are offered the opportunity to trial electronic voting. The analysis is based on Rogers’ diffusion of innovations theory framework. A key result found that in a voluntary situation where there is one overarching organization trying to introduce an innovation to an agency organization, Rogers diffusion of innovations theory framework requires modification.

SPLITTING FACTS USING WEIGHTS

Liga Grundmane and Laila Niedrite

The typical data warehouse report is dynamic representation of some objects behavior or changes of objects’ properties. If this behavior is changing, it is difficult to make such reports in an easy way. It is possible to use fact splitting to make this task simpler and more comprehensible for users. In the presented paper two solutions of splitting facts by using weights are described. One of the possible solutions is to make the proportional weighting accordingly to splitted record set size. It is possible to take into account the length of the fact validity time period and the validity time for each splitted fact record.

IMPLEMENTING A HIGH LEVEL PUB/SUB LAYER FOR ENTERPRISE INFORMATION SYSTEMS

Mario Antollini, Mariano Cilia and Alejandro Buchmann

Enterprise application interactions based on events has been receiving increasing attention. It is based on the exchange of small pieces of data (called events) typically using the publish/subscribe interaction paradigm. Most pub/sub notification services assume a homogeneous namespace and do not support the interaction among heterogeneous event producers and consumers. In this paper we briefly describe the concept-based approach as a high-level dissemination mechanism for distributed and heterogeneous event-based applications. We focus on the design and implementation issues of such a mechanism and show how it can be integrated on research prototypes or products and platforms.

CREATING AND MANIPULATING CONTROL FLOW GRAPHS WITH MULTILEVEL GROUPING AND CODE COVERAGE

Anastasis A. Sofokleous, Andreas S. Andreou and Gianna Ioakim

Various researchers and practitioners have proposed the use of control flow graphs for investigating software engineering aspects, such as testing, slicing, program analysis and debugging. However, the relevant software applications support only low level languages (e.g. C, C++) and most, if not all, of the research papers do not provide any details about the implementation of the control flow graph, leaving it to the reader to imagine either that the author is using third party software for creating the graph, or that the graph is constructed manually (by hand). The same holds for code coverage tools as well. In this paper, we extend our previous work on a dedicated program analysis architecture and we describe a tool for automatic production of the control flow graph that offers advanced capabilities, such as vertices grouping, code coverage based on a given set of inputs and enhanced user interaction.

COMBINING BUSINESS ACTIVITY MONITORING WITH THE DATA WAREHOUSE FOR EVENT-CONTEXT CORRELATION - EXAMINING THE PRACTICAL APPLICABILITY OF THIS BAM APPROACH

Gabriel Cavalheiro, Ajantha Dahanayake and Richard Welke

Business Activity Monitoring (BAM) is a term introduced by the Gartner Group to define systems that serve to provide real-time access to critical business performance indicators to improve speed and effectiveness of business operations. Despite the emphasis of BAM on the provision of low latency views on enterprise performance, literature on BAM also indicates the technical feasibility of a BAM approach, which adds context from historical information stored in a data warehouse to real-time events detected by BAM system so as to help enterprises improving understanding of current monitoring scenarios. However, at this point, there is a lack of studies that discuss the use of this approach to tackle real-world business problems. To improve practical understanding of the potential applicability of this BAM approach, this paper will present a synthesis of existing research on BAM and data warehouse to provide an objective basis for proposing feasible business scenarios for applying the combination of both technologies. This study reveals that the noted BAM approach empowers operational managers to respond in a more precise manner to the occurrence of events by enabling a better understanding of the nature of the detected event.

A GUI FOR DATA MART SCHEMA ALTERATION

Nouha Bouaziz, Faiez Gargouri and Jamel Feki

This paper is interested in the graphical manipulation of data mart schemes described in XML and issued from a generation module of multidimensional models. This manipulation is performed through a set of operations we have defined. These operations consist in adding, deleting and renaming the multidimensional elements.

ELIMINATION OF TIME DEPENDENCE OF INFORMATION VALIDITY BY APPLICATION OF RFID TECHNOLOGY

Vladimir Modrak and Viaceslav Moskvic

Following article deals with certain aspects of data acquisition for MRP, ERP and MES type of information systems from a shop floor level. Problems of time dependence of data validity are discussed and method of their elimination by application of radio frequency identification technology (RFID) is suggested.

WEB KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT FOR SMALL AND MEDIUM-SIZE ENTERPRISES - WEBTOUR: A CASE STUDY FROM THE TOURISM SECTOR

María M. Abad-Grau, Francisco Araque, Rosana Montes, M. Visitación Hurtado and Miguel J. Hornos

The current enterprise world has become global and complex. Knowledge management is a key to have a competitive advantage as it allows detecting in advance customer trends and market evolution. While knowledge management systems are usually unaffordable for small or even medium-size enterprises, a tool to be shared between them is a more realistic solution. The system, based on client/server architecture with a web interface, is able to provide top Information Technology (IT) solutions for a low cost so that small and medium business can also use these systems to acquire competitive advantage. We have developed a solution for a IT enterprise providing an on-line reservation system for tourist small lodgings and travel agencies. It consists of a Data Warehouse (DW) and a Decision Support System (DSS) which is currently being offered as a value-added service for providers and customers.

FORMAL VERIFICATION OF AN ACCESS CONCURRENCY CONTROL ALGORITHM FOR TRANSACTION TIME RELATIONS

Achraf Makni, Rafik Bouaziz and Faïez Gargouri

We propose in this paper to formally check the access concurrency control algorithm proposed in (Bouaziz, 2005). This algorithm is based on the optimistic approach and guarantee strong consistency for the transaction time relations. The specification of our model under PROMELA language allowed us to ensure the feasibility of the validation. We then could, using the SPIN model checkers, avoid errors of type blocking and check safety properties specified by temporal logic formulas.

PARALLEL QUERY PROCESSING USING WARP EDGED BUSHY TREES IN MULTIMEDIA DATABASES

Lt.S.Santhosh Baboo, P.Subashini and K.S.Easwarakumar

The paper focuses on parallelization of queries execution on a shared memory parallel database system. In this paper, a new data structures, named Warp edged Bushy trees, is proposed for facilitating compile time optimization. The warp edged bushy tree is a modified version of bushy trees [1], which provides better response time than bushy trees, during query processing

DESIGNING IMAGING SOLUTIONS FOR AN ORGANIZATION

Prasad N. Sivalanka

In a business climate where organizations are looking for ways to cut costs and increase Productivity, document imaging systems are providing the most dramatic impact. Efficient management of that paper is crucial to the success of any organization business community where 90% of corporate information resides in paper documents. A process driven document management system is necessary that converts paper documents into electronic documents for easy filing, retrieval and storage. This paper addresses the above issue which was implemented at one of our large financial clients.

SCALABLE UPDATE PROPAGATION IN PARTIALLY REPLICATED, DISCONNECTED CLIENT SERVER DATABASES

Liton Chakraborty, Ajit singh and Kshirasagar Naik

Modern databases allow mobile clients, that subscribe to replicated data, to process the replica forgoing continuous connectivity, and to receive the updates while connected to the server. Based on the overlap in client interest pattern, the server can do update processing for manageable number of data-groups instead of per-client basis, and hence decouple the update processing cost from the client population. In this paper, we propose an efficient update propagation method that can be applied to a relational database system irrespective of its inherent data organization. We present computationally efficient algorithms for group design and maintenance based on a heuristic function. We provide experimental results that demonstrate that our approach achieves a significant increase in overall scalability over the client-centric approach.

DATA MANAGEMENT SYSTEM EVALUATION FOR MOBILE MESSAGING SERVICES

David CC Ong, Rytis Sileika, Souheil Khaddaj and Radouane Oudrhiri

A mobile messaging revolution for the mobile phone industry started with the introduction of the Short Messaging Service (SMS), which is limited to 160 characters of conventional text. This revolution has become more significant with the additional improvements in mobile devices. They have become relatively powerful with extra resources such as additional memory capacity and innovative features such as colour screen, photo camera, etc. Now Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) takes full advantage of these capabilities by providing longer messages with embedded sound, image and video streaming. This service presents a new challenge to mobile platform architects particularly in the data management area where the size of each MMS message could be up to 100,000 bytes long. This combined with a high volume of requests managed by these platforms which may well exceeded 250,000 requests per second, means that the need to evaluate competing data management systems has becoming essential. This paper presents an evaluation of SMS and MMS platforms using different data management systems and recommends the best data management strategies for these platforms.

COMBINING THE DATA WAREHOUSE AND OPERATIONAL DATA STORE

Ahmed Sharaf Eldin Ahmed, Yasser Ali Alhabibi and Abdel Badeeh M. Salem

Many of small business organizations tend to combine the operational data stores (ODS) and data warehousing (DW) in one structure in order to save the expenses of building two separate structures for each of them. The purpose of this paper is investigating the expected obstacles that may affect organizations that try to combine the ODS and DW in one structure. Both the analytical and comparative analysis are used to investigate the obstacles and drawbacks that have been faced in combining the ODS and DW in one structure.

CONVERTING TIME SERIES DATA FOR INFORMATION SYSTEMS INTEGRATION

Li Peng

Most enterprises have an autonomous and heterogeneous information system. The same data may be diversely represented in different information systems. The core of solutions for integrating heterogeneous data sources is data conversion. One of the major issues of data conversion is how to convert data that contains temporal information. In this paper I propose a method to effectively convert time-series data appearing in enterprises. The concept of calendar is integrated into the proposed method. The method is based on a generalized representing form for data. The converting operations and processes are defined and presented.

ALGORITHMS FOR INTEGRATING TEMPORAL PROPERTIES OF DATA IN DATA WAREHOUSING

Francisco Araque, Alberto Salgueroa, Cecilia Delgadob, Eladio Garvíb and José Samosb

One of the most complex issues of the integration and transformation interface is the case where there are multiple sources for a single data element in the enterprise data warehouse. While there are many facets to the large number of variables that are needed in the integration phase, what we are interested in is the temporal problem. It is necessary to solve problems such as what happens when data from data source A is available but data from data source B is not. This paper presents our work into data integration in the Data Warehouse on the basis of the temporal properties of the data sources. Depending on the extraction method and data source, we can determine whether it will be possible to incorporate the data into the Data Warehouse. We shall also examine the temporal features of the data extraction methods and propose algorithms for data integration depending on the temporal characteristics of the data sources and on the data extraction method.

ANALYSIS-SENSITIVE CONVERSION OF ADMINISTRATIVE DATA INTO STATISTICAL INFORMATION SYSTEMS

Mirko Cesarini, Mariagrazia Fugini and Mario Mezzanzanica

In this paper we present a methodological approach to develop a Statistical Information System (SIS), out of data coming from administrative archives of the Public Administrations. Such archives are a rich source of information, but an attempt to use them as sources for statistical analysis reveals errors and incompatibilities among each other that do not permit their usage as a statistical and decision support basis. These errors and incompatibilities are usually undetected during administrative use, since they do not affect their day-by-day use in the Public Administrations, however they need to be fixed before performing any further aggregate analysis. The proposed methodological approach encompasses the basic aspects involved in building a SIS out of administrative data, such as design of an integration model for different and heterogeneous data sources, improvement of the overall data quality, removal of errors that might impact on the correctness of statistical analysis, design of a data warehouse for statistical analysis, and design of a multidimensional database to develop indicators for decision support. We present a case study, the AMeRIcA Project, where the methodological approach has been applied starting from administrative data of a Municipality and of a Province in Northern Italy.

SYNCHRONIZATION AND MULTIPLE GROUP SERVER SUPPORT FOR KEPLER

K. Maly, M Zubair, H. Siripuram and S. Zunjarwad

In the last decade literally thousands of digital libraries have emerged but one of the biggest obstacles for dissemination of information to a user community is that many digital libraries use different, proprietary technologies that inhibit interoperability. Kepler framework addresses interoperability and gives publication control to individual publishers. In Kepler, OAI-PMH is used to support "personal data providers" or "archivelets".". In our vision, individual publishers can be integrated with an institutional repository like Dspace by means of a Kepler Group Digital Library (GDL). The GDL aggregates metadata and full text from archivelets and can act as an OAI-compliant data provider for institutional repositories. The basic Kepler architecture and it working have been reported in earlier papers. In this paper we discuss the three main features that we have recently added to the Kepler framework: mobility support for users to switch transparently between traditional archivelets to on-server archivelets, the ability of users to work with multiple GDLs, and flexibility to individual publishers to build an OAI-PMH compliant repository without getting attached to a GDL.

A MULTIDIMENSIONAL APPROACH TO THE REPRESENTATION OF THE SPATIO-TEMPORAL MULTI-GRANULARITY

Concepción M. Gascueña, Dolores Cuadra and Paloma Martínez

Many efforts have been devoted to the treatment of spatial data in databases both in traditional database systems and decision support systems or On-Line Analytical Processing (OLAP) technologies in datawarehouses (DW). Nevertheless, many open questions concerning this kind of data still remain. The work presented in this paper is focused on dealing with the spatial and temporal granularity within a logical multidimensional model. The spatial data representation through a multidimensional model clarifies the understanding of the data analysis subject and it allows discovering special behavior hardly detected without it. We propose an extension of the Snowflake model to gather the spatial data and to show our proposal to represent the spatial evolution through the time in an easy and intuitive way. We represented the temporal and spatial multi-granularity with different levels in the hierarchies of dimensions, and we present a typology of hierarchies to include more semantics in the Snowflake scheme.

A DISCRETE PARTICLE SWARM ALGORITHM FOR OLAP DATA CUBE SELECTION

Jorge Loureiro and Orlando Belo

Multidimensional analysis supported by Online Analytical Processing (OLAP) systems demands for many aggregation functions over enormous data volumes. In order to achieve query answering times compatible with the OLAP systems’ users, and allowing all the business analytical views required, OLAP data is organized as a multidimensional model, known as data cube. The materialization of all the data cubes required for decision makers would allow fast and consistent answering times to OLAP queries. However, this also imply intolerable costs, concerning to storage space and time, even when a data warehouse had a medium size and dimensionality - this will be critical on refreshing operations. On the other hand, given a query profile, only a part of all subcubes are really interesting. Thus, cube selection must be made aiming to minimize query (and maintenance) costs, keeping as an constraint the materializing space. That is a complex problem: its solution is NP-hard. Many algorithms and several heuristics, especially of greedy nature and evolutionary approaches, have been used to provide an approximate solution. To this problem, a new algorithm is proposed in this paper: particle swarm optimization (PSO). According to our experimental results, the solution achieved by the PSO algorithm showed a speed of execution, convergence capacity and consistence that allow electing it to use in data warehouse systems of medium dimensionalities.

A FRAMEWORK FOR ASSESSING ENTERPRISE RESOURCES PLANNING (ERP) SYSTEMS SUCCESS:AN EXAMINATION OF ITS ASPECT FOCUSING ON CONTEXTUAL INFLUENCES

Princely Ifinedo

Enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems are diffusing globally. It is important for adopting firms to assess the success of their software. However, in general, studies have shown that often firms investing heavily in information systems (IS) sometimes do not assess the success of their systems for a variety of reasons including a lack of knowledge about what to assess. Similarly, research in the area of IS success evaluations is varied, offering little succour to practitioners. Specifically, ERP systems success assessment in the literature is just beginning to surface. This paper discussing our effort regarding extending an existing ERP systems success model. Essentially, two new relevant success factors or dimensions not included in the previous model were incorporated and tested empirically. We used structural equation modeling for our study. The findings of the study are discussed and implications for both practice and research are highlighted.

A NEW APPROACH TO IMPLEMENT EXTENDED TRANSACTION MODELS IN J2EE

Xiaoning Ding, Xiangfeng Guo, Beihong Jin and Tao Huang

Extended transaction model (ETM) is a powerful mechanism to ensure the consistency and reliability of complicated enterprise applications. However, there is few implementation of ETM in J2EE. The existing research is deficient in supporting range and requires some special database supporting. This paper explores the obstacle which prevents J2EE from supporting ETMs, and argues it is because of the limitation of J2EE XAResource interface and underlying databases. To overcome the obstacle, we propose a new approach, which processes concurrency control inside J2EE application server instead of in database. Furthermore, we implement TX/E service in JBoss to validate the approach, which is an enhanced J2EE transaction service supporting extended transaction models. Compared to existing work, TX/E supports user-defined transaction models and does not require any special database supporting.

DATABASES AND INFORMATION SYSTEMS INTEGRATION USING CALOPUS : A CASE STUDY

Prabin Kumar Patro, Pat Allen, Muthu Ramachandran, Robert Morgan-Vane and Stuart Bolton

Effective, accurate and timely data integration is fundamental to the successful operation of today’s organizations. The success of every new business initiative relies heavily on data integration between existing heterogeneous applications and databases. For this reason, when companies look to improve productivity, reduce overall costs, or streamline business processes, data integration should be at the heart of their plans. Integration improves exposure and, by extension, the value and quality of information to facilitate workflow and reduce business risk. It is an important element of the way that the organization’s business process operates. Data integration technology is the key to pulling organization data together and delivering an information infrastructure that will meet strategic business intelligence initiatives. This information infrastructure consists of data warehouses, interface definitions and operational data stores. Data integration should include capabilities such as data warehousing, metadata integration, ongoing updates and reduced maintenance, access to a wider variety of data sources, and design and debugging options. In this paper we will discuss about data integration and a case study on Database Integration at Leeds Metropolitan University using the Calopus system.

SUPPORTING E-PLACEMENT: ACHIEVEMENTS IN THE ITALIAN WORKFARE PROJECT

Mariagrazia Fugini, Piercarlo Maggiolini and Krysnaia Nanini

This paper presents the basic developments and architectural issues of an Italian “Borsa Continua Nazionale del Lavoro” (BCNL), an eGovernment project aimed at developing a Portal for Services to Employment. It consists in a network of nodes structured at three main levels: the National level, managed by the Ministry of Welfare; the Regional level, in which Regions are grouped in local federations in order to interoperate, and the Provincial level, again structured as a federation of local domains. These federations are the structural tool able to support both proactive and reactive policies directed to enhance job-placement. The paper describes each level and the cooperation occurring both in the various domains and among levels. Advantages and drawbacks of this architecture are discussed. Finally, the paper describes the basic issues related to security and privacy in the environment, in particular presenting cooperative federated authentication.

CURRENT TRENDS IN DATA WAREHOUSING METHODS AND TECHNOLOGIES

Vera Ivanova

Data Warehousing (DW) methods and technologies are in a new stage of their evolution and of their amalgamation with the enterprise businesses, they serve. The main goals of this work are to identify, review and analyze the latest trends in DW. A systematic approach is followed to recognize, define and analyze the most important trends. The approach is based on the trends’ corresponding role and value in the business processes and intelligence (BI). For this purpose we start with updated definitions of DW and BI and then consider the generalized Architecture of today’s DW. We then “drill down” to analyze the DW problems and trends in their solving for data quality provisions, regulatory compliance, infrastructure consolidation, and standardization, corporate performance optimization and metadata management. This in-depth logical analyzing approach results in comprehensible conclusions to be considered on the important early phases of DW projects, as it is well known that early project decisions carry impacts for the whole DW system life span.

EFFICIENT MECHANISM FOR HANDLING MATERIALIZED XML VIEWS

Jessica Zheng, Anthony Lo, Tansel Özyer and Reda Alhajj

Materialized views provide an effective and effective mechanism to improve query performance. The necessity to keep consistency between materialized views and the underlying data raises the problem of when and how to update views efficiently. This paper addresses the issue of deferred incremental update on materialized XML view. The proposed approach mainly extends our previous work on materialized object-oriented views. The overlap between XML and the object-oriented paradigm has been the main driving motivation to conduct the study described in this paper. We modified and adapted the later approach to meet XML requirements.

A FORMAL TOOL THAT INTEGRATES RELATIONAL DATABASE SCHEMES AND PRESERVES THE ORIGINAL INFORMATION

A. Mora and M. Enciso

In this work we face on with the main problem of the database design process in a collaborative environment: the users provide different models representing a part of the global model and we must integrate these database sub-shemes to render a unified database. The problems arise when the users' specifications do not match propertly or, in the worst case, they represent contradictory information. In the literature, the different approaches use a selected canonical language to translate all the sub-shemes and to carried out the integration process. It seems to be widely accepted to select the Entity/Relational (E/R) model as canonical language. Nevertheless it was not conceived as a formal language and its use produces several troubles: it is not easy to identify equivalent specifications, the information are represented in several levels (attributes, table, constraints, etc) that must be integrate as a whole, etc. All these problems are presented because the E/R was conceived to be a high level specification language and not to design automated integration methods based on it. In this work we propose an automated method to integrate relational database sub-schemes based on a formal language. The extraction, integration and generation tasks are carried out efficiently using the SLfd, logic (Substitution Logic for functional dependencies). We have selected this logic because it is appropriated to management the functional dependencies in a automatic way. Logic is present in all the stages of our proposed architecture: analysis, design, model transformation, integration, data preservation, etc. The integration tool interacts automatically with the DBMS (we use Oracle 9i), uses the logic in a transparent mode to deduce the unified view and provides a web-interface to facilitate user participation. The collaborative tool infers the information system knowledge from local Oracle schemes and renders an integrated Oracle database scheme. The integration process uses the information of the {\em Structural functional dependencies (FDs)} (FDs inferred from all the database subschemes) and the {\em Environment FDs} (FDs provided by the designers) and it renders a unique database model fulfilling all the FDs. The tool carries out an integration of the schemes and an integration of the data itself, providing a new database with a common structure and containing all the information provided in the original subschemes.

A FRAMEWORK FOR SEMANTIC RECOVERY STRATEGIES IN CASE OF PROCESS ACTIVITY FAILURES

Stefanie Rinderle, Sarita Bassil and Manfred Reichert

During automated process execution semantic activity failures may frequently occur, e.g., when a vehicle transporting a container has a breakdown. So far there are no applicable solutions to overcome such exceptional situations. Often the only possibility is to cancel and roll back respective process instances what is not always possible and more often not desired. In this paper we contribute towards the system-assisted support of finding forward recovery solutions. Our framework is based on the facility to (automatically) perform dynamic changes of single process instances in order to deal with the exceptional situation. We identify and formalize factors which influence the kind of applicable recovery solutions. Then we show how to derive possible recovery solutions and how to evaluate their quality with respect to different constraints. All statements are illustrated by well-studied cases from different domains.

DEPLOYMENT OF ONTOLOGIES IN BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE SYSTEMS

Carsten Felden and Daniel Kilimann

The consideration of integrated structured and unstructured data in management information systems requires a new kind of metadata management. Ontologies constitute a possibility to solve the resulting problems. Process models which describe the development of ontologies and can be utilised in the context of management information systems, are discussed.

ACTIVE MECHANISMS FOR CHECKING PARTICIPATION CONSTRAINTS IN UML

Djamel Berrabah, Charles-François Ducateau and Faouzi Boufarès

Among the multiple efforts devoted to face the problems of database modeling, we find the automation of the database design process using CASE tools. Often, these tools do not take into account all the information that is presented in a conceptual schema. The problem is that the relational elements obtained during these processes do not coincide completely with the conceptual elements, which produces some semantic losses. The idea is to enrich these tools and to improve them in order to solve some problems of modeling. The goal of this work is to propose an efficient approach to generate mechanisms that preserve the participation constraints defined in a conceptual schema during its transformation into a relational schema. These mechanisms are active during the maintenance of databases. If any operation brings about an inconsistent Database (DB) state it will be rejected and the data of the DB will not change.

INCLUSION OF TIME-VARYING MEASURES IN TEMPORAL DATA WAREHOUSES

Elzbieta Malinowski and E. Zimányi

Data Warehouses (DWs) integrate data from different source systems that may have temporal support. However, current DWs only allow to track changes for measures indicating the time when a specific measure value is valid. In this way, applications such as fraud detection cannot be easily implemented since they require to know the time when changes in source systems have occurred. In this work, based on the research related to Temporal Databases, we propose the inclusion of time-varying measures changing the current role of the time dimension. First, we analyze the availability of temporal types in the different source systems integrating a DW. Then, we study different scenarios that show the usefulness of inclusion of different temporal types. Further, since measures can be aggregated before being inserted into DWs, we discuss the issues related to different time granularities between source systems and DWs, and in addition, measure aggregation in the presence of valid time.

CONTINUOUS RANGE QUERY PROCESSING FOR NETWORK CONSTRAINED MOBILE OBJECTS

Dragan Stojanovic, Slobodanka Djordjevic-Kajan, Apostolos N. Papadopoulos and Alexandros Nanopoulos

In contrast to regular queries that are evaluated only once, a continuous query remains active over a period of time and has to be continuously evaluated to provide up to date results. We propose a method for continuous range query processing for different types of queries, characterized by mobility of objects and/or queries which follow paths in an underlying spatial network. The method assumes an available 2D indexing scheme for indexing spatial network data. An appropriately extended R*-tree provides matching of queries and objects according to their locations on the network or their network routes. The method introduces an additional pre-refinement step which generates main memory data structures to support efficient, incremental reevaluation of continuous range queries in periodically performed refinement steps.

INTEGRATION OF DATA SOURCES FOR PLANT GENOMICS

P. Larmande, C. Tranchant-Dubreuil, L. Regnier, I. Mougenot and T. Libourel

The study of the function of genes, or functional genomics, is today one of the most active disciplines in the life sciences and requires effective integration and processing of related information. Today's biologist has access to bioinformatics resources to help him in his experimental research. In genomics, several tens of public data sources can be of interest to him, each source contributing a part of the useful information. The difficulty lies in the integration of this information, often semantically inconsistent or expressing differing viewpoints, and, very often, only available in heterogenous formats. In this context, informatics has a role to play in the design of systems that are flexible and adaptable to significant changes in biological data and formats. It is within this framework that this paper presents the design and implementation of an integrated environment strongly supported by knowledge-representation and problem-solving tools.

USING RELATIONAL DATABASES IN THE ENGINEERING REPOSITORY SYSTEMS

Erki Eessaar

Repository system can be built on top of the database management system (DBMS). DBMSs that use relational data model are usually not considered powerful enough for this purpose. In this paper, we analyze these claims and conclude that they are caused by the shortages of SQL standard and inadequate implementations of the relational model in the current DBMSs. Problems that are presented in the paper make usage of the DBMSs in the repository systems more difficult. This paper also explains that relational system that follows the rules of the Third Manifesto is suitable for creating repository system and presents possible design alternatives.

MISTEL - AN APPROACH TO ACCESS MULTIPLE RESOURCES

Thomas Bopp, Thorsten Hampel, Robert Hinn, Jan Pawlowski and Christian Prpitsch

Digital documents are widely spread around the web in information systems of all kinds. The approach described in this paper is to unify the access to documents and connect applications to share, search and publish documents in a standardised way. The sample implementation uses web services to integrate knowledge management, a learning management system, and a digital library.

MINIMIZING THE COMPLEXITY OF DISTRIBUTED TRANSACTIONS IN CORPORATE ARCHITECTURES WITH THE USE OF ASYNCHRONOUS REPLICATION

S. Poltronieri, S. de Paula and L. N. Rossi

In architectures of software usual in big corporations, the use of the protocol “two-phase commit” for distributed transactions presents inconveniences such as code complexity, long times of answer for the final user and need of an ambient that allows complete simultaneity. We present here an alternative model, based on asynchronous replication, implemented with success in the University of São Paulo as infrastructure of integration for its corporate systems, which propitiates short transactions in the context of each database and lower time of answer with no need of a complex ambient of high availability.

MERGING, REPAIRING AND QUERYING INCONSISTENT DATABASES WITH FUNCTIONAL AND INCLUSION DEPENDENCIES

Luciano Caroprese, Sergio Greco and Ester Zumpano

In this paper a framework for merging, repairing and querying inconsistent databases is presented. The framework, considers integrity constraints defining primary keys, foreign keys and general functional dependencies. The approach consists of three steps: i) merge of the source databases by means of integration operators or general SQL queries, to reduce the set of tuples coming from the source databases which are inconsistent with respect to the constraints defined by the primary keys, ii) repair of the integrated database by completing and/or cleaning the set of tuples which are inconsistent with respect to the inclusion dependencies (e.g. foreign keys), and iii) compute consistent answers over repaired databases which could be still inconsistent with respect to the functional dependencies. The complexity of merging, repairing and computing consistent answers will be show to be polynomial and a prototype of a system integrating databases and computing queries over possible inconsistent databases will be presented.

USING GAZETTEERS TO ANNOTATE GEOGRAPHIC CATALOG ENTRIES

Daniela F. Brauner, Marco A. Casanova, Karin K. Breitman and Luiz André P. Leme

A gazetteer is a geographical dictionary containing a list of geographic names, together with their geographic locations and other descriptive information. A geographic metadata catalog holds metadata describing geographic information resources, stored in a wide variety of sources, ranging from simple PCs to large public databases. This paper argues that unique characteristics of geographic objects can be explored to address the problem of automating the generation of metadata for geographic information resources. The paper considers federations of gazetteers and geographic metadata catalogs and discusses in detail two problems, namely, how to use gazetteers to automate the description of geographic information resources and how align thesauri used by gazetteers. The paper also argues why such problems are important in the context of the proposed architecture.

DATA WAREHOUSES: AN ONTOLOGY APPROACH

Alexandra Pomares Quimbaya and José Abásolo

Although the dimensional design for data warehouses has been used in a considerable amount of projects, it does have limitations of expressiveness, particularly with respect to what can be said about relations and attributes properties and restrictions. We present a new way to design data warehouses, based on ontologies, that overcomes many of these limitations. In the proposed architecture descriptive ontologies are used to build the data warehouse and taxonomic ontologies are used during data preparation phase. We discuss the expressive power of Ontology approach showing a semantic comparison with dimensional model both applied to a case study.

DATA COMPLIANCE IN PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY - INTEROPERABILITY TO ALIGN BUSINESS AND INFORMATION SYSTEMS

Néjib Moalla, Abdelaziz Bouras, Gilles Neubert, Yacine Ouzrout and Nicolas Tricca

The ultimate goal in the pharmaceutical sector is product quality. However this quality can be altered by the use of a number of heterogeneous information systems with different business structures and concepts along the lifecycle of the product. Interoperability is then needed to guarantee a certain correspondence and compliance between different product data. In this paper we focus on a particular compliance problem, between production technical data, represented in an ERP, and the corresponding regulatory directives and specifications, represented by the Marketing Authorizations (MA). The MA detail the process for manufacturing the medicine according to the requirements imposed by health organisations such as Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Committee for Medicinal Products for Human use (CHMP). The proposed approach uses an interoperability framework which is based on a multi-layer separation between the organisational aspects, business trades, and information technologies for each involved entity into the communication between the used systems.

MULTIDIMENSIONAL SCHEMA EVOLUTION - INTEGRATING NEW OLAP REQUIREMENTS

Mohamed Neji, Ahlem Nabli, Jamel Feki and Faiez Gargouri

Multidimensional databases cconstitute an effective support for OLAP processes; in that sense they improve the decision-making in enterprise information systems. These databases evolve with the decision marker requirements and are sensitive to data source changes. In this paper, we are interested in the evolution of the datamart schema due to the raise of new requirements. Our approach determines what functional datamarts will be able to cover a new requirement, if any, and decides on a strategy of integration. This leads either to the alteration of an existing data mart schema or, to the creation of a new schema suitable for the new requirement.

ENABLING ROBUSTNESS IN EXISTING BPEL PROCESSES

Onyeka Ezenwoye and S. Masoud Sadjadi

To promote efficiency and the reuse of software, Web services are being integrated both within enterprises and across enterprises to create higher function services. BPEL is a workflow language that can be used to facilitate this integration. Unfortunately, the autonomous nature of Web services leaves BPEL processes susceptible to the failures of their constituent services. In this paper, we present a systematic approach to making existing BPEL processes more fault tolerant by monitoring the involved Web services at runtime, and by replacing delinquent Web services dynamically. To show the feasibility of our approach, we developed a prototype implementation that generates more robust BPEL processes from existing ones automatically. The use of the prototype is demonstrated using an existing loan approval BPEL process.

BUSINESS PROCESS EMBEDDED INFORMATION SYSTEMS - FOR FLEXIBILITY AND ADAPTABILITY

Marc Rabaey, Eddy Vandijck, Koenraad Vandenborre, Herman Tromp and Martin Timmerman

In this ever faster changing world, organisations are faced with the need to have flexible processes. This is only possible if these processes have full control over their supporting information systems, which we propose to embed into the business processes.

RELIABLE PERFORMANCE DATA COLLECTION FOR STREAMING MEDIA SERVICES

Beomjoo Seo, Michelle Covell, Mirjana Spasojevic, Sumit Roy, Roger Zimmermann, Leonidas Kontothanassis and Nina Bhatti

The recent proliferation of streamingmedia systems in bothwired andwireless networks challenges the network operators to provide cost-effective streaming solutions that maximize the usage of their infrastructure while maintaining adequate service quality. Some of these goals conflict and motivate the development of precise and accurate models that predict the system states under extremely diverse workloads on-the-fly. However, many earlier studies have derived models and subsequent simulations that are well-suited only for a controlled environment, and hence explain a limited sets of behavioral singularities observed from software component profiles. In this study we propose a more general, procedural methodology that characterizes a single system’s streaming capacity and derives a prediction model that is applicable for any type of workload imposed on the measured system. We describe a systematic performance evaluation methodology for streaming media systems that starts with the reliable collection of performance data, presents a mechanism to calibrate the data for later use during the modeling phase, and finally examines the prediction power and the limitations of the calibrated data itself. We validate our method with two widely used streaming media systems and the results indicate an excellent match of the modelled data with the actual system measurements.

FILTERING UNSATISFIABLE XPATH QUERIES

Jinghua Groppe and Sven Groppe

Empty results of queries are a hint for semantic errors in users’ queries, and erroneous and unoptimized queries can lead to highly inefficient processing of queries. For manual optimization, which is prone to errors, a user needs to be familiar with the schema of the queried data and with implementation details of the used query engine. Thus, automatic optimization techniques have been developed and have been used for decades in database management systems for the deductive and relational world. We focus on the satisfiability problem for the queries formulated in the XML query language XPath. We propose a schemabased approach to check whether or not an XPath query conforms to the constraints given in the schema in order to detect semantic errors, and in order to avoid unnecessary evaluations of unsatisfiable queries. We present experimental results of our prototype, which show the optimization potential of avoiding the evaluation of unsatisfiable queries.

FUZZY XML MODEL FOR REPRESENTING FUZZY RELATIONAL DATABASES IN FUZZY XML FORMAT

Alnaar Jiwani, Yasin Alimohamed, Krista Spence, Tansel Özyer and Reda Alhajj

The Extensible Markup Language (XML) is emerging as the dominant data format for data exchange between application systems. Many translation techniques have been devised to publish large amounts of existing conventional relational data in this new format. There also exists a need to be able to represent imprecise data in both relational databases and XML. This paper describes a fuzzy XML schema model for representing a fuzzy relational database in XML format. It outlines a simple translation algorithm to include fuzzy relations and similarity matrices with their associated conventional relation.

INTEGRATED UNIVERSITY INFORMATION SYSTEMS

Thomas Kudrass

In this position paper, we discuss the integration of hetero¬geneous data¬¬bases with the example of a university information system, based on previous experiences in the implementation of some components. The paper argues the new opportunities for universities resulting from database integration. We develop the target architecture for an integrated information system whose principle is the coupling of existing systems and the definition of global views on them. The services defined on those views can be used for high-level information services in the intranet of the university, for internet presentations or for the definition of workflows in the university administration.

THE BENEFITS OF ACCURATE, AND TIMELY DATA IN LEAN PRODUCTION ENVIRONMENTS - RFID IN SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT

Vijay K. Vemuri

The usefulness of information systems critically depends on the accuracy of the data contained within it. Errors in capturing data into the information systems are particularly vexing since these errors permeate the entire information system(s), affecting every aspect of information use. The direct and indirect consequences of unreliable data did not attract much attention as there were few alternatives to reduce them. Newer technologies, especially Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), are enabling virtual elimination of data entry errors in inventory management. We investigate the effect of accurate data on the performance of supply chains utilizing lean production systems. Our simulation results indicate that time to fulfil a purchase order (cycle time) is significantly reduced by improving the quality of the inventory data. The simulation model we developed will enable us to examine other performance characteristics of a supply chain. We will also investigate the sensitivity of supply chain performance due to changes in the parameters of the model.

DESIGN OF A MEDICAL DATABASE TRANSFORMATION ALGORITHM

Karine Abbas, Christine Verdier and André Flory

The aim of this article is to create a unique medical record structure from the metabase of any medical record in any care place. The work is divided into two parts : the first step consists in creating a reference medical record model based on a graph structure in which the first level is fixed and the other levels are changeable. The second step is to provide transformation algorithms to translate the legacy relational database (RDB) into the reference model to give a unique medical record structure. In this second step is analysed the correlation between the legacy RDB keys and the classification of the keys into four types of relations: base relation, dependent relation, inheritance relation and composite relation.

KEY FACTORS IN LEGACY SYSTEMS MIGRATION - A REAL LIFE CASE

Teta Stamati, Konstantina Stamati and Drakoulis Martakos

Although legacy systems migration as a subject area is often overlooked in favour of areas such as new technology developments and strategic planning of information technology, most migration projects are considered ill-fated initiatives and a rate of over 80% of these projects run over budget, frequently with system functionality falling short of contract. Many practitioners consider that the proposed theoretical migration approaches are myopic and do not take into account a number of key factors that make a migration project a really complex initiative. Our position is that throughout the life cycle of a migration process, there are some critical factors that initially play the role of the “drivers” and afterwards they became the factors that hinder (“hinders”) the migration process. We consider these key factors as Critical Success Factors (CSF) that must be carefully considered. Furthermore, these key factors could be either overt or covert factors. In each case, the migration engineers should consider and analyse them very carefully prior to the initiation of the migration process and a well-defined migration methodological plan should be developed. The work presented is based on a real life initiative putting emphasis on the key success factors revealing at the same time the complexity of a migration process. Emphasis is put on the required management view and planning effort, rather than on the mere technological issues.

ENTERPRISE SYSTEMS MANAGEMENT AND INNOVATION - IMPACT ON THE RESEARCH AGENDA

Charles Møller

This paper proposes that ERP-implementation lead to a new post-implementation management challenge: Enterprise Systems Management and Innovation. Enterprise Systems Management and Innovation is a new concept that deals with the management of the enterprise system as a resource, and as a potential for transforming the organization by enabling innovative supply chain processes. The argument is rooted in seven case studies, a survey on ERP adoption and a retrospective analysis on the development of ES. This paper discuses the emerging issues and the implications for management. The paper concludes by outlining the impact on the ERP research agenda.

DEVELOPMENT OF SUMMARIES OF CERTAIN PATTERNS IN MULTI-BAND SATELLITE IMAGES

Hema Nair

This paper describes a system that is designed and implemented for interpretation of some patterns in multi-band (RGB) satellite images. Patterns such as land, island, water body, river, fire, urban area settlements in remote-sensed images are extracted and summarised in linguistic terms using fuzzy sets. Some elements of supervised classification are introduced to assist in the development of linguistic summaries. A few LANDSAT images are analysed by the system and the resulting summaries of the image patterns are explained.

UTILIZATION OF CASE-BASED REASONING IN AUDITING - DETERMINING THE AUDIT FEE

Robert Zenzerović

Case-based reasoning represents a method for solving problems and decision making support which is based on the previous business experience. It uses cases from the past to solve new problems. Case can be defined as conceptualized piece of knowledge representing the experience that teaches a lesson fundamental to achieving the goals of the decision maker. Cases usually incorporate input features and output features, where input features represent important attributes of cases that effect decision making (situation part of the case) and output feature which is outcome that depends on the input features (solution part of the case). Case base reasoning functions in a further way: Once, when target case is inputted in the system with its input features system has to retrieve the most similar cases from the case base. After the most similar case is retrieved from the case base it can be used for finding interesting information. The reasoner can then adjust and send a new probe with different features for retrieving of new case, or the system can be designed to make automatic adjustments in solution part of the old case on the base of differences in situation part of the cases, providing the solution for the new case. Many studies tried to explain types and impact of different factors that determine audit fees. Mostly all authors concentrate their research on the impact of following determinants: auditee size, auditee complexity, auditee profitability, ownership control, timing variables, auditor location and auditor size. In paper all mentioned factors are described except auditor size and location since these factors are not significant in Croatian audit service market. All significant audit fee determinants will be appropriately quantified in order to build a case based reasoning model for determining audit fee for smaller and mid sized auditing firms in Croatia but also for the same firms in the other countries too.

BUILDING COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE VIA CRM BASED ON DATA WAREHOUSE AND DATA MINING

Jiejun Huang, Wei Cui and Yanbin Yuan

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is a new business concept, providing a novel approach for managing the relationships between a corporation and its customers towards maximal profitability and sustainability. Data mining and data warehouse are the useful information technologies, which provide powerful means for extracting and utilizing the business information from historical data resources and runtime data flows. This paper reviews the objectives, functionalities, and development trends of CRM, discusses the architecture, data model and development methodologies of CRM systems based on data warehouse and data mining, then outlines the applications of integrated CRM systems in decision making, including business administration, marketing, customer service, customer management, and credit evaluation. Eventually, it describes some problems and challenges for further research.

VARIOUS PROCESS WIZARD FOR INFORMATION SYSTEMS - USING FUZZY PETRI NETS FOR PROCESS DEFINITION

Jaroslav Prochazka, Jaroslav Knybel and Cyril Klimes

The new approach in information system automation is process or workflow management. For unskilled user is important, when the business processes of company are described. Then, according to this description are users led correctly in their work. The business (application) model can be caught in finite state machines and its variations. Petri net can be used for process definition in process wizard. Sometimes unclear state occurs, for its description can be fuzzy logic IF-THEN rules used. We explain what process wizard is, what should contain and outline how it could be implement in IS QI. We also introduce Petri nets with fuzzy approach for process description.

DIAGNOSIS OF DEMENTIA AND ITS PATHOLOGIES USING BAYESIAN BELIEF NETWORKS

Julie Cowie, Lloyd Oteniya and Richard Coles

The use of artificial intelligence techniques in medical decision support systems is becoming more commonplace. By incorporating a method to represent expert knowledge, such systems can aid the user in aspects such as disease diagnosis and treatment planning. This paper reports on the first part of a project addressing the diagnosis of individuals with dementia. We discuss two systems: DemNet and PathNet; developed to aid accurate diagnosis both of the presence of dementia, and the pathology of the disease.

DECISION SUPPORT ON THE MOVE - MOBILE DECISION MAKING FOR TRIAGE MANAGEMENT

Julie Cowie and Paul Godley

This paper describes research investigating ways in which a mobile decision support system might be implemented. Our view is that the mobile decision maker will be better supported if he/she is aware of the Quality of the Data (QoD) used in deriving a decision, and how QoD improves or deteriorates while he/she is on the move. We propose a QoD model that takes into account static and dynamic properties of the mobile decision making environment, uses multicriteria decision analysis to represent the user’s decision model and to derive a single QoD parameter, and investigates the use of powerful graphics to relay information to the user.

FREQUENCY CALIBRATIONS WITH CONVENTIONAL TIME INTERVAL COUNTERS VIA GPS TRACEABILITY

Juan José González de la Rosa, Isidro Lloret, Carlos García Puntonet, Juan Manuel Górriz, Antonio Moreno, Matías Liñán and Victor Pallarés

Calculation of the uncertainty in traceable frequency calibrations is detailed using low cost instruments, par-tially characterized. Contributions to the standard uncertainty have been obtained under the assumption of uniform probability density function of errors. Short term instability has been studied using non-classical statistics. A thorough study of the noise processes characterization is made with simulated data by means of our variance estimators. The experiment is thought for frequencies close to 1 Hz.

SIMULATION MODELLING OF IRON ORE PRODUCTION SYSTEM AND QUALITY MANAGEMENT

Jim E. Everett

Iron ore is railed several hundred kilometres from open-cut mines inland, to port facilities, then processed to lump and fines products, blended and the lump product re-screened ready for shipment, mainly to Asia. Customers use the ore as principal feed in steel production. Increasing demand and price, especially from China, requires expansion of existing mines and planning of new operations. Expansion planning of the operational logistics, maintaining acceptable product quality, has been greatly helped by simulation modelling described in this paper.

A DISTRIBUTED ALGORITHM FOR COALITION FORMATION IN LINEAR PRODUCTION DOMAIN

Chattrakul Sombattheera and Aditya Ghose

This paper proposes a coalition formation algorithm for cooperative agents in order to maximize the system's profit.

METHOD FOR DRAWING UP A ROAD MAP THAT CONSIDERS THE SYNERGY EFFECT AND RISK FOR IT INVESTMENT

Tadasuke Nakagawa, Shigeyuki Tani, Masaharu Akatsu and Norihisa Komoda

IT governance lacks a comprehensive vision of investment in two or more projects. It is necessary to decide the priority levels that maximize the effects under constrained conditions. It is a complex problem, because while sometimes a greater effect can be obtained by introducing two or more measures at the same time, other times the effect of two measures introduced at the same time might not be significant. Although there is a synergy effect when two or more measures are introduced, no method for drawing up an investmentdecision road map has considered that effect. Therefore, we developed one. What a decision-maker must think about when considering the introduction of two or more measures, can be visualized by drawing up a comprehensive road map that satisfies constraint conditions, such as the effectiveness of the measure, budget, time, staff size, order of introduction, and the synergy effect. Road map users can easily reach a consensus because the map, by taking into account the constraint conditions and the investment decisionmaking process, helps them logically explain the order in which the measures should be introduced.

A SEMI-AUTOMATED QUALITY ASSURANCE TOOLBOX FOR DIAGNOSTIC RADIOLOGICAL IMAGING

Christodoulos Constantinou, Andreas Grondoudis, Andreas Christoforou, Christakis Constantinides and Andreas Lanitis

Magnetic Resonance (MRI), Computed Tomography (CT) and Ultrasound (US) are three of the most commonly used clinical imaging modalities. The aim of this study was to establish a Quality Assurance program for MRI, CT and US scanners. A well-designed quality assurance program is of utmost importance in the clinical setting, because it indicates whether diagnostic imaging modalities meet the minimum criteria of acceptable performance and because it helps determine those scanner parameters that need adjustment in order to ensure optimum performance. Quality assurance programs that rely on manual data collection and analysis are tedious and time consuming and are often abandoned due to the significant workload required for their implementation. In this paper we describe an integrated software system for automating the process of data collection and management in Quality Assurance for diagnostic radiological imaging. The developed system is comprised of two main units: The Image Processing Unit (IPU) and the Data Management Unit (DMU). The IPU is used for analysing images from different diagnostic modalities in order to extract measurements. The IPU is dynamically linked to the DMU so that measurements are transferred directly to the DMU. This process allows the generation of quality assurance reports for all such modalities. Based on the proposed system, it is possible to apply and monitor systematic quality assurance programs for medical imaging equipment, ensuring compliance with international standards.

THE USE OF THE NATURAL LANGUAGE UNDERSTANDING AGENTS WITH CONCEPTUAL MODELS

Olegas Vasilecas and Algirdas Laukaitis

In this paper we present AI agents architecture for user natural language interfaces in data exploration domain. We present an evaluation of an intelligent interface when user tries to explore corporate databases by means of natural language. More specifically, we describe an experiment that evaluates IBM corporation natural language toolbox in the data exploration domain. Unsatisfactory results from that experiment triggered our research to improve user interface with the natural language modality on architecture and algorithm levels. We extend traditional natural language interfaces in data exploration domain in two directions: 1) data conceptual modelling is a keystone for successful intelligent interface and we present our results and arguments for one of the most successful conceptual data models – IBM financial services data model (FSDM), 2) we suggest to use feedforward neural network as concepts indexes in the users natural language interfaces. All presented concepts are realized as the open source project JMining Dialog.

KNOWLEDGE ENGINEERING USING THE UML PROFILE - ADOPTING THE MODEL-DRIVEN ARCHITECTURE FOR KNOWLEDGE-BASED SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT

Mohd Syazwan Abdullah, Richard Paige, Ian Benest and Chris Kimble

Knowledge engineering (KE) activities are essential to the process of building intelligent systems; it conceptual modelling is exploited so that the problem-solving techniques used may be understood. This paper discusses platform independent conceptual modelling of a knowledge intensive application, focusing on knowledge-based systems (KBS) in the context of a model-driven architecture (MDA). An extension to the Unified Modeling Language (UML), using its profile extension mechanism, is presented. The profile discussed in this paper has been successfully implemented in the eXecutable Modelling Framework (XMF) – a Meta-Object-Facility (MOF) based UML tool. The Ulcer Clinical Practical Guideline Recommendations demonstrate the use of this profile; the prototype is implemented in the Java Expert System Shell (Jess).

INCREMENTAL PROCESSING OF TEMPORAL OBSERVATIONS IN SUPERVISION AND DIAGNOSIS OF DISCRETE-EVENT SYSTEMS

Gianfranco Lamperti and Marina Zanella

Observations play a major role in supervision and diagnosis of discrete-event systems (DESs). In a distributed, large-scale setting, the observation of a DES over a time interval is not perceived as a totally-ordered sequence of observable labels but, rather, as a directed acyclic graph, under uncertainty conditions. Problem solving, however, requires generating a surrogate of such a graph, the index space. Furthermore, the observation hypothesized so far has to be integrated at the reception of a new fragment of observation. This translates to the need for computing a new index space every time. Since such a computation is expensive, a naive generation of the index space from scratch at the occurrence of each observation fragment becomes prohibitive in real applications. To cope with this problem, the paper introduces an incremental technique for efficiently modeling and indexing temporal observations of DESs.

QUALITY LEARNING OBJETCS MANAGEMENT - A PROPOSAL FOR E-LEARNING SYSTEMS

Erla Morales, Ángela Barrón and Francisco García

Web development is promoting important advantages for educational area specially e-learning systems. By one side Learning Objects (LOs) aim the possibility to reuse specific information and by the other side they can be interchanged though different context and platforms according to the user’s needs. The possibility to access, reuse and interchange information is a great advantage to our information society but it is not enough. An urgent necessity exists to guarantee the LOs quality content. There exists a plethora of quality criteria to value digital sources but there are only a few suggestions about how to evaluate LOs to structure quality courses. This work proposes a quality learning object management for e-learning systems. Our proposal consists on a system to evaluate LOs as a continued process taking into account quality criteria related to metadata information, especially the educational category, together with a strategy to ensure a continued LOs quality contents. To achieve this, we propose in a first place our own LOs definition to manage them in a uniform way. After that, we suggest to relate LOs metadata information with quality criteria trough an instrument which contains different kind of categories and evaluation criteria. To promote a better reliability results we suggest an evaluation strategy which consider experts and users participation.

INTRODUCING INTELLIGENT AGENTS TO OUTSOURCING

Hemal Kothari, Bernadette Sharp, Luke Ho and Anthony Atkins

In the last few years, agent technology has significantly emerged as a new paradigm for software developers to solve complex problems. This paper extends the use of multi-agent systems into a new domain of outsourcing. It highlights the various issues associated with outsourcing decision making i.e. the complexity and the risks involved in outsourcing. The paper outlines the HABIO framework which proposes a tri-perspective approach focusing on the organisational, information and business perspective to facilitate the outsourcing decision-making and formulating an effective outsourcing strategy. The main focus of this paper is to describe how agents can assist the experts in their decision to support outsourcing. A call-centre scenario illustrating a 3-layered agent architecture is proposed which aims to capture the strategic, tactical, and communicational layers of outsourcing and supports the experts in their outsourcing decision-making.

KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT FOR RAMP-UP - APPROACH FOR KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT FOR RAMP-UP IN THE AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY

Sven Thiebus, Ulrich Berger and Ralf Kretzschmann

Enterprises in the automotive industry are facing new challenges from increasing product diversification, decreasing product life cycle times and permanent need for cost reduction. The ramp-up as linking phase between development phase and production phase has a crucial role for the success of a project. The performance of a ramp-up depends on the maturity of the product and manufacturing processes. Knowledge management is an extraordinary driver for maturity of both product and manufacturing process. The existing solutions for knowledge management show insufficient results. The new approach bases on the cycle of organizational learning. The cycle consists of four phases: socialization, externalization, combination and internalization. The cycle of organizational learning is also known as SECI cycle. It provides opportunities to improve ramp-up performance in the automotive industry. Part of the new approach is a sophisticated concept for a solution using Information Technology as enabler for Knowledge management.

SADIM: AN AID SYSTEM FOR MANAGEMENT ENGINEERING DIAGNOSIS USING KNOWLEDGE EXTRACTION AND MATCHING TECHNIQUES

Jamel Kolsi, Lamia Hadrich Belguith,Mansour Mrabet and Abdelmajid Ben Hamadou

This paper describes an aid system of management engineering diagnosis "Système d’Aide au Diagnostic d’Ingénierie de Management " SADIM, the aim of which is to detect the dysfunctions related to the enterprise management. This system allows the acquisition of knowledge based on textual data (given in French) related to the diagnosis, the matching and the assignment of witness sentences to the key ideas that correspond to them. SADIM can also serve as a part of a decision aid system as it includes carrying out diagnosis which can helps experts and socio-economic management consultants to take decisions that would make enterprises reach the required standards through council interventions.

IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES FOR “EQUATION GURU” - A USER FRIENDLY INTELLIGENT ALGEBRA TUTOR

Senay Kafkas, Zeki Bayram and Huseyin Yaratan

We describe the implementation strategies of an intelligent algebra tutor, the “Equation Guru” (EG), which is designed to help students learn the concepts of equation solving with one unknown. EG provides a highly interactive and entertaining learning environment through the use of Microsoft Agents. It consists of two main parts. The first is the “Tutorial” part where students guided through the steps of solving equations with one unknown. The second, “Drill and Practice” part gives them a chance to practice their skills in equation solving. In this part, equations are automatically geratated by EG, and presented to the student. EG monitors the student’s performance and adjusts the difficulty level of the equations accordingly.

DYNAMIC REPRESENTATION OF INFORMATION FOR A DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEM

Thierry Galinho, Michel Coletta, Patrick Person and Frédéric Serin

This paper presents a system designed to help deciders manage cases of crisis. The system represents, characterises and interprets the dynamic evolution of information describing a given situation and displays the results of its analysis. The core of the system is made up of three multiagent systems (MAS): one MAS for the static and dynamic representation of the information (current situation), the second MAS for dynamically regrouping sets of agents of the former MAS and the upper MAS for matching results between the second MAS and scenarios stored in the persistent memory of the system in order to have a deeper analysis of the situation. The case based reasoning of this last MAS sends its results to the user as a view of the current situation linked to some views of similar situations. In this paper, we will focus on the representation of information MAS. This MAS is dynamic in order to be able to take into account the changes in the description of the information. Current information is represented by a layer of factual agents which is fed by the composite semantic features constituting the atomic data elements of information. The aim of the set of factual agents is both to be a real snapshot of the situation at any time and to model the evolution.

DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEM FOR BREAST CANCER DIAGNOSIS BY A META-LEARNING APPROACH BASED ON GRAMMAR EVOLUTION

Albert Fornells-Herrera, Elisabet Golobardes-Ribé, Ester Bernadó-Mansilla and Joan Martí-Bonmatí

The incidence of breast cancer varies greatly among countries, but statistics show that every year 720,000 new cases will be diagnosed world-wide. However, a low percentage of women who suffer it can be detected using mammography methods. Therefore, it is necessary to develop new strategies to detect its formation in early stages. Many machine learning techniques have been applied in order to help doctors in the diagnosis decision process, but its definition and application are complex, getting results which are not often the desired. In this article we present an automatic way to build decision support systems by means of the combination of several machine learning techniques using a Meta-learning approach based on Grammar Evolution (MGE). We will study its application over different mammographic datasets to assess the improvement of the results.

DISCOVERING THE STABLE CLUSTERS BETWEEN INTERESTINGNESS MEASURES

Xuan-Hiep Huynh, Fabrice Guillet and Henri Briand

In this paper, we interested in finding the different aspects existing in data sets via the evaluation of the behavior of interestingness measures. This approach is an important step in the process of post-processing the discovered knowledge in the form of association rules. We used two data sets with different characteristics of each and also investigated in the examination of the two best rules data sets extracted from these two original data sets. Our results are acceptable because of the high quantity of association rules in the data sets, approximately $100000$ rules for post-processing. Furthermore, this approach strongly participates in the domain of knowledge quality research.

A FOUNDATION FOR INFORMED NEGOTIATION

John Debenham and Simeon Simoff

Approaches to the construction of agents that are to engage in competitive negotiation are often founded on game theory. In such an approach the agents are endowed with utility functions and assumed to be utility optimisers. In practice the utility function is derived in the context of massive uncertainties both in terms of the agent's priorities and of the raw data or information. To address this issue we propose an agent architecture that is founded on information theory, and that manages uncertainty with entropy-based inference. Our negotiating agent engages in multi-issue bilateral negotiation in a dynamic information-rich environment. The agent strives to make informed decisions. The agent may assume that the integrity of some of its information decays with time, and that a negotiation may break down under certain conditions. The agent makes no assumptions about the internals of its opponent --- it focuses only on the signals that it receives. It constructs two probability distributions over the set of all deals. First the probability that its opponent will accept a deal, and second that a deal will prove to be acceptable to it in time.

PREDICTING CARDIOVASCULAR RISKS - USING POSSUM, PPOSSUM AND NEURAL NET TECHNIQUES

Thuy Nguyen Thi Thu and Darryl N. Davis

Neural Networks are broadly applied in a number of fields such as cognitive science, diagnosis, and forecasting. Medical decision support is one area of increasing research interest. Ongoing collaborations between cardiovascular clinicians and computer science are looking at the application of neural networks (and other data mining techniques) to the area of individual patient diagnosis, based on clinical records (from Hull and Dundee sites). The current research looks to advance initial investigations in a number of ways. Firstly, through a rigorous analysis of the clinical data, using data mining and statistical tools, we hope to be able to extend the usefulness of much of the clinical data set. Problems with the data include differences in attribute presence and use across different sites, and missing values. Secondly we look to advance the classification of referred patients with different outcome through the rigorous use of POSSUM, PPOSSUM and both supervised and unsupervised neural net techniques. Through the use of different classifiers, a better clinical diagnostic support model may be built.

PERSONALIZED INCENTIVE PLANS THROUGH EMPLOYEE PROFILING

Silverio Petruzzellis, Oriana Licchelli, Ignazio Palmisano, Giovanni Semeraro, Valeria Bavaro and Cosimo Palmisano

Total reward management (TRM) is a holistic practice that interprets the growing need in organizations for involvement and motivation of the workers. It is oriented towards pushing the use of Information Technology in supporting the improvement of both organization and people performances, by understanding employee needs and by designing customized incentives and rewards. Customization is very common in the area of e-commerce, where application of profiling and recommendation techniques makes it possible to deliver personalized recommendations for users that explicitly accept the site to store personal information such as preferences or demographic data. Our work is focused on the application of User Profiling techniques in the Total Reward Management context. In the Team Advisor project we experimented the analogies Customer/Employee, Product, Portfolio/Reward Library and Shop/Employer, in order to provide personalized reward recommendations to line managers. We found that the adoption of a collaborative software platform delivering a preliminary reward plan to the managers fosters collaboration and actively supports the delegation of decision-making.

BENEFICIAL SEQUENTIAL COMBINATION OF DATA MINING ALGORITHMS

Mathias Goller, Markus Humer and Michael Schrefl

Depending on the goal of an instance of the Knowledge Discovery in Databases (KDD) process, there are instances that require more than a single data mining algorithm to determine a solution. Sequences of data mining algorithms offer room for improvement that are yet unexploited. If it is known that an algorithm is the first of a sequence of algorithms and there will be future runs of other algorithms, the first algorithm can determine intermediate results that the succeeding algorithms need. The anteceding algorithm can also determine helpful statistics for succeeding algorithms. As the anteceding algorithm has to scan the data anyway, computing intermediate results happens as a by-product of computing the anteceding algorithm's result. On the one hand, a succeeding algorithm can save time because several steps of that algorithm have already been pre-computed. On the other hand, additional information about the analysed data can improve the quality of results such as the accuracy of classification, as demonstrated in experiments with synthetical and real data.

APPLICATION OF THE ROUGH SET METHOD FOR EVALUATION OF STRUCTURAL FUNDS PROJECTS

Tadeusz A. Grzeszczyk

Main subject of the present paper is presentation of the concept for application of rough set theory in evaluation of structural funds projects. Author presents scheme of classification algorithms based on rough set approach. This algorithm can be used for the problem of project proposals classification.

EFFICIENT MANAGEMENT OF NON REDUNDANT RULES IN LARGE PATTERN BASES: A BITMAP APPROACH

François Jacquenet, Christine Largeron and Cédric Udréa

Knowledge Discovery from Databases has more and more impact nowadays and various tools are now available to extract efficiently (in time and memory space) some knowledge from huge databases. Nevertheless, those systems generally produce some large pattern bases and then the management of these one rapidly becomes untractable. Few works have focused on pattern base management systems and researches on that domain are really new. This paper comes within that context, dealing with a particular class of patterns that is association rules. More precisely, we present the way we have efficiently implemented the search for non redundant rules thanks to a representation of rules in the form of bitmap arrays. Some experiments show that the use of this technique increases dramatically the gain in time and space, allowing us to manage large pattern bases.

INTEGRATING FUZZY LOGIC IN ONTOLOGIES

Silvia Calegari and Davide Ciucci

Ontologies have proved to be very useful in sharing concepts across applications in an unambiguous way. Nowadays, in ontology-based applications information is often vague and imprecise. This is a well-know problem especially for semantics-based applications, such as e-commerce, knowledge management, web portals, etc. In computer-aided reasoning, the predominant paradigm to manage vague knowledge is fuzzy set theory. This paper presents an enrichment of classical computational ontologies with fuzzy logic to create fuzzy ontologies. So, it is a step towards facing the nuances of natural languages with ontologies. Our proposal is developed in the KAON ontology editor, that allows to handle ontology concepts in an high-level environment.

A KNOWLEDGE-BASED REVERSE DESIGN SYSTEM FOR DECLARATIVE SCENE MODELING

Vassilios Golfinopoulos, Vassilios Stathopoulos, George Miaoulis and Dimitri Plemenos

Declarative modeling allows the designer to describe a scene without the need to define the geometric properties. The MultiCAD architecture implements the declarative forward design, accepting a declarative description and generating a set of geometric solutions that meet the description. The aim of the presented work is to settle the reverse design process through the RS-MultiCAD component in order to extend MultiCAD declarative conception cycle to an automated iterative process. The RS-MultiCAD receives a selected geometric solution, which is semantically understood, permits the designer to perform geometric and topological modifications on the scene, and results a declarative description which embodies the designer modifications. That declarative description leads to more promising solutions by pruning the initial solution space.

AUTOMATIC IDENTIFICATION OF NEGATED CONCEPTS IN NARRATIVE CLINICAL REPORTS

Lior Rokach, Roni Romano and Oded Maimon

Substantial medical data such as discharge summaries and operative reports are stored in textual form. Databases containing free-text clinical narratives reports often need to be retrieved to find relevant information for clinical and research purposes. Terms that appear in these documents tend to appear in different contexts. The context of negation, a negative finding, is of special importance, since many of the most frequently described findings are those denied by the patient or subsequently “ruled out.” Hence, when searching free-text narratives for patients with a certain medical condition, if negation is not taken into account, many of the documents re-trieved will be irrelevant. In this paper we examine the applicability of machine learning methods for automatic identification of negative context patterns in clinical narratives reports. We suggest two new simple algorithms and compare their performance with standard machine learning techniques such as neural networks and decision trees. The proposed algorithms significantly improve the performance of information retrieval done on medical narratives.

DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION OF A FUZZY EXPERT DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEM FOR VENDOR SELECTION - CASE STUDY IN OIEC IRAN(OIL INDUSTERIAL ENGINEERING AND CONSTRUCTION)

Maryam Ramezani and G. A.Montazer

Supplier selection and evaluation is a complicated multi objective process with many uncertain factors. Sealed bid evaluation is the most common approach for supplier selection purpose in Iran. In this paper, a fuzzy expert decision support system is developed for solving the vendor selection problem with multiple objectives, in which some of the parameters are fuzzy in nature. Basic important factors considered for supplier selection are price, quality and delivery time. The designed system has been designed and implemented and evaluated in a lead famous company and the results are discussed.

COLLABORATIVE FILTERING BASED ON CONTENT ADDRESSING

Shlomo Berkovsky, Yaniv Eytani and Larry Manevitz

Collaborative Filtering (CF) is one of the most popular recommendation techniques. It is based on the assumption that people with similar tastes prefer similar items. One of the major drawbacks of the CF is its limited scalability, as the complexity of the CF grows linearly both with the number of available users and items. This work proposes a new fast variant of the CF employed over multi-dimensional content-addressable space. Our approach heuristically decreases the computational effort required by the CF algorithm by limiting the search process only to potentially relevant users. Experimental results demonstrate that our approach is able to generate predictions with high accuracy while significantly improving performance in comparison with the traditional implementation of the CF.

SEMI INTERACTIVE METHOD FOR DATA MINING

Lydia Boudjeloud and François Poulet

Usual visualization techniques for multidimensional data sets, such as parallel coordinates and scatter-plot matrices, do not scale well to high numbers of dimensions. A common approach to solve this problem is dimensionality selection. We present new semi-interactive method for dimensionality selection to select pertinent dimension subsets without losing information. Our cooperative approach uses automatic algorithms, interactive algorithms and visualization methods: an evolutionary algorithm is used to obtain optimal dimension subsets which represent the original data set without losing information for unsupervised tasks (clustering or outlier detection) using a new validity criterion. A visualization method is used to present the user interactive evolutionary algorithm results and let him actively participate in evolutionary algorithm search with more efficiency resulting in a faster evolutionary algorithm convergence. We have implemented our approach and applied it to real data set to confirm it is effective for supporting the user in the exploration of high dimensional data sets and evaluate the visual data representation.

KNOWLEDGE-BASED MODELING AND NATURAL COMPUTING FOR COORDINATION IN PERVASIVE ENVIRONMENTS

Michael Cebulla

In this paper we start with the assumption that coordination in complex systems can be understood in terms of presence and location of information. We propose a modeling framework which supports an integrated view of these two aspects of coordination (which we call knowledge diffusion). For this sake we employ methods from ontological modeling, modal logics, fuzzy logic and membrane computing. Especially we treat two extreme cases of knowledge diffusion: knowledge processing with extensive semantic support and the exchange of uninterpreted messages. In the first case systems behavior is considered as multi-model transformation where aspects of situations are described by knowledge bases which are manipulated according to transformation rules from membrane computing. In the second case however we exploit the special features of our architecture in order to integrate bio-inspired coordination mechanisms which rely on the exchange of molecules (i.e. uninterpreted messages).

A LOAD BALANCING SCHEDULING APPROACH FOR DEDICATED MACHINE CONSTRAINT

Arthur M. D. Shr, Alan Liu and Peter P. Chen

The dedicated photolithography machine constraint in semiconductor manufacturing is one of the new issues of photolithography machinery due to natural bias. With this constraint, the wafers passing through each photolithography process have to be processed on the same machine. The purpose of the limitation is to prevent the impact of natural bias. However, many scheduling polices or modeling methods proposed by previous research for the semiconductor manufacturing production did not discuss the dedicated machine constraint. In this paper, we propose the Load Balancing (LB) scheduling approach based on a Resource Schedule and Execution Matrix (RSEM) to tackle this constraint. LB is to schedule each wafer lot at the first photolithography stage to a suitable machine based on the load balancing factors among machines. We describe the algorithm of our proposed LB scheduling approach and RAEM in the paper. We also present an example to demonstrate our approach and the result of the simulations to validate our approach.

ONTOLOGY-DRIVEN INFORMATION INTEGRATION - NETWORKED ORGANISATION CONFIGURATION

Alexander Smirnov, Tatiana Levashova and Nikolay Shilov

Distributed networks of independent companies (networked organisations) are currently of high interest. This new organisational form provides for flexibility, tolerance, etc. that are necessary in the current market situation characterised by increasing competition and globalisation. Configuration of a networked organisation is a strategic task that requires intelligent decision support and integration of various tasks constituting the configuration problem. Achieving efficient integration of tasks is possible when it is done taking into account semantics. The paper proposes an approach to this problem based on ontology-driven knowledge integration. The knowledge in the approach is presented using formalism of object-oriented constraint networks. Such formalism simplifies problem formulation and interpretation since most of the tasks in the areas of configuration and management are constraint satisfaction tasks. The paper describes the developed approach and the ontological model that is the core of the approach. Application of the developed approach is demonstrated at two levels: (a) at the level of information integration within one company and (b) at the level of information integration across a networked organisation.

A LOGIC-BASED APPROACH TO SEMANTIC INFORMATION EXTRACTION

Massimo Ruffolo and Marco Manna

Recognizing and extracting meaningful information from unstructured documents, taking into account their semantics, is an important problem in the field of information and knowledge management. In this paper we describe a novel logic-based approach to semantic information extraction, from both HTML pages and flat text documents, implemented in the HiLex system. The approach is founded on a new two-dimensional representation of documents, and heavily exploits DLP+ - an extension of disjunctive logic programming for ontology representation and reasoning, which has been recently implemented on top of the DLV system. Ontologies, representing the semantics of information to be extracted, are encoded in DLP+, while the extraction patterns are expressed using regular expressions and an ad hoc two-dimensional grammar. The execution of DLP+ reasoning modules, encoding the HiLex grammar expressions, yields the actual extraction of information from the input document. Unlike previous systems, which are merely syntactic, HiLex combines both semantic and syntactic knowledge for a powerful information extraction.

KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT NOVEL APPLICATIONS

Vasso Stylianou and Andreas Savva

Knowledge Management (KM) is a process through which an enterprise gathers, organizes, shares, and analyzes the knowledge of individuals and groups across the organization in ways that directly affect performance. Numerous businesses have implemented KM systems in an effort to achieve commercial effectiveness. This paper has collected information about a number of KM systems developed and used by modern businesses. It then presents the development steps leading to the implementation of a Web Content Management System to be used as a Research Management System. This will manage the acquisition, analysis, perseverance and utilization of knowledge regarding various research projects - including proposed projects, ongoing projects and finalized projects - and research-related emails.

COALITION FORMATION WITH UNCERTAIN TASK EXECUTION

Hosam Hanna

We address the problem of coalition formation in environments where tasks' executions are uncertain. While previous works provide good solutions for coalition formation problem, they do not take into account the uncertain task execution and they do not take into account the effects of forming a coalition on the future possible formations. In environments where task execution is uncertain, an agent can't be sure whether he will be able to execute all the subtasks that are allocated to him or he will ignore some of them. That is why forming coalition to maximize the real reward is an unrealizable operation. In this paper, we propose a theoretical approach to form coalition with uncertain task execution. We view the formation of a coalition to execute a task as (1) a decision to make and (2) as an uncertain source of gain. We associate then the allocation of a task to a coalition with an expected reward that represents what agents expect to gain by forming this coalition for executing this task. Also, the agents' aim is to form coalition to maximize the expected reward instead of the real reward. To reach this objective, we formalize the coalition formation problem by a Markov Decision Process (MDP). We consider the situation where decisions are taken by one agent that develops and solves the corresponding MDP. An optimal coalition formation which maximizes the agents' expected reward is then obtained.

TOWARDS A COMPLETE DATA MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK BASED ON INTELLIGENT AGENTS

Iulian Alexandru Negroiu, Octavian Paul Rotaru and Mircea Petrescu

Applications are more and more complex and the volume of information has an exponentially growth nowadays. In these conditions a huge amount of information needs to be processed while the processing time and power should be kept to a minimum. The increasing amount of data transferred over the Internet and other networks, which are open to a big number of clients, was reflected in the growth of the distributed information systems. Also, there are a multitude of servers distributed among remote locations, which are serving the same purposes. In this cases, traditional models of distributed computing, caching, concurrency control etc. are becoming less appropriate in overcoming the actual efficiency problems and in supporting the development of complex applications. We believe that intelligent and autonomous agents can solve this problem. In order to have a solution for the above problems, this paper opens the research for complete data management intelligent agents based framework. The possible areas that can be handled using agents are identified and discussed together with the required agents and agencies, while attempting to provide a bird’s eye architectural view of the proposed framework.

A MULTI-AGENT ARCHITECTURE FOR MOBILE SELF-TRAINING

Mourad Ennaji, Hadhoum Bouhachour and Patrick Gravé

This article is the result of an interdisciplinary meeting between sociologists and didacticiens on the one hand and data processing specialists on the other hand. To develop the theoretical and methodological principles of the design of a training environment, by putting the needs and the difficulties of the student at the center of the design process and data-processing modeling, constitutes the common action of these two research laboratories within the framework of this collaboration. To design a virtual tutor called “teaching agent” in a system of remote formation implies the implementation of a flexible and adaptive system. We propose an multi-agent multi-layer architecture able to initiate the training and to manage a teaching and an individualized follow-up.

DATA MINING AS A NEW PARADIGM FOR BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE IN DATABASE MARKETING PROJECTS

Filipe Pinto, Pedro Gago and Manuel Filipe Santos

One of the most interesting business management challenges is to integrate automation and systematisation processes in order to get insights or trends for decision support activities. Actually, information technologies provide not only the ability to collect and register in databases many kinds of signals (relevant segments of information) external to the organization, but also the capacity to use them in different ways at different organizational levels. Database Marketing (DBM) refers to the use of database technology to support marketing activities in order to establish and maintain a profitable interaction with clients. Currently DBM is usually approached using classical statistical inference, which may fail when complex, multi-dimensional, and incomplete data is available. An alternative is to apply Data Mining (DM) techniques in a process called Knowledge Discovery from Databases (KDD), which aims at automatic pattern extraction. This will help marketers to address customer needs based on what they know about customers, rather than a mass generalization of their characteristics. This paper exploits a systematic approach for the use of DM techniques as a new paradigm in Business Intelligence (BI) in DBM projects, considering analytical and marketing aspects. A cross-table is proposed to associate DBM activities to the appropriate DM techniques. This framework guides the development of DBM projects, contributing to improve their efficacy and efficiency.

MULTI-CRITERIA EVALUATION OF INFORMATION RETRIEVAL TOOLS

Nishant Kumar, Jan Vanthienen, Jan De Beer and Marie-Francine Moens

We propose a generic methodology for the evaluation of Text Mining/Search and Information Retrieval tools based on their functional conformity to a predefined set of functional requirements prioritized by distinguishable user profiles. The methodology is worked out and applied within the context of a research project concerning the assessment of intelligent exploitation tools for unstructured information sources in the police domain. We present the general setting of our work, give an overview of our evaluation approach, and discuss our methodology for testing in greater detail. These kinds of evaluations are particularly useful for both (potential)purchasers of exploitation tools, given the high investments in time and money required in becoming proficient in their use, and developers who aim at producing better quality software products.

AROUND THE EMPIRICAL AND INTENTIONAL REFERENCES OF AGENT-BASED SIMULATION IN THE SOCIAL SCIENCES

Nuno David and Helder Coelho

The difficulties in constructing and analyzing simulations of social theory and phenomena, even the most simplified, have been underlined in the literature. The experimental reference of simulation remains ambiguous, insofar as the logic of its method turns computer programs into something more than a tool in the social sciences, defining them as the experimental object itself. The goal of this paper is to construct a methodological perspective that is able to conciliate the formal and empirical logic of program verification in computer science, with the interpretative and multiparadigmatic logic of the social sciences. We demonstrate that the method of simulation implies at least two distinct types of program verifications, which we call empirical and intentional verification. By demonstrating that it is the intentional verification of programs that is contingent upon both the behaviors of the programs and the social phenomena, we clarify the experimental reference of simulation.

LOGICRUNCHER - A LOGISTICS PLANNING AND SCHEDULING DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEM FOR EMERGING EMS AND 3PL BUSINESS PRACTICES

Raymund J. Lin, Jack Huang, Norman Sadeh-Koniecpol and Benjamin Tsai

LogiCruncher is a dynamic logistics planning and scheduling module developed to support emerging third party logistics practices. Given information about inventory profiles for different product types at different locations, a set of transportation assets as well as a variety of quotes and contractual arrangements with logistics service providers, the system is capable of generating or revising transportation plans and schedules that meet changing customer requirements. These requirements are expressed in the form of demands for delivering different types of SKUs in different quantities to different locations. The system is capable of capturing a rich set of domain constraints and costs. It can be used to support the development and dynamic revision of solutions as well as to support requests for quotes from prospective customers. This includes support for “whatif” analysis through the creation and manipulation of solutions in different contexts, each corresponding to possibly different sets of assumptions. This paper provides an overview of LogiCruncher and summarizes results of initial evaluation experiments.

AN EXTENDABLE JAVA FRAMEWORK FOR INSTANCE SIMILARITIES IN ONTOLOGIES

Mark Hefke, Valentin Zacharias, Andreas Abecker, Qingli Wang, Ernst Biesalski and Marco Breiter

Ontologies, Similarity, Knowledge Management, Case-Based Reasoning

SIMILARITY MEASURES FOR SKILL-PROFILE MATCHING IN ENTERPRISE KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT

Ernst Biesalski and Andreas Abecker

At DaimlerChrysler’s truck plant in Wörth / Rhein, we are currently implementing a comprehensive IT solution for integrated and synergistic pro¬cesses in personnel development. In this paper, we sketch some onto¬logy-based software modules – as well as their interdependencies and synergies – which support streamlined and integrated, comprehensive personnel-development processes. A central element in the software architecture is ontology-based similarity assessment for skill-profile matching which is exemplarily discussed for software-supported project staffing.

SOURCE SENSITIVE ARGUMENTATION SYSTEM

Chee Fon Chang, Peter Harvey and Aditya Ghose

There exist many approaches to agent-based conflict resolution. Of particular interest are approaches which adopt argumentation as their underlying conflict resolution machinery. In most argumentation systems, the argument source plays a minimal role. We feel that ignoring this important attribute of human argumentation process reduces the capabilities of current argumentation systems. This paper focuses on the importance information source in argumentation extending this to the notion of credibility of agents and the effect on agent decision making during argumentation.

SELECTING AND STRUCTURING SEMANTIC RESOURCES TO SUPPORT SMES KNOWLEDGE COMMUNITIES

António Lucas Soares, Manuel Moreira da Silva and Dora Simões

Knowledge management intrinsically involves communication and information sharing, which can be strongly affected by the context in which it is viewed and interpreted. This situation gets worst when complex domains are considered, as it is the case of the Construction Industry domains. The development of ontologies to unify and to put into context the different concepts and terms of the sometimes rather traditional and locally coloured construction industry domains is a necessary step to avoid misinterpretations and inefficient communication. The KNOW-CONSTRUCT project decided, as an approach to this task, to re-use, as far as possible, existing ontologies, classification systems and other semantic resources in order to develop a system that may come to contribute to standards and to the integration, management and reuse of the area specific knowledge via a common knowledge base in order to consolidate and provide access to integrated knowledge, making community emergent knowledge a significant added value. It aims at developing a methodology of common Construction Industry Knowledge (CIK) representation applicable to large sets of SMEs in the construction industry as a basis for the establishment of a knowledge community.

FUZZY INTERVAL NUMBER (FIN) TECHNIQUES FOR FUZZY INTERVAL NUMBER (FIN) TECHNIQUES FOR

Catherine Marinagi, Theodoros Alevizos, Vassilis G. Kaburlasos and Christos Skourlas

A new method to handle problems of Information Retrieval (IR) and related applications is proposed. The method is based on Fuzzy Interval Numbers (FINs) introduced in fuzzy system applications. Definition, interpretation and a computation algorithm of FINs are presented. The frame of use FINs in IR is given. An experiment showing the anticipated importance of these techniques in Cross Language Information Retrieval (CLIR) is presented.

LOCATING KNOWLEDGE THROUGH AUTOMATED ORGANIZATIONAL CARTOGRAPHY [AUTOCART]

Mounir Kehal, Sandrine Crener and Patrice Sargenti

The Post-Globalization aeon has placed businesses everywhere in new and different competitive situations where knowledgeable, effective and efficient behaviour has come to provide the competitive and comparative edge. Enterprises have turned to explicit- and even conceptualising on tacit- Knowledge Management to elaborate a systematic approach to develop and sustain the Intellectual Capital needed to succeed. To be able to do that, you have to be able to visualize your organization as consisting of nothing but knowledge and knowledge flows, whilst being presented in a graphical and visual framework, referred to as automated organizational cartography. Hence, creating the ability of further actively classifying existing organizational content evolving from and within data feeds, in an algorithmic manner, hence potentially giving insightful schemes and dynamics by which organizational know-how is visualised. It is discussed and elaborated on most recent and applicable definitions and classifications of knowledge management, representing a wide range of views from mechanistic (systematic, data driven) to a more socially (psychologically, cognitive/metadata driven) orientated. More elaborate continuum models, for knowledge acquisition and reasoning purposes, are being used for effectively representing the domain of information that an end user may contain in their decision making process for utilization of available organizational intellectual resources.

GEOSPATIAL SEMANTIC QUERY BASED ON CASE-BASED REASONING SYSTEM

Kay Khaing Win

In today’s fast-growing information age, currently available methods for finding and using information on the Web are often insufficient. Today’s retrieval methods are typically limited to keywords searches or sub-string matches, therefore, users may often miss critical information when searching the web. After reviewing the real world Semantic Web, additional research is needed on the Geospatial Semantic Web. We are rich in geospatial data but poor in up-to-date geospatial information and knowledge that are ready to be used by anyone who wants to use. In this paper, we implement a framework of geospatial semantic query based on case based reasoning system that contributes to the development of geospatial semantic web. It is important to establish a geospatial semantics that support for effective spatial reasoning for performing geospatial semantic query. Compared to earlier keyword-based and information retrieval techniques that rely on syntax, we use semantic approaches in our spatial queries.

SOME SPECIAL HEURISTICS FOR DISCRETE OPTIMIZATION PROBLEMS

Boris Melnikov, Alexey Radionov and Viktor Gumayunov

In previous paper we considered some heuristic methods of decision-making for various discrete optimization problems; all these heuristics should be considered as the combination of them and form a common multi-heuristic approach to the various problem. And in this paper, we begin to consider local heuristics, which are different for different problems. At first, we consider two problems of minimization: for nondeterministic finite automata and for disjunctive normal forms. Our approach can be considered as an alternative to the methods of linear programming, multi-agent optimization, and neuronets.

A METHOD BASED ON THE ONTOLOGY OF LANGUAGE TO SUPPORT CLUSTERS’ INTERPRETATION

Wagner Francisco Castilho, Gentil José de Lucena Filho, Hércules Antonio do Prado and Edilson Ferneda

The clusters’ analysis process comprises two broad activities: generation of a clusters set and extracting meaning from these clusters. The first one refers, typically, to the application of algorithms to estimate high density areas separated by lower density areas from the observed space. In the second one the analyst goes inside the clusters trying to figure out some sense from them. The whole activity is strongly dependent from previous knowledge and shows a considerable burden of subjectivity. In previous works, some alternatives were proposed to take into account the background knowledge when creating the clusters. However, the subjectivity of the interpretation activity continues to be a challenge to create knowledge from clusters’ analysis. Beyond a soundness domain knowledge demanded from the specialists, the consolidation of a con-sensual interpretation will depend from conversational competence for which no support has been provided. In this paper we propose a method for cluster interpretation based on the categories existing in the Ontology of Language, aiming to reduce the gap between a cluster configuration and the effective extraction of mean-ing from them.

KEY-PROBLEM AND GOAL DRIVEN REQUIREMENTS ENGINEERING - WHICH COMPLEMENTARITIES FOR MANUFACTURING INFORMATION SYSTEMS?

Virginie Goepp and François Kiefer

The development of manufacturing information systems involves various stakeholders, who are not specialists for information systems. Therefore the stakes of the methods for such projects are to provide models which are understandable for all people involved, and conceptual enough to support the alignment between business, information system and manufacturing strategies of the company. The use of problem based models, stemmed from dialectical approaches, is efficient for the understand ability and a coarse strategic analysis, but it is limited through the project size. At the opposite, goal driven requirements engineering approaches enable to tackle large projects and detailed strategic analysis, but they are limited because of the difficulty to deal with the fuzzy concept of a goal. So, it would be interesting to gain from these two approaches. This paper first presents a problem driven approach for manufacturing information systems. It consists in a key-problem framework and a set of steps to exploit it. The assumption made is to base requirement elicitation on the problems encountered by the stakeholders. Then its matching with goal driven requirements engineering is shown and the complementarities between these two approaches are drawn and further discussed.

TOWARDS A CONTEXTUAL MODEL-DRIVEN DEVELOPMENT APPROACH FOR WEB SERVICES

Zakaria Maamar, Karim Baïna, Djamal Benslimane, Nanjangud C. Narendra and Mehdi Chelbabi

This paper discusses how we develop and apply a contextual model-driven approach to Web services. A Web service is defined using WSDL, posted on an UDDI registry, and invoked through a SOAP request. To deploy adaptable Web services, we consider the environment wherein these Web services operate. This environment's features are made available in a structure, which we refer to as context. By adopting a contextual model-driven approach, we aim at developing contextual specifications of Web services. To this end ContextUML, an extension of UML through UMLProfile, permits developing such contextual specifications and is discussed in this paper.

STRUCTURED APPROACH FOR THE INTRODUCTION OF INFORMATION SERVICES INTO THE PRIVATE SOCIAL SOLIDARITY INSTITUTIONS

Alexandra Queirós and Nelson Rocha

The paper presents an overview of a methodology for the introduction of information technologies into the social solidarity institutions, helping to overcome a complex set of barriers. The methodology is based on a set of good practices (intend to be valid for different type of institutions but considering the specific needs of each one) and an electronic social record with a generic information model able to embrace all type of information necessary to the institutions, but also adjustable to answer to the requirements of each institution, service or care provider.

A PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE WITH NDT - THE SYSTEM TO MEASURE THE GRADE OF HANDICAP

Maria J. Escalona, Dario Villadiego, Javier J. Gutiérrez, Jesus Torres and Manuel Mejías

The necessity of applying technological advances in the medicine environment is an unquestionable fact. In the last years, important applications of new technologies in medical systems to help doctors or to make easier the evaluation, the treatment or, even, the relation between the doctor and the patient have been presented. However, there is sometimes an important gap in the development of these new systems. The specific and complex features of the medical environment often complicate the communication between doctors, when they require a new system, and experts in computer science. This work introduces a methodological proposal to specify and analyze software systems. Its main goal is to make easier the communication between final users and customers and the development team. The report presents our own practical experience by the application of this methodology in a real system to measure the grade of handicap in patients following laws in Spain.

SUPPORTING METHODS OF GENERATING ALTERNATIVE SCENARIOS FROM A NORMAL SCENARIO

Atsushi Ohnishi

A generation method of alternative scenarios using a normal scenario written with the scenario language SLAF is proposed. This method includes (1) generation of alternative plans and (2) generation of alternative scenario by a user’s selection of these plans. Our method enables to lessen the omission of the possible alternative scenarios in the early stages of development and contributes to improve the correctness and effectiveness of the software development.

A FEATURE COMPUTATION TREE MODEL TO SPECIFY REQUIREMENTS AND REUSE

Ella E. Roubtsova and Serguei A. Roubtsov

A large subset of requirements to complex systems, services and product lines is specified traditionally by hierarchical structures of features. Features are usually gathered and represented in the form of a feature tree. However, a feature tree is a structural model, it represents mainly composition and specialization relations between features-requirements and does not provide the possibility to specify requirements in form of ordering relations defined on functional features. For specification of ordering relations on features use case scenarios are traditionally used. Because use cases comprise isolated scenarios or sequences of features, they can be inconsistent and even contradict each other and the feature tree. Moreover, some use cases defining relations on features may be incomplete. To support consistent specification of requirements, we suggest to accompany a feature tree model by a feature computation tree model. The couple of such related feature tree models provides the basis for the method of consistency checks of requirements that we propose. It introduces a united view on the system's behaviour at the step of requirement specification and facilitates specification of forbidden sequences and construction complete sequences from incomplete ones. It allows designers to precisely specify the desired reuse and to find out that a certain sort of reuse is not possible. Understanding already at the step of requirements engineering that a subsystem cannot be reused without modification saves effort and money spent for development. The proposed method and models are explained by a case study of design a system for production of electronic cards.

A FORMAL ARCHITECTURE-CENTRIC MODEL-DRIVEN APPROACH FOR THE AUTOMATIC GENERATION OF GRID APPLICATIONS

David Manset, Hervé Verjus, Richard McClatchey and Flavio Oquendo

This paper discusses the concept of model-driven software engineering applied to the Grid application domain. As an extension to this concept, the approach described here, attempts to combine both formal architecture-centric and model-driven paradigms. It is a commonly recognized statement that Grid systems have seldom been designed using formal techniques although from past experience such techniques have shown advantages. This paper advocates a formal engineering approach to Grid system developments in an effort to contribute to the rigorous development of Grids software architectures. This approach addresses quality of service and crossplatform developments by applying the model-driven paradigm to a formal architecture-centric engineering method. This combination benefits from a formal semantic description power in addition to model-based transformations. The result of such a novel combined concept promotes the re-use of design models and facilitates developments in Grid computing.

MEDIS – A WEB BASED HEALTH INFORMATION SYSTEM - IMPLEMENTING INTEGRATED SECURE ELECTRONIC HEALTH RECORD

Snezana Sucurovic

In many countries there are initiatives for building an integrated patient-centric electronic health record. There are also initiatives for transnational integrations. These growing demands for integration result from the fact that it can provide improving healthcare treatments and reducing the cost of healthcare services. While in European highly developed countries computerisation in healthcare sector begun in the 70’s and reached a high level, some developing countries, and Serbia and Montenegro among them, have started computerisation recently. This is why MEDIS (MEDical Information System) is aimed at integration itself from the very beginning instead of integration of heterogeneous information systems on a middle layer or using HL7 protocol. MEDIS has been implemented as a federated system where the central server hosts basic EHCR information about a patient, and clinical servers contain their own part of patients’ EHCR. Clinical servers are connected to a central server through the Internet and the system can be accessed through a browser from a place that has an Internet connection. A user also has to have a public key certificate to be able to login. As health data are highly sensible, MEDIS implements solutions from recent years, such as Public Key Infrastructure and Privilege Management Infrastructure, SSL and Web Service security as well as pluggable, XML based access control policies.

A VIEWPOINTS MODELING FRAMEWORK BASED ON EPISTEMIC LOGIC

Min Jiang and Guoqin Wu

RE can be considered a process of knowledge representation, knowledge acquirement and knowledge analysis. Viewpoints approach hopes that stakeholders in a complex system should describe it from their own perspectives and then generate a more complete requirement specification. Just because of this characteristic, several stakeholders maybe describe a same problem. These overlapping requirements are the source of inconsistency. This paper puts forward requirement modeling framework based on problem-domain and viewpoints. We interpret and reason it with epistemic logic in order to achieve the following goals: 1) to make requirements more structured; 2) to help stakeholders formally discover those inconsistent overlapping requirements.

TOWARDS A SUITE OF METRICS FOR BUSINESS PROCESS MODELS IN BPMN

Elvira Rolón, Francisco Ruiz, Félix García and Mario Piattini

In this paper we present a suite of metrics for the evaluation of business process models using BPMN notation. Our proposal is based on the FMESP framework, which was developed in order to integrate the modeling and measurement of software processes. FMESP includes a set of metrics to provide the quantitative basis necessary to know the maintainability of the software process models. This previously existent proposal has been used in this work as the starting point to define a set of metrics for the evaluation of the complexity of business process models defined with BPMN. To achieve this goal, the first step has been to adopt the metrics of FMESP, which can be directly used to measure business process models, and then, new metrics have been defined according to the particular aspects of the business processes and BPMN notation.

FLEXIBLE REALIZATION OF BUSINESS PROCESSES USING EXISTING SERVICES

Jelena Zdravkovic and Martin Henkel

When realizing executable business process models, the assumption of a transparent integration with existing software services is highly unrealistic. In most situations, business process specifications collide with specific properties of existing services. In this paper we propose an approach for relaxation of the business process specification to enable flexible integration between the process and existing services. The approach is based on the notion of visibility, which allows a categorized relaxation of the process specification by not requiring every process state to be distinguished after the process is realised with existing services. The categories of visibility presented in this paper are applied by indicating flexible elements in the process design phase. The presented approach stimulates the alignment between business processes and existing services, facilitating a larger scale of transparent process realisations.

REQUIREMENTS ELICITATION FOR DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEMS: A DATA QUALITY APPROACH

Alejandro Vaisman

Today, information and timely decisions are crucial for an organization’s success. A Decision Support System is a software tool that provides information allowing its users to take decisions timely and cost-effectively. This is highly conditioned by the quality of the data involved. In this paper we show that conventional techniques for requirement elicitation cannot be used in Decision Support Systems, and propose DSS-METRIQ, a methodology aimed at providing a single data quality-based procedure for complete and consistent elicitation of functional (queries) and non functional (data quality) requirements. In addition, we present a method based on QFD (Quality Function Deployment), that, using the information collected during requirements elicitation, ranks the operational data sources from which data is obtained, according to their degree of satisfaction of user information requirements.

FLEXIBLE COMPLETION OF WORKFLOW ACTIVITIES

Georg Peters and Roger Tagg

Over the last twenty years business process management has become a central approach to maintaining the competitiveness of companies. However the automation of the business processes utilizing workflow systems have often led to over-structured solutions that lack of the flexibility inherent in the underlying business model. Therefore there is a need to develop flexible workflow management systems that easily and quickly adapt to dynamically changing business models and processes. Lin and Orlowska [2005] introduced partly complete-able activities as one way to make workflow systems more flexible. In our paper, we extend the concept of partly complete-able activities by recognizing separate probability and fuzzy dimensions and by introducing process memory.

A SUPPORTING TOOL TO IDENTIFY BOTH SATISFIED REQUIREMENTS AND TOLERANT THREATS FOR A JAVA MOBILE CODE APPLICATION

Haruhiko Kaiya, Kouta Sasaki, Chikanobu Ogawa and Kenji Kaijiri

A mobile code application can be easily integrated by using existing software components, thus it is one of the promising ways to develop software efficiently. However, using a mobile code application sometimes follows harmful effects on valuable resources of users because malicious codes in such an application can be activated. Therefore, users of mobile code applications have to identify both benefits and risks by the applications and to decide which benefits should be gotten and which risks should be tolerated. However, there is no method or tool to support such things. In this paper, we introduce a tool to support such users. By using this tool, the users can identify security related functions embedded in each mobile code automatically. The users can also relate these functions to each benefit or risk. By defining a security policy for mobile codes, some functions are disabled, thus some benefits and risks are also disabled. By adjusting the security policy, the users can make decision about the benefits and the risks.

DIFFERENT STRATEGIES FOR RESOLVING PRICE DISCOUNT COLLISIONS

Henrik Stormer

Managing Discounts is an essential task for all business applications. Discounts are used for turning prospects to new customers and for customer retention. However, if more than one discount type can be applied, a collision may arise. An example is a promotional discount and a discount for a customer. The system has to decide which discount should be applied, eventually also combinations are possible. A bad collision strategy can lead to annoyed customers as they do not get the price that they think is correct. This paper examines three different business applications designed for small and medium sized companies and shows the applied strategies for resolving discount collisions. Afterwards, a new way of defining discounts, called discount tree (dTree) is introduced. It is shown that with dTrees, collisions can be detected directly when the discounts are defined. A detected collision can then resolved by the administrator.

MANAGING THE KNOWLEDGE NEEDED TO SUPPORT AN ELECTRONIC PERSONAL ASSISTANT - AN END-USER FRIENDLY GRAPHICAL ONTOLOGY EDITING TOOL

Matthias Einig, Roger Tagg and Georg Peters

Today’s administrative worker has to handle huge amounts of data of different types, from many different sources and using multiple software tools. The effort in organizing and retrieving this data is often disproportionate to the actual benefit gained. Ontology-based categorization of knowledge has been advocated to provide a common infrastructure to the tools. However, most current software for building and maintaining ontologies is too complicated for the average end-user. This paper describes a prototype ontology editor application that provides an easily understandable and usable interface.

A SYSTEMATIC ANALYSIS PATTERNS SPECIFICATION

Ricardo Raminhos, Marta Pantoquilho, João Araújo and Ana Moreira

Analysis Patterns are indicative analysis solutions for a recurrent problem. Many patterns have been proposed and are successfully used. The writing of a pattern follows a specific structure that can be tailored to each author’s needs. We have developed an analysis pattern template that solves some previously identified gaps on other approaches. This paper focuses on the definition of a systematic process to guide developers to fill that analysis pattern template. The definition of this process will contribute to the unification of the analysis patterns representation, and thus for their understandability and completeness.

ONTOLOGY CONSTRUCTION IN AN ENTERPRISE CONTEXT: COMPARING AND EVALUATING TWO APPROACHES

Eva Blomqvist, Annika Öhgren and Kurt Sandkuhl

Structuring enterprise information and supporting knowledge management is a growing application field for enterprise ontologies. Research work presented in this paper focuses on construction of enterprise ontologies. In an experiment, two methods for ontology construction were used in parallel when developing an ontology for a company in automotive supplier industries. One method is based on automatic ontology construction exploiting ontology patterns, the other method is a manual approach based on cookbook-like instructions. The paper compares and evaluates the methods and their results. For ontology evaluation, selected approaches were combined including comparison of general characteristics, evaluation by ontology engineers, and evaluation by domain experts. The main conclusion is that the compared methods have different strengths and an integration of both, developed ontologies and used methods, should be investigated.

TOWARDS PRACTICAL TOOLS FOR MINING ABSTRACTIONS IN UML MODELS

Michel Dao, Marianne Huchard, Mohamed Rouane Hacène, Cyril Roume and Petko Valtchev

We present an experience of applying an extension of Formal Concept Analysis to UML class model restructuring. The Relational Concept Analysis (RCA) mines potentially useful abstractions from UML classes, attributes, operations and associations and therefore outscores competing restructuring techniques which usually focus exclusively on classes. Nevertheless, the complexity and the size of the RCA output require interactive tools to assist the human designers in comprehending the corresponding class model. We discuss the benefits of using RCA-based techniques in the light of an initial set of tools that were devised to ease the navigation and the visual analysis of the results of the restructuring process.

A PROJECT MANAGEMENT MODEL TO A DISTRIBUTED SOFTWARE ENGINEERING ENVIRONMENT

Lúcia Norie Matsueda Enami, Tania Fatima Calvi Tait and Elisa Hatsue Moriya Huzita

This article presents a project management model to a distributed environment that will be integrated to the DiSEN (Distributed Software Engineering Environment). The model purpose is to supply to the interested ones in the software project the pertinent information to each one and also treat the aspects of the team member’s physical distribution in a distributed environment. It was based in PMBOK (Project Management Body of Knowledge) Model and CMMI (Capability Maturity Model Integration) and the issues treated by the Project Management Model include cultural differences between the members, distribution of knowledge, the use of a tool to facilitate the communication between members, standardization of software project management documents and motivating people geographically dispersed.

VALIDATION OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS USING PETRI NETS

Asghar Bokhari and Skip Poehlman

Enterprise information systems are complex software that are frequently required to adapt to rapid changes in business environments. Although there have been some successes, the research literature is full of horror stories due to failure of these systems. Current software engineering practice requires verification/validation of complex systems at the design stage. Unified Modeling Language (UML), which lacks formal semantics, is the defacto standard for designing the majority of information systems and that means dynamic analysis techniques cannot be used for validation of UML models. Consequently there has been a considerable interest among researchers in formalization of UML models. Early proposals translate UML state diagrams into some kind of mathematical language and input this textual description to a model checker. In this paper we present a rule-based technique to convert UML state diagrams to Object Coloured Petri (OCP) nets. A strong mathematical foundation, more amenable to verification and validation procedures, alongwith a graphical representation, makes Petri nets ideally suitable for dynamic analysis of UML modelled information systems.

APPLYING BLOCK ACTIVITY PATTERNS IN WORKFLOW MODELING

Lucinéia Heloisa Thom and Cirano Iochpe

In an early work we have identified a set of organizational –oriented workflow patterns based on organizational structure aspects (e.g., centralization on decision-making and coordination mechanisms). Relying on this work, we verified that the use of workflow patterns based on structural aspects of the organization may improve both productivity and accuracy of workflow design and, hence, the resulting workflow process will better represent the business process of the real world as it is executed by the organization. In this paper we discuss a set of business (sub-)process types that were identified by different authors and are a result of a classification of business process “pieces” (e.g., logistic, financial, decision, information, material, notification and both unidirectional and bi-directional communication). After integrating the classification work found in the literature the business process types that we are calling “workflow block activity patterns” were described in a common language (UML 2.0) and through some study cases we tried to find out whether they are frequently reused during business as well as workflow process modeling. The “matching exercise” was carried out not only to validate the set of patterns but also, eventually to identify some new ones. The results showed that the patterns are frequently identified not only in workflow components but also in workflow applications. We believe they can be reused to improve both the quality and the performance of the design phase in a workflow project. Within this context we also present an inside of how the block activity patterns can effectively be used in workflow modeling.

THE CONCEPT OF ETHICS IN ELECTRONIC QUALITATIVE RESEARCH

Nouhad J. Rizk and Elias M. Choueiri

As a key form of communications technology, the internet has created new methodological approaches for social science research. This study focuses on moral issues created by information technology for qualitative research environments. The primary concern is with ethical analysis and legal issues and how both are applied to, although not limited to, issues of privacy, intellectual property, information access, interpersonal communication, moral and civil rights, responsibility and liability, and professional codes as well as some social implications of technology. The Internet is now exposed to a growing number and a wider variety of threats and vulnerabilities. Moreover, Internet-based research raises several ethical questions and introduces new ethical challenges, especially pertaining to privacy, informed consent and confidentiality and anonymity. This study aims to highlight the main ethical issues in electronic qualitative research and to provide some guidance for those doing or reviewing such research. While recognizing the reservations held about strict ethical guidelines for electronic qualitative research, this study opens the door for further debate of these issues so that the social science research community can move towards the adoption of agreed standards of good practice. In addition, it suggests that empirical research is desirable in order to quantify the actual risks to participants in electronic qualitative studies.

PERFORMANCE EVALUATION FRAMEWORK FOR IT/IS BASED ASSET MANAGEMENT

Abrar Haider and Andy Koronios

Engineering assets managing businesses use a variety of information and communication technologies for process efficiency, control, and management. Nevertheless, key to all these is the effective measurement of the IT/IS utilisation for existing process such that the underperforming areas are highlighted, and corrective actions are taken to achieve optimal use of IS/IT. There are a variety of performance measurement mechanisms available that stimulate improvement efforts, in so doing helping businesses to translate perceived business strategy into action. However, these approaches are mostly aimed at high level evaluation of an organisation’s performance; whereas the stochastic nature and ever expanding scope of asset management processes demands asset managers to have a comprehensive view of asset lifecycle and the interacting business areas. This paper proposes an evaluation framework for IT/IS based asset management in an engineering enterprise. The paper firstly seeks to present a critique of the asset management paradigm. It then discusses available performance measurement mechanisms and develops a case for the constituents of an effective asset management measurement framework that provides detailed indicators for controls actions required to achieve optimal process efficiency through the use of IT/IS. The paper, then, presents an integrated asset performance measurement framework that not only is derived from business strategy, but informs strategy formulation through a closed loop learning cycle that encompasses asset management lifecycle.

A REUSE-BASED REQUIREMENTS ELICITATION PROCESS

Sangim Ahn and Kiwon Chong

Establishing good requirements is important in an initial phase of software development not to make over time and cost of projects and low quality of software products. In the context of Requirements Engineering (RE), reuse is effective in particular because it can help to define requirement explicitly and to anticipate requirement change. We propose a reuse-based process approach to elicit potential requirements from various stakeholders. To achieve our goal, we present (1) analyzing gaps between requirements map of collected and reused in the repository and (2) potential requirements elicitation process with these maps. The former is composed of classifying styles of requirements, requirements representation formalism with use cases, and gap analysis using generic gap types. The latter is sequential procedures to look for potential requirements in addition to Plus Minus Interests(PMI) method. We illustrate our approach through a credit system case study.

THE VOCABULARY ONTOLOGY ENGINEERING - FOR THE SEMANTIC MODELLING OF HOME SERVICES

Jarmo Kalaoja, Julia Kantorovitch, Sara Carro, José María Miranda, Álvaro Ramos and Jorge Parra

With great advance in information technology and broadband networks, the interconnected networked home devices are becoming increasingly popular. Number of heterogeneous networked devices and services which belong to the traditionally separated functional islands such as PC (i.e. Internet), mobile, CE broadcasting, and home automation, not working together can be found in our today’s home. Merging of these devices and services would offer home individual residents user-friendly, intelligent, and meaningful interfaces to handle home information and services. The semantic ontology based modelling of home services can enable interoperability of heterogeneous services. The ontology may facilitate clear description on how far each device is suitable for different kinds of information and different interaction demands. This paper is presenting an analysis on the kind of vocabulary ontologies necessary in different functional domains to cope with heterogeneity of service descriptions. The ontology based rich representation of services will facilitate an efficient service discovery, integration and composition.

AN ALGORITHM FOR BUILDING INFORMATION SYSTEM’S ONTOLOGIES

Mohamed Mhiri, Sana Chabaane, Achraf Mtibaa and Faïez Gargouri

Current applications' modelling becomes increasingly complex. Indeed, it requires a hard work to study the particular studied field in order to determine its main concepts and their relationships. The conceptual representations (CR) results of the modelling of such applications can contain structural and semantic errors which are not detectable by current CASE. The solution that we propose is to associate an ontology, for the studied field, as a help to the designers during IS modelling steps. Building such information system’s ontologies require the use of an approach allowing the determination of the concepts and the relationships between these concepts. Using ontologies makes it possible to ensure conceptual representations' semantic coherence for a given field. In this paper, we propose an algorithm for building an information system’s ontology based on the comparison between the concepts and using a set of semantic relationships.

BRIDGING THE LANGUAGE-ACTION PERSPECTIVE AND ORGANIZATIONAL SEMIOTICS IN SDBC

Boris Shishkov, Jan L. G. Dietz and Kecheng Liu

The SDBC approach addresses the actual problem of business-software alignment through the identification of re-usable business process models and their mapping to software specification models. In such an alignment, it is crucial to adequately grasp all essential business aspects and properly reflect them in modeling the functionality of the software application-to-be. In achieving such a business process modeling foundation, SDBC relies on the theories of LAP and OS: OS allows for an adequate consideration of all essential semantic aspects in conducting a business process modeling, while LAP is capable of grasping pragmatics on top of that; therefore a LAP-OS-driven business process modeling foundation is claimed to be useful. However, combining LAP and OS is not a trivial task and needs to be based on an adequate study. Such a study has been initiated during the development of SDBC. In the current paper, we further elaborate on our (SDBC-driven) views on how LAP and OS could be appropriately combined for the purpose of a sound business process modeling that is to found a further specification of software.

INTEROPERABLITY REQUIREMENTS ELICITATION, VALIDATION AND SOLUTIONS MODELLING

Sobah Abbas Petersen, Frank Lillehagen and Maria Anastasiou

This paper describes a methodology and a model-based approach for supporting the requirements elicitation and validation work in the ATHENA project. Numerous interoperability requirements have been gathered by four industrial partners and these requirements are validated against interoperability issues. The process of obtaining requirements from industrial users and developing solutions for them involves several communities such as the users, stakeholders and developers. A model-based methodology and approach are proposed to support the analysis of the requirements and for incorporating the different perspectives and views that are desired by everyone. An example from the telecommunications sector is used to illustrate the methodology and a matrix-based validation approach is supported using a model developed in the Metis modelling environment.

OBJECT NORMALIZATION AS THE CONTRIBUTION TO THE AREA OF FORMAL METHODS OF OBJECT-ORIENTED DATABASE DESIGN

Jan Vraný, Zdenek Struska and Vojtech Merunka

In the article there is described an overview of current status in the area of formal technique of object database design. It is discussed there, why relational design techniques as normalization, decomposition and synthesis are not able to be easy used in object databases. The article informs with various proposals of object normal forms and it brings own authors evaluation and an example of object normalization.

EVOLUTION MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK FOR MULTI-DIMENSIONAL INFORMATION SYSTEMS

Nesrine Yahiaoui, Bruno Traverson and Nicole Levy

Because Information Systems are today tightly-coupled with enterprise activities, adaptability requirement on software is becoming essential. The framework we have developed aims to keep synchronized multiple descriptions of the same system in case of evolution. Its foundations are based on RM-ODP viewpoints and meta-modeling technology. A prototype tool to support the framework has been developed as an EMF/Eclipse plug-in.

UNDERSTANDING B SPECIFICATIONS WITH UML CLASS DIAGRAM AND OCL CONSTRAINTS

Bruno Tatibouët and Isabelle Jacques

B is a formal method (and a specification language) which enables the automatic generation of an executable code through a succession of refinements stemming from an abstract specification. There are two current industrial tools (Clearsy's Atelier B\footnote{http://www.clearsy.com}, B-Core B Toolkit\footnote{http://www.b-core.com}) which provide support for all the development process (type-checking facilities, automatic and interactive proof support, ...). A B specification requires a certain knowledge of mathematical notations (Classical logic and sets) as well as specific terminology (generalized substitutions, B keywords) which may in all likelihood leave a non-specialist of the B notation in the dark. To address this problem, we will extract graphic elements from B specification in an effort to render it more understandable. In a previous work, these visual elements are illustrated in a UML class diagram. These visual elements being insufficient they are completed by OCL constraints allowing to present the invariant and the operations of a B abstract machine.

ARGUMENT-BASED APPROACHES IN PRIORITIZED CONFLICTING SECURITY POLICIES

Salem Benferhat and Rania El Baida

Information security system is an important problem in many domains. Therefore, it is very important to define security policies to restrict access to pieces of information in order to guarantee security properties, i.e. confidentiality, integrity and availability requirements. The joint handling of confidentiality, integrity and availability properties raises the problem of potential conflicts. The objective of this paper is to propose tools, based on the argumentation reasoning, for handling conflicts in prioritized security policies.

CODE OF ETHICS FOR PROFESSIONALS OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS – CEPIS MODEL

Helena Dulce Campos and Luis Amaral

On the area of Information Systems Technology (IST) there is a multiplicity of competences and knowledge. In order the professionals may carry them out with success and great advantage, the existence of a structured and standardized framework that could be used as a reference for any organization, is needed. Parallel to this problematic there still exists the acknowledgement of the impossibility of a technological life without ethics. So, a Code of Ethics for Professionals of Information Systems - CEPIS it will be proposed.

ENABLING OR DISABLING WITH OLD SPECIFICATIONS - A NEW INFORMATION SYSTEM BASED ON OLD SPECIFICATIONS

Raija Halonen

This research concentrates on the development of an information system that was based on previously made specifications. We study the influence of before-made specifications and discuss the difficulties in adopting them. In our case we had several universities involved in the development project and the aim was to implement a joint information system to be used by student affairs officials and students in universities. Implementing information systems by several organisations is highly dependent on collaboration between the organisations. We discuss how the collaboration was managed in our case and show what the role of previous specifications was. We conclude that despite the specifications, the information system was finalised.

DEONTIC PROTOCOL MODELLING - MODELLING BUSINESS RULES WITH STATE MACHINES

Ashley McNeile and Nicholas Simons

State machines can be used as a means of specifying the behaviour of objects in a system by describing their event protocols, this being the relationships between the states that the object may adopt and the ability of the object to respond to events of different types presented to it. Suitable choice of semantics for the state machines used to describe protocols allow multiple machines to be composed in parallel, in the manner of Hoare’s CSP, in the description of the behaviour of a single object. We describe an extension to this approach whereby different machines in the composition of a single object have different deontic semantics; covering necessary behaviour, encouraged behaviour and discouraged behaviour. This provides a language that has the expressive power to model the way software interacts with the domain in which it is embedded to encourage or discourage behaviours of the domain.

USER AUTONOMY IN REQUIREMENTS CHANGING SUPPORTED BY ORGANIZATIONAL SEMIOTICS AND TAILORING

Carlos Alberto Cocozza Simoni, Maria Cecilia Calani Baranauskas and Rodrigo Bonacin

Nowadays, organizations are impacted with changes from several sources, such as: process reengineering, searching for continuous quality improvement of products and processes, globalization, and competitors. Literature points out that we still have a gap between the dynamic of the system maintenance and changes in the organizational processes. To cover this gap we consider the use of practices from Organisational Semiotics and Tailoring, that allow a deep understanding of the organizational context and the technical system embedded in it, and Tailoring, proposes and suggests us how to provide autonomy to users in dealing with changes in computer systems. With this theoretical referential we present in this paper a case study developed in our University to explore and extend an existing approach to provide more autonomy to end users in changing their computer applications, according to the evolution and changes in their business requirements.

VERIFYING THE VALUE OF OBJECTIVE MEASURES - A PROPOSAL FOR A SYSTEMATIC EVALUATION OF MEASURES

Harald Kjellin

The results of work in any section of an enterprise should preferably be described in a way that makes the results suited for benchmarking with other sections of the enterprise. The same goes for individual work results. Results are easily compared if they are measured according to some numerical standard. Numerical measures can be generalized and standardized until they can be considered as having a high degree of “reusability”. There are several types of enterprise models that include the use of reusable “soft” numerical values. With “soft” numerical values I refer to the type of values that cannot be directly measured in relation to objective facts but are artificially constructed measures that includes some kind of subjective estimation for calculating the value. Another requirement on such measures is that it should be possible to use them for comparing performance between individuals, or between units of an organization, or between organizations. These measures can, for instance, be used for customer appreciation of their relationships with the organization, as is often recommended in the method called “Balanced Scorecards” or they can be used when giving students numerical values as credits (points) for passing university courses. A summary of informal evaluations is presented. The evaluations concern how “soft” measures have been implemented in organizations. The results of the evaluations show that objective values based on facts can be combined with subjective estimations in a way that makes them less vulnerable to people manipulating the measures and less vulnerable to the subjectivity of superiors when estimating the quality of the results.

CONFIGURING REFERENCE MODELS - AN INTEGRATED APPROACH FOR TRANSACTION PROCESSING AND DECISION SUPPORT

Ralf Knackstedt, Christian Janiesch and Tobias Rieke

Reference models are of normative, universal nature and provide a solution schema for specific problems by depicting best or common-practice approaches. The configuration of these reference models has been a field of research in the past. However, the integrative configuration of different reference models or respectively reference models serving multiple purposes lacks of applicable methods. In practice this is a common problem as the simultaneous implementation of an enterprise resource planning system and a management information system shows. We provide a method that allows the integrative configuration of conceptual models for transaction processing and decision support by integrating meta models for modeling languages. In addition, we exemplarily show its application to extend an existing reference model.

A NEW FRAMEWORK FOR THE SUPPORT OF SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT COOPERATIVE ACTIVITIES

Arnaud Lewandowski and Grégory Bourguin

Software development is a cooperative activity, since it implies many actors. We focus on CSCW integrated global environments. Many studies in this field have already shown, for a long time, that a ‘good’ cooperative environment should be able to take into account the emergent needs of the users, and should be adaptable. Of course, such properties should also be found in environments supporting software development. However, our study of some existing platforms supporting software development cooperative activities points out their lacks in terms of tailorability and cooperative support. Eclipse is one of these broadly used platforms. But even if it presents some shortcomings, its underlying framework offers some features particularly interesting for our purpose. Upon results previously obtained in the CSCW domain, we propose to extend the Eclipse platform, in order to offer a new support for software development by creating a cooperative context for the activities supported in Eclipse by each integrated plug-in.

DOMAIN MODELING WITH OBJECT-PROCESS METHODOLOGY

Arnon Sturm, Dov Dori and Onn Shehory

Domain engineering can simplify the development of software systems in specific domains. During domain analysis, the first step of domain engineering, the domain is modeled in a reusable manner. Most domain analysis approaches suffer from low accessibility, limited expressiveness, and weak formality. In this paper we utilize the application-based domain modelling (ADOM) approach and apply it to the Object-Process Methodology (OPM) modelling language. We do that by extending Object-Process Methodology (OPM) to support domain analysis. We also performed an experiment to verify that the proposed extension improves the model quality compared to quality arrived at without the extension. Our experimental results show that, when presented with a set of requirements, subjects that used OPM with the domain analysis extension arrived at a system model which is better than the system model arrived at by subjects that used OPM alone.

AN XML-BASED LANGUAGE FOR SPECIFICATION AND COMPOSITION OF ASPECTUAL CONCERNS

Elisabete Soeiro, Isabel Sofia Brito and Ana Moreira

Separation of concerns refers to the ability of identifying, encapsulating and manipulating parts of software that are crucial to a particular purpose (Dijkstra, 1976). Traditional software development methods were developed with this principle in mind. However, certain broadly-scoped properties are difficult to modularize and keep separated during the lifecycle, producing tangled representations that are difficult to understand and to evolve. Aspect-oriented software development aims at addressing those crosscutting concerns, known as aspects, by providing means for their systematic identification, separation, representation and composition. This paper focuses on the representation and composition activities, by proposing an XML-based language to specify and compose concerns at the requirements level. An illustration of the proposed approach to an example supported by a tool is presented.

EB3TG: A TOOL SYNTHESIZING RELATIONAL DATABASE TRANSACTIONS FROM EB3 ATTRIBUTE DEFINITIONS

Frédéric Gervais, Panawé Batanado, Marc Frappier and Régine Laleau

EB3 is a formal language for specifying information systems (IS). In EB3, the sequences of events accepted by the system are described with a process algebra; they represent the valid trace of the IS. Entity type and association attributes are computed by means of recursive functions defined on the valid traces of the system. In this paper, we present EB3TG, a tool that synthesizes Java programs that execute relational database transactions which correspond to EB3 attribute definitions.

AN ARCHITECTURE-CENTRIC APPROACH FOR MANAGING THE EVOLUTION OF EAI SERVICES-ORIENTED ARCHITECTURE

Frédéric Pourraz, Hervé Verjus and Flavio Oquendo

The development of big software applications (like EAI solution) is oriented toward the interoperation of existing software components (like COTS and legacy systems). This tendency is accompanied by a certain number of drawbacks for which classical approaches in software composition cannot be applied and fail. COTS-based systems are built in ad-hoc manner and it is not possible to reason on them no more it is possible to demonstrate if such systems satisfy important properties like Quality Of Service and Quality Attributes. The recent works issued in web field allow the definition and the use of complex web service architecture. Languages such as WSFL, XLANG and BPEL4WS support these architectures called Services Oriented Architectures. However, these languages do not have any formal foundation. One cannot reason on such architectures expressed using such languages: properties cannot be expressed and the system dynamic evolution is not supported. On the other hand, software architecture domain aims at providing formal languages for the description of software systems allowing to check properties (formal analysis) and to reason about software architecture models. The paper proposes an approach that consists in formalizing, deploying and evolving EAI architectures. For that purpose, the ArchWare environment and engineering languages (especially the ArchWare formal ADL, based on the π-calculus) and accompanied tools are used. The paper will also present our approach consisting in refining an abstract architecture to an executable and services-oriented one.

INFORMATION-CENTRIC VS. STORAGE/DATA-CENTRIC SYSTEMS

Charles Milligan, Steven Halladay and Deren Hansen

It is essential to recognise that information (i.e., the meaning and value that must be extracted from data for a business to run) is very different from the data itself. Information must be managed using different processes and tools than those used in data management. The current notion of Information Lifecycle Management (ILM) is really only about making Systems Managed Storage work universally and does not relate to information management at all. However, recent developments of new technologies have potential to open a new paradigm in extracting, organizing and managing the meaning and value from data sources that can allow processes and decision systems to take a quantum leap in effectiveness. The networked structure of a graph database combined with concept modelling will foster this shift.

SECURITY THREATS TO DIGITAL TELEVISION PLATFORM AND SERVICE DEVELOPMENT

Jarkko Holappa and Reijo Savola

Digital convergence is introducing more diverse digital television services. The return channel, which enables interactive television, is a key to this development and may be considered the most vulnerable element of the terminal device in terms of information security. Accordingly, its protection from threats brought about by Internet use, such as malicious programs, is of the essence. Multimedia Home Platform (MHP) is one of the most important technologies enabling interactive television. The information security threats related to it are examined from the viewpoint of the service developer. Threat analysis presented in this paper is carried out in Finnish companies that include digital-TV broadcasters, MHP-platform developers, service developers and telecom operators.

SEMANTIC ALIGNMENT OF BUSINESS PROCESSES

Saartje Brockmans, Marc Ehrig, Agnes Koschmider, Andreas Oberweis and Rudi Studer

This paper presents a method for semantically aligning business processes. We provide a representation of Petri nets in the standard ontology language OWL DL, to semantically enrich the business processes. On top of this, we propose a technique for semantically aligning business processes to support inter-organizational business collaboration. This semantic alignment is improved by a background ontology. Therefore, we propose a specific UML Profile, which allows to visually model this background ontology. The different parts of our proposal, which reduces communication efforts and solves interconnectivity problems, are discussed in detail.

FORMALISATION OF A FUNCTIONAL RISK MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

Víctor M. Gulías, Carlos Abalde, Laura M. Castro and Carlos Varela

This work shows a first approximation to the formalisation of a risk management information system. It is based on our experience in the development of a large, scalable and reliable client/server risk management information system. This system was developed using the distributed functional language Erlang for describing the domain logic. Using a functional language for this task is very useful to face the challenge of formalising such a complex system. This kind of formal work is the first step to applying powerful software verification techniques to reinforce a real system's reliability.

BUSINESS RULES ELICITATION IN THE PROCESS OF ENTERPRISE INFORMATION SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT

Olegas Vasilecas and Diana Bugaite

Events modelling in the process of business rules based information systems development and their importance are discussed in this paper. The concepts of a rule and an event are defined in different levels (business system, information system and software system) of abstraction. According to the made definitions of business event, event in information system and software event the modelling abstraction levels are extended with rules and event modelling facilities and their propagation into lower levels of enterprise system. Since ontology represents the real-world domain knowledge and events as well as business rules making a specific part of all domain knowledge, it is suggesting using an ontology for business rules and events elicitation.

IWISE: A FRAMEWORK FOR PROVIDING DISTRIBUTED PROCESS VISIBILITY USING AN EVENT-BASED PROCESS MODELLING APPROACH

Claire Costello, Weston Fleming, Owen Molloy, Gerard Lyons and James Duggan

Distributed business processes such as supply chain processes execute across heterogeneous systems and company boundaries. This research aims to provide an event-based process model to describe business processes spanning disparate enterprise systems. This model will be generic enough to support processes from multiple industry domains. In addition, this paper introduces the iWISE framework as a light-weight process diagnostic tool. The iWISE architecture uses the process model described to provide business process performance monitoring capabilities.

BUSINESS PROCESS DESIGN BASED ON COMMUNICATION AND INTERACTION

Joseph Barjis and Isaac Barjis

The easiest way that people describe their roles in an organization or the way that members of an organization make promises and commitments to fulfill a task is through communication and interaction. In such a communication language is used as a tool or facilitator of action when a customer requests a service and the supplier promises to provide such a service. In this paper we introduce a language-action based methodology for designing business processes for the Department of University Housing at Georgia Southern University planning to acquire a new information system for managing, supporting and improving the “process of rooms assignment” to some 4000 students. As stated, the methodology is based on language-action perspective and therefore we have used the business transaction concept for mining atomic business processes. Each business transaction identifies an essential activity and reveals the actors and their roles as an initiator or executor of the transaction. Since the transaction concept is used as a conceptual basis, the methodology is complemented with Petri net graphical notations in order to construct businesses process models of the department of housing.

A NEW PERFORMANCE OPTIMIZATION STRATEGY FOR JAVA MESSAGE SERVICE SYSTEM

Xiangfeng Guo, Xiaoning Ding, Hua Zhong and Jing Li

Well suited to the loosely coupled nature of distributed interaction, message oriented middleware has been applied in many distributed application fields. To most of these applications, the need to transmit messages with reliability is necessary. Efficiently transmitting messages is a key feature of message oriented middleware. Due to the necessary persistence facilities, the performance of transmitting is subject greatly to the persistence action. The Openness of Java platform has made the systems conforming to Java Message Service Specification supported widely. In these applications, many consumers get messages periodically. We bring forward a new efficient strategy using different persistence methods with different kinds of messages, which improves system performance greatly. The strategy also utilizes daemon threads to reduce its influence to the system. The strategy has been implemented in our Java Message Service conformed system, ONCEAS MQ.

A NEW PUBLIC-KEY CRYPTOSYSTEM AND ITS APPLICATIONS

Akito Kiriyama, Yuji Nakagawa, Tadao Takaoka and Zhiqi Tu

We propose in this paper a new public-key crypto-system, called the non-linear knapsack cryptosystem. The security of this system is based on the NP-completeness of the non-linear knapsack problem. We extend the system into secret sharing and group authentication. That is, an encrypted message can be decrypted only when all members of a group agree to do so. The other is to allow group authentication/access control. That is, when the verifier challenges the prover with encrypted messages with public keys for several groups, the prover can prove he belongs to those groups using the secret keys for them. In our system group authentication can be done in a batch-processing manner, not one-by-one. Group authentication can be used for access control as well. Some experimental results on group authentication are given, which demonstrate the efficiency of our system.

DESIGN OF REAL-TIME SYSTEMS BY SYSTEMATIC TRANSFORMATION OF UML/RT MODELS INTO SIMPLE TIMED PROCESS ALGEBRA SYSTEM SPECIFICATIONS

Kawtar Benghazi Akhlaki, Manuel Icidro Capel Tuñon and Juan Antonio Holgado Terriza

The systematic translation from a UML/RT model into CSP+T specifications, proposed in a previous paper, may give a way to use jointly UML and CSP in a unified, practical and rigorous software development method for real-time systems. We present here a systematic transformation method to derive a correct system specification in terms of CSP+T from a semi-formal system requirement specification (UML-RT), by applying a set of transformation rules which give a formal semantics to the semi-formal analysis entities of UML/RT, and thus open up the possibility of verifying a software system design that also includes real-time constraints. As to show the applicability of the approach, a correct design of a real-time system is obtained by following the process of development proposed here.

USING ASPECT-ORIENTED SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT IN REAL-TIME EMBEDDED SYSTEMS SOFTWARE - A REVIEW OF SCHEDULING, RESOURCE ALLOCATION AND SYNCHRONIZATION

Pericles Leng Cheng and George Angelos Papadopoulos

Timeliness and criticality of a process are the two main concerns when designing real-time systems. In addition to that embedded systems are bounded by limited resources. To achieve timeliness and conform to the criticality issues of various processes while at the same time using a minimal amount or resources, real-time embedded systems use different techniques such as task scheduling, resource management and task synchronization. All of these techniques involve a number of the modules of the system which makes the use of Aspect-Oriented Software Development imperative. AOSD is a programming technique which uses the notion of join points to capture specific locations in code execution and then use advices to insert new code. This paper examines existing work in the development of schedulers, resource allocation agents and synchronization techniques using Aspect-Oriented Software Development in real-time systems and more specifically in embedded systems. An analysis of the existing research is used to describe the advantages of using AOSD over conventional OOP methods and to identify areas where further research may be required.

SYSTEM ANALYSIS AND DESIGN IN A LARGE-SCALE SOFTWARE PROJECT: THE CASE OF TRANSITION TO AGILE DEVELOPMENT

Yael Dubinsky, Orit Hazzan, David Talby and Arie Keren

Agile software development methods mainly aim at increasing software quality by fostering customer collaboration and performing exhaustive testing. The introduction of Extreme Programming (XP) – the most common agile software development method – into an organization is accompanied with conceptual and organizational changes. These changes range from daily-life changes (e.g., sitting together and maintaining an informative project environment) and continue with changes on the management level (e.g., meeting and listening to the customer during the whole process and the concept of the whole team which means that all role holders are part of the team). This paper examines the process of transition to an agile development process in a large-scale software project in the Israeli Air Force as it is perceived from the system analysis and design perspective. Specifically, the project specifications of the agile team are compared with those of a team who continues working according to the previous heavyweight method during the first half year of transition. Size and complexity measures are used as the basis of the comparison. In addition to the inspection of the specifications, the change in the role of the system analysts, as the system analysts conceive of it, is examined.

BUSINESS PROCESS VISUALIZATION - USE CASES, CHALLENGES, SOLUTIONS

Stefanie Rinderle, Ralph Bobrik, Manfred Reichert and Thomas Bauer

The proper visualization and monitoring of their (ongoing) business processes is crucial for any enterprise. Thus a broad spectrum of processes has to be visualized ranging from simple, short-running processes to complex long-running ones (consisting of up to hundreds of activities). In any case, users shall be able to quickly understand the logic behind a process and to get a quick overview of related tasks. One practical problem arises when different fragments of a business process are scattered over several systems where they are often modeled using different process meta models (e.g., High--Level Petri Nets). The challenge is to find an integrated and user-friendly visualization for these business processes. In this paper we discover use cases relevant in this context. Since existing graph layout approaches have focused on general graph drawing so far we further develop a specific approach for layouting business process graphs. The work presented in this paper is embedded within a larger project on the visualization of automotive processes.

HYBRID MODELING USING I* AND AGENTSPEAK(L) AGENTS IN AGENT ORIENTED SOFTWARE ENGINEERING

Aniruddha Dasgupta, Farzad Salim, Aneesh Krishna and Aditya K. Ghose

In this paper we use i* which is a semi-formal modelling framework to model agent based applications. We then describe how we execute these models into AgentSpeak(L) agents to form the essential components of a multi-agent system. We show that by making changes to the i* model we can generate different executable multi-agent systems. We also describe reverse mapping rules to see how changes to agents in the multi-agent system gets reflected in i* model. This co-evolution of two models offers a novel approach for configuring and prototyping agent based systems.

ON IMPLEMENTING INTEROPERABLE AND FLEXIBLE SOFTWARE EVOLUTION ACTIVITIES

Mourad Bouneffa, Henri Basson and Y. Maweed

In this paper we present an approach for assistance at software evolution based on an integrated model of representation of the various software artefacts. This model founded on the typed and attributed graphs as well as a representation of these graphs using GXL (eXtensible Graph Language) a language for structuring hyperdocuments. The hyperdocuments GXL are used to facilitate the interoperability between tools intended to represent and handle various aspects of the software evolution. We also use the graph rewriting systems for a simple and flexible implementation of mechanisms required for reasoning by software evolution management. Our approach has been applied to several applications; it is illustrated here on change impact management of applications developed according to multi-tiered architecture Java J2EE and the architecture recovery of these applications.

A PRODUCT ORIENTED MODELLING CONCEPT - HOLONS FOR SYSTEMS SYNCHRONISATION AND INTEROPERABILITY

Salah Baïna, Hervé Panetto and Khalid Benali

Throughout product lifecycle coordination needs to be established between reality in the physical world (physical view) and the virtual world handled by manufacturing information systems (informational view). This paper presents the “Holon” modelling concept as a means for the synchronisation of both physical view and informational views. Afterwards, we show haw the concept of holon can play a major role in ensuring interoperability in the enterprise context.

TOWARDS A RIGOROUS PROCESS MODELING WITH SPEM

Benoit Combemale, Xavier Crégut, Alain Caplain and Bernard Coulette

Modeling software process is a good way to improve development and thus quality of resulting applications. The OMG proposes the SPEM metamodel to describe software processes. SPEM is a MOF instance and a UML profile. Its concepts are described through class diagrams. Unfortunately, it lacks a formal description of its semantics that makes it hard to use. So, we propose a specialization of SPEM that clarifies it and we use OCL to formally express constraints on the SPEM metamodel and on the process model. This specialization has been used to model a UML based process called MACAO that focuses on user/system interactions.

METHOD FOR USER ORIENTED MODELLING OF DATA WAREHOUSE SYSTEMS

Lars Burmester and Matthias Goeken

The paper describes a method for data warehouse development. One critical success factor of data warehouse development is determining information requirements. Hence, the method focuses on gathering of requirements and information needs of the users first. An extended data warehouse architecture and a technique for decomposition of the system serve as a developing framework. On the one hand this framework is used to define releases (builds) of the system, which is indispensable for an incremental development process. On the other hand it defines intermediate and final work products (artifacts) that are produced and used during further development stages. Starting with information requirements elicitation, each increment is realized through a series of data models which successively are transformed from conceptual to logical level. These logical data models are then used for implementation as well as for the modelling of ETL processes.

CPN BASED COMPONENT ADAPTATION

Yoshiyuki Shinkawa

One of the major activities in component based software development is to identify the adaptable components to the given requirements. We usually compare requirement specifications with the component specifications, in order to evaluate the equality between them. However, there could be several differences between those specifications, e.g. granularity, expression forms, viewpoints, or the level of detail, which make the component evaluation difficult. In addition, recent object oriented approaches require many kinds of models to express software functionality, which make the comparison of the specification complicated. For rigorous component evaluation, it is desirable to use concise and simple expression forms of specifications, which can be used commonly between requirements and components. This paper presents a formal evaluation technique for component adaptation. In order to relieve the granularity difference, the concept of a virtual component is introduced, which is the reusable unit of this approach. A virtual component is a set of components that can acts as single component. In order to express requirements and components commonly and rigorously, algebraic specification and Colored Petri Nets (CPNs) are used. Algebraic specification provides the theoretical foundation of this technique, while CPNs help us to use it intuitively.

INFORMATION ASSURANCE ASSET MANAGEMENT ARCHITECTURE USING XML FOR SYSTEM VULNERABILITY

Namho Yoo and Hyeong-Ah Choi

This paper suggests an XML-based IA asset management architecture for system vulnerability. Once an information assurance vulnerability notice is given for a system, it is important for reducing massive system engineering efforts for IA asset management. When systems are updated by security patch for mitigating system vulnerability, asset management based on vulnerability update and request is trivial, in order to increase accuracy, efficiency and effectiveness of software processes. By employing XML technology, we can achieve seamless and efficient asset management between heterogeneous system format as well as data formats in analysing and exchanging the pertinent information for information assurance vulnerability. Thus, when a system is updated to improve system vulnerability, the proposed XML-based IA asset management architecture. Then, an executable architecture for implementation to verify the proposed scheme and testing environment is presented to mitigate vulnerable systems for sustained system.

A SOA-BASED SYSTEM INTERFACE CONTROL FOR E-GOVERNMENT

Namho Yoo and Hyeong-Ah Choi

In this paper, a SOA-based system approach is presented for system interface control in sustained systems. Once a system is completed developed, it goes into a sustained phase supported by many interfaces. As new technologies develop, updating and maintaining such systems require non-trivial efforts. A clear pre-requisite before the deployment of a new system is to clarify the influence of changes on other systems connected through interfaces. However, as each sustained system manages its own information separately, integrating relevant information among the interfaced systems is a major hurdle to build SOA in E-Gov. Therefore, the XML technology is applied to support system interface control toward SOA using step-by-step approach in E-Government. In particular, I focus on messaging interface issues in Health Level Seven typically used in medical information system and propose SOA framework cube and a scheme to represent message information that can be used for the decision support of interface impact between sustained systems.

APPLYING SOFTWARE FACTORIES TO PERVASIVE SYSTEMS: A PLATFORM SPECIFIC FRAMEWORK

Javier Muñoz and Vicente Pelechano

The raise of the number and complexity of pervasive systems is a fact. This kind of systems involves the integration of physical devices and software components in order to provide services to the inhabitants of an environment. Current techniques for developing pervasive systems provide low-level abstraction primitives which makes difficult the construction of large systems. Software Factories and the Model Driven Architecture (MDA) are two important trends in the software engineering field that can provide sensible benefits in the development of pervasive systems. In this paper, we present an approach for building a Software Factory for pervasive systems, focusing in the definition of a product line for this kind of systems. We introduce a software architecture for pervasive systems, which is supported by a software framework implemented using the OSGi technology. Then, we integrate the framework into the MDA standard defining the framework metamodel and providing tool support for the automatic code generation.

GRADUAL MODELING OF INFORMATION SYSTEM - MODEL OF METHOD EXPRESSED AS TRANSITIONS BETWEEN CONCEPTS

Marek Pícka and Robert Pergl

The objective of this paper is to show a new way of depicting information systems‘ models of design methods. New terms of the method are created by sequential transformations from the existing terms. The model of elements‘ transformation is an instance of this model. It depicts the process of constructing given information system

INCREASING THE VALUE OF PROCESS MODELLING

John Krogstie, Vibeke Dalberg and Siri Moe Jensen

This paper presents an approach supporting efforts to increase the value gained from enterprise modelling activities in an organisation, both on a project and on an organisational level. The main objective of the approach is to facilitate awareness of, communication about, and coordination of modelling initiatives between stakeholders and within and across projects, over time. The first version of the approach as a normative process model is presented and discussed in the context of case projects and activities, and we conclude that although work remains both on sophistication of the approach and on validation of its general applicability and value, our results so far show that it addresses recognised challenges in a useful way

INTRODUCING A UML PROFILE FOR DISTRIBUTED SYSTEM CONFIGURATION

Nancy Alexopoulou, A. Tsadimas, M. Nikolaidou, A. Dais and D. Anagnostopoulos

Distributed system configuration consists of distributed application component placement and underlying network design, thus is a complex process dealing with interrelated issues. A four-stage methodology has been proposed in order to effectively explore configuration problems. A common metamodel for distributed system representation in all configuration stages is thus required, so that unclear dependencies between discrete stages can be easily identified. This model should also be easily adopted by autonomous software tools used for the automation of discrete configuration stages and for the efficient development of system specifications by designers. We propose such a metamodel using UML 2.0. More specifically, we introduce a UML 2.0 profile facilitating distributed system configuration process. In this profile, different UML 2.0 diagrams are integrated and properly extended, in order to model all aspects of the distributed system configuration process. Stereotypes proved to provide an efficient extension mechanism as no metamodel extensions were needed. This profile can also be used within the Rational Modeler platform.

UML-BASED BUSINESS PROCESS REENGINEERING (BPR-UML) APPLIED TO IT OUTSOURCING

Edumilis Maria Méndez, Luis Eduardo Mendoza, María A. Pérez and Anna C. Grimán

Business Process Reengineering (BPR) is one of the current trends used by organizations to face global market pressures. BPR provides firms with an analysis of their internal processes with the view to offering them customized solutions which are focused on their goals. In addition, Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) can be used: 1) as a tool for new processes defined by reengineering, allowing Information Technology experts to perform the business process involving that know-how; and 2) as part of a BPR, to reorient its implementation regarding quality levels and client satisfaction. This paper presents a methodological proposal merging the BPR methodology proposed by Jacobson (1994) with Rational Unified Process (RUP). It also describes how this proposal can be applied in a BPR for IT Outsourcing in order to improve efficiency and quality levels in the corresponding business processes, specifically, the Printing Outsourcing Service (POS). This methodological proposal ensures traceability between the models proposed for the business and the features that the technological enablers should have for supporting them, thus reaching higher effectiveness in the reengineering process.

A GENERATOR FRAMEWORK FOR DOMAIN-SPECIFIC MODEL TRANSFORMATION LANGUAGES

Thomas Reiter, Elisabeth Kapsammer, Werner Retschitzegger, Wieland Schwinger and Markus Stumptner

Domain specific languages play an important role in model driven development, as they allow to model a system using modeling constructs carrying implicit semantics specific to a domain. Consequently, possibly many reusable, domain specific languages will emerge. Thereby, certain application areas, such as business process engineering, can be jointly covered by a number of conceptually related DSLs, that are similar in a sense of sharing semantically equal concepts. Although, a crucial role in being able to use, manage and integrate all these DSLs comes to model transformation languages with QVT as one of their most prominent representatives, existing approaches have not aimed at reaping benefit of these semantically overlapping DSLs in terms of providing abstraction mechanisms for shared concepts. Therefore, as opposed to a generalpurpose model transformation language sought after with the QVT-RFP, this work discusses the possibility of employing domain-specific model transformation languages. These are specifically tailored for defining transformations between metamodels sharing certain characteristics. In this context, the paper introduces a basic framework which allows generating the necessary tools to define and execute transformations written in such a domain-specific transformation language. To illustrate the approach, an example language will be introduced and its realization within the framework is shown.

A FORMAL APPROACH TO DETECTING SHILLING BEHAVIORS IN CONCURRENT ONLINE AUCTIONS

Yi-Tsung Cheng and Haiping Xu

Shilling behaviors are one of the most serious fraudulent problems in online auctions, which make winning bidders have to pay more than what they should pay for auctioned items. In concurrent online auctions, shilling behaviors are even more severe because detecting, predicting and preventing such fraudulent behaviors become very difficult. In this paper, we propose a formal approach to detecting shilling behaviors in concurrent online auctions using model checking techniques. We first developed a model template that represents two concurrent online auctions in Promela. Based on the model template, we derive an auction model that simulates the bidding process of two concurrent auctions. Then we use the SPIN model checker to formally verify if the auction model satisfy normal and questionable behavioral properties that are written in LTL (Linear Temporal Logic) formulae. Our approach simplifies the problem of searching for shilling behavior in concurrent online auctions into a model checking problem. Finally, we provide a case study to illustrate how our approach can effectively detect possible shill bidders.

ARCHITECTING SOA SOLUTIONS FROM ENTERPRISE MODELS - A MODEL DRIVEN FRAMEWORK TO ARCHITECT SOA SOLUTIONS FROM ENTERPRISE MODELS

Xabier Larrucea and Gorka Benguria

The improvement of the operational efficiency is an important concern in the several kinds of enterprises, but it involves the management of a multitude of elements. To be able to cope with such as complexity several enterprises are relaying in the use of enterprise modelling tools. This usually becomes a starting point for business process automation initiatives towards the improvement of the organisation. However, there is still a large gap from these enterprise models to the infrastructure systems. The current paper presents a MDA (Model Driven Architectures) framework over eclipse platform to address this gap for SOA (Service Oriented Architecture) based solutions and more in deep the notation and transformation aspects of the framework. The framework provides a systematic approach for deriving SOA solutions from enterprises models, ensuring that the information systems really implements the models developed by the business experts and no partial interpretations from IT experts.

TOWARDS A MAINTAINABILITY EVALUATION IN SOFTWARE ARCHITECTURES

Anna Grimán, Luisana Chávez, María Pérez, Luis Mendoza and Kenyer Domínguez

Software quality is defined as user requirement satisfaction, including those requirements that are visible (external quality) and those that are exclusive to the product (internal quality). Maintainability is an internal quality characteristic that is contemplated by many users and developers, and therefore is deeply related to software architecture. It presents an organization of its components and relation which promote or obstruct different attributes like testability, changeability, and analyzability. This relationship between maintainability and software architecture determines the importance of making appropriate architectural decisions. As part of a research in progress, this article analyzes and organizes a set of architectural mechanisms that guarantee software maintainability. To propose the architectural mechanisms we decided first to construct an ontology, which helps identify all concepts related to Maintainability and their relationships. Then we decided to focus and specify mechanisms that promote maintainability, also we present a set of scenarios that will explore the presence at the architecture of those concepts previously identified, including the architectural mechanism analyzed. With the products described in this article we have the bases to develop an architectural evaluation method, which is based on maintainability

METHODOLOGICAL GUIDELINES FOR SQA IN DEVELOPMENT PROCESS - AN APPROACH BASED ON THE SPICE MODEL

Anna Griman, Maria Perez and Luis Mendoza

As far as international standards for promoting Software Process Quality are concerned, one of the most popular and accepted is ISO 15504 (or SPICE model). On the other hand, since a development methodology must guide the main activities in software development, it is necessary that this one fulfils some Quality Base Practices to guarantee a high-level product. The purpose of this research is analyzing a set of five methodologies widely used by developers, to identify its adjustment with respect to the aforementioned standard. This analysis allowed us: (1) determining the degree of alignment of these methodologies with respect to the SPICE model, and (2) proposing a synthesis of methodological guidelines, based on the best practices obtained from these methodologies, that supports the characteristics contained in the studied standard.

REFINEMENT OF SDBC BUSINESS PROCESS MODELS USING ISDL

Boris Shishkov and Dick Quartel

A reason for software failures today is the limited capability of most of the currently used software development methods to appropriately reflect the original business information in a software model. The SDBC approach addresses this challenge by allowing for an adequate mapping between a business process model and a software specification model. Both models consist of corresponding aspect models which are to be consistent with each other. They relate to particular perspectives which consider statics, dynamics, and data. Nevertheless, we acknowledge that real-life communicative and coordination actions make a business system more complex than a well-structured and rules-driven software systems. Hence, SDBC considers also a business perspective which concerns communication and coordination. Thus SDBC should allow for capturing these issues (as complementing the dynamics) on the business process modeling level and adequately mapping them to a dynamic software specification aspect model. SDBC uses three modeling techniques concerning this goal: two business process modeling techniques grasping communication and dynamics, respectively, as well as a software specification technique grasping dynamics. However, the transformations among these techniques complicate the modeling process. Further, different techniques use different modeling formalisms whose reflection sometimes causes limitations. For this reason, we studied potentials for combining SDBC with an integrated modeling facility based on the language ISDL. In particular, we explore in this paper the value which ISDL could bring to SDBC in aligning communication and dynamic business process models as well as in mapping them towards software specification. ISDL allows one to refine dynamic process models by adding communication and coordination actions, and provides a method to assess whether this refinement conforms to the original process model. Furthermore, ISDL can be used to model software application services and designs, thereby allowing one to relate business process modeling and software specification within the context of the same language facility.

VISUAL CONTRACTS - A WAY TO REASON ABOUT STATES AND CARDINALITIES IN IT SYSTEM SPECIFICATIONS

José Diego De la Cruz, Lam-Son Lê and Alain Wegmann

Visual modeling languages propose specialized diagrams to represent behaviour and concepts necessary to specify IT systems. As a result, to understand a specification, the modeller needs to analyze these two types of diagrams and, often, additional statements that make explicit the relationships between them. In this paper, we define a visual contract notation that integrates behaviour and concepts. Thanks to this notation, the modeler can specify, within one diagram, an action and its effects on the specified IT system. The notation semantics is illustrated by a mapping to Alloy, a light weight formalization language.

AN ONTOLOGY FOR ARCHITECTURAL EVALUATION - CASE STUDY: COLLABORATION SYSTEMS

Anna Grimán, María Pérez, José Garrido and María Rodriguez

Barbacci et al. (1995) state that the development of systematic ways to relate the quality attributes of a system to its architecture, constitutes the basis for making objective decisions on design agreements, and helps engineers do reasonably accurate predictions as to the system attributes, free of prejudice and non-trivial assumptions. The aim is being able to evaluate architecture quantitatively to reach agreements among multiple quality attributes and thus globally attain a better system. However, the elements required to incorporate this evaluation into different types of development models, are not clear. This paper proposes an ontology to conceptualize the issues inherent to architectural evaluation within a development process, which will help identify the scope of the evaluation, as well as the issues to be guaranteed to achieve effectiveness within different development processes, both agile and rigorous. The main conclusion of the research allowed us to identify the interaction elements between the development process and an architectural evaluation method, establishing the starting and end points as well as the inputs required for the incorporation into different kinds of processes. This interaction was validated through a case study, a Collaboration Systems Development Methodology.

CEO FRAMEWORK ENTERPRISE MODELS CONFORMANCE WITH ISO14258

Patrícia Macedo, Carla Ferreira and José Tribolet

Several international standards for Enterprise Engineering were developed in order to: promote the quality and reliability of the communication between the partners involved in business processes; upgrade the compatibility and alignment between the systems which support business processes. In this area an international standard was develop – ISO 14258 – which specifies rules and concepts for enterprise modelling. CEO Framework is an analysis framework that provides a formal way of describing enterprises. This article describes the how to verify that an enterprise modelling frameworks generates models in conformance with ISO14248. This sequence of steps is applied to verify CEO framework compliance.

METHODOLOGY TO SUPPORT SEMANTIC RESOURCES INTEGRATION IN THE CONSTRUCTION SECTOR

Simona Barresi, Yacine Rezgui, Farid Meziane and Celson Lima

Ontologies, taxonomies, and other semantic resources, are used in a variety of sectors to facilitate knowledge reuse and information exchange between people and applications. In recent years, the need to access multiple semantic resources has led to the development of a variety of projects and tools aiming at integrating existing resources. This paper describes the methodology used during the FUNSIEC project, to develop an open infrastructure for the European Construction sector (OSIECS). This infrastructure aims towards facilitating integration among Construction related semantic resources, providing a base for the development of a new generation of e-services for the domain.

BUSINESS PROCESSES: BEHAVIOR PREDICTION AND CAPTURING REASONS FOR EVOLUTION

Sharmila Subramaniam, Vana Kalogeraki and Dimitrios Gunopulos

Workflow systems are being used by business enterprises to improve the efciency of their internal processes and enhance the services provided to their customers. Workow models are the fundamental components of Workow Management Systems used to dene ordering, scheduling and other components of workow tasks. Companies can use these models to plan their resource usage, satisfy customer needs and maximize prot and productivity. Companies increasingly follow exible workow models in order to adapt to changes in business logic, making it more challenging to predict resource demands. In such a scenario, knowledge of what lies ahead i.e., the set of tasks that are going to be executed in the future, assists the process administration to take decisions pertaining to process management in advance. In this work, we propose a method to predict possible paths of a running instance, by applying classication techniques to the history of past executions of the corresponding process. For instances that deviate from the workow model graph, we propose methods to determine the characteristics of the changes using classication rules. These rules can be given as input to the process modeler to restructure the graph accordingly.

GENERATION AND USE OF ONE ONTOLOGY FOR INTELLIGENT INFORMATION RETRIEVAL FROM ELECTRONIC RECORD HISTORIES

Miguel A. Prados de Reyes, Maria Carmen Peña Yañez, Maria Amparo Vila Miranda and M. Belen Prados Suarez

This paper analyzes the terminology used in the diagnosis, treatment, exploration, and operation descriptions entered by doctors in the electronic healthcare record. From this, expression stability (and the use of a sufficiently limited and controlled language) is shown, which is therefore reasonably valid for a conceptualization process to be employed on it. This conceptualization process is performed by the generation of an ontology which proposes semantic classes according to the different medical concepts to be used on database query profiles. By way of summary, we shall propose a semantic organizational method so that classes, attributes and properties in the ontology may act as links between the database and the users, both in information incorporation processes and in queries. It offers a wide range of benefits by extending and making information management possibilities more flexible, and enabling the application of traditional data mining techniques.

SUPPORTING AUTHENTICATION REQUIREMENTS IN WORKFLOWS

Ricardo Martinho, Dulce Domingos and António Rito-Silva

Workflow technology represent nowadays significant added value to organizations that use information systems to support their business processes. By their nature, workflows support the integration of different information systems. As organizations use workflows increasingly, workflows manipulate more valuable and sensitive data. Either by interoperability issues or by the value of data manipulated, a workflow may present several and distinct authentication requirements. Typically, information systems deal with their authentication requirements once, within their authentication process. This strategy cannot be easily applied to workflows since each workflow activity may present its own authentication requirements. In this paper we identify authentication requirements that workflows present and we propose to meet these requirements by incorporating authentication constraints into workflow authorization definitions. With this purpose, we extend the Role- Based Access Control (RBAC) model and we define an access control algorithm that supports and enforces authorization decisions constrained by authentication information.

TECHNOLOGY FOR LEAST-COST NETWORK ROUTING VIA BLUETOOTH AND ITS PRACTICAL APPLICATION - REPLACING INTERNET ACCESS THROUGH WIRELESS PHONE NETWORKS BY BT DATA LINKS

Hans Weghorn

Today, mobile devices are equipped with a variety of wireless communication interfaces. While initially small handheld devices only could use cellular telephony networks for establishing data communication such as Internet downloads, nowadays data contents can be retrieved additionally through communication standards like wireless LAN or Bluetooth. For the latter there exists a variety of technical and scientific pa-pers that discuss how Bluetooth communication can be established in principle – especially between two mobile devices. On the other hand, a description of how data communication between a mobile device and a desktop computer can be implemented is not found in detail. Furthermore, the restrictions of Bluetooth communication like extended search times are not discussed in these qualitative articles. In a technical de-scription here, it shall be displayed how to establish with a minimal effort a streaming data link between handheld devices and fixly installed computer systems in terms of a software implementation recipe. On base of concrete application samples, it is shown that Bluetooth can be employed to construct location-based information services with least-cost Internet data routing, but also the constraints and efficiency of Bluetooth communication technology are investigated and discussed for the given applications.

COMMONALITY VERSUS VARIABILITY - THE CONTRADICTORY NATURE OF ENTERPRISE SYSTEMS

Stig Nordheim

This position paper argues that there is a major contradiction inherent in Enterprise Systems (ES). The evidence for this contradiction is seen in the meta level concepts of commonality and variability that characterize enterprise systems. The inherent contradiction of commonality and variability is discussed in the light of ES literature and interviews with three ES vendors. The inherent contradiction of enterprise systems is then presented, with the questions it raises.

TRANSFORMATION OF UML DESIGN MODEL INTO PERFORMANCE MODEL - A MODEL-DRIVEN FRAMEWORK

Ramrao Wagh, Umesh Bellur and Bernard Menezes

Software Performance Engineering is receiving increasing attention in today’s software dominated world. Compared to research work in performance evaluation in hardware and networks, this field is still in its nascent stage. Many methods have been proposed but majority of them are unable to adapt in the software development life-cycle dominated by professionals without substantial performance engineering background. We propose a Model Driven Software Performance Engineering Framework to facilitate performance engineering within software development life cycle, based on OMG’s MDA initiative.

MOLDING ARCHITECTURE AND INTEGRITY MECHANISMS EVOLUTION - AN ARCHITECTURAL STABILITY EVALUATION MODEL FOR SOFTWARE SYSTEMS

Octavian-Paul Rotaru

The stability of architecture is a measure of how well it accommodates the evolution of the system without requiring changes to the architecture. The link between integrity mechanisms and application’s architecture starts right from the moment the requirements of the application are defined and evolves together with them. The integrity mechanisms used will evolve whenever the application’s requirements are modified. Apart from the possible architectural changes required, adding a new requirement to an application can trigger structural changes in the way data integrity is preserved. The paper studies the architectural stability of a system on integrity oriented case study and proposes a mathematical model for architectural evaluation of software systems inspired from the perturbations’ theory. The proposed mathematical model can be used to mold the evolution of any software system affected by requirements changes; to find the architectural states of the system for which a given set of requirements is not a trigger (doesn’t provoke an architectural change); and to find the architectural configuration which is optimal for a given set of requirements (evolves as less as possible).

APPLYING AGENT-ORIENTED MODELLING AND PROTOTYPING TO SERVICE-ORIENTED SYSTEMS

Aneesh Krishna, Ying Guan and Aditya Ghose

A Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) is a form of distributed systems architecture, which is essentially a collection of services. Web services are built in the distributed environment of the Internet, enabling the integration of applications in a web environment. In this paper, we show how agent-oriented conceptual modelling techniques can be used to model service-oriented systems and architectures and how these models can be executed. The resulting executable specification environment permits us to support early rapid prototyping of the service-oriented systems, at varying levels of abstraction.

MOBILE AGENT IN E-COMMERCE

Mohamed Elkobaisi

Among features often attributed to software agents are autonomy and mobility. Autonomy of e-commerce agents involves adaptability to engage in negotiations governed by mechanisms not known in advance, while their mobility entails such negotiations taking place at remote locations. This paper aims at combining adaptability with mobility, by joining rule-based mechanism representation with modular agent design, and at UML-formalizing selected aspects of the resulting system. Furthermore, we discuss the issue of agent mobility and argue why such agents have been proposed for the system under consideration.

CONTEXT-DRIVEN POLICY ENFORCEMENT AND RECONCILIATION FOR WEB SERVICES

S. Sattanathan, N. C. Narendra, Z. Maamar and G. Kouadri Mostéfaoui

Security of Web services is a major factor to their successful integration into critical IT applications. An extensive research in this direction concentrates on low level aspects of security such as message secrecy, data integrity, and authentication. Thus, proposed solutions are mainly built upon the assumption that security mechanisms are static and predefined. However, the dynamic nature of the Internet and the continuously changing environments where Web services operate require innovative and adaptive security solutions. This paper presents our solution for securing Web services based on adaptive policies, where adaptability is satisfied using the contextual information of the Web services. The proposed solution includes a negotiation and reconciliation protocol for security policies.

OWL-BASED KNOWLEDGE DISCOVERY USING DESCRIPTION LOGICS REASONERS

Dimitrios A. Koutsomitropoulos, Dimitrios P. Meidanis, Anastasia N. Kandili and Theodore S. Papatheodorou

The recent advent of the Semantic Web has given rise to the need for efficient and sound methods that would provide reasoning support over the knowledge scattered on the Internet. Description Logics and DL-based inference engines in particular play a significant role towards this goal, as they seem to have overlapping expressivity with the Semantic Web de facto language, OWL. In this paper we argue that DLs currently constitute one of the most tempting available formalisms to support reasoning with OWL. Further, we present and survey a number of DL based systems that could be used for this task. Around one of them (Racer) we build our Knowledge Discovery Interface, a web application that can be used to pose intelligent queries to Semantic Web documents in an intuitive manner. As a proof of concept, we then apply the KDI on the CIDOC-CRM reference ontology and discuss our results.

MAINTAINING PROPERTY LIBRARIES IN PRODUCT CLASSIFICATION SCHEMES

Joerg Leukel

Semantic interoperability in B2B e-commerce can be achieved by committing to a product ontology that establishes a shared and common understanding of a product domain. This issue is mainly subject of standard product classification schemes. Recently, considerable research and industry work has been carried out on enhancing the formal precision of these schemes. Providing specific property lists for each product class is seen as a first step towards true product ontologies. However, horizontal classification schemes often consist of more than 10,000 classes, several thousand properties, and an even greater number of class-property relations. Given the new requirement towards property-centric classification, maintaining these business vocabularies is greatly influenced by strategies for managing the property definitions and their relationships to classes. This paper proposes and evaluates measures for coping with the problem of extensive and steadily growing property libraries. It can be shown that implementing these measures greatly influence both standards makers and standards adopters.

A POLICY-BASED APPROACH TO SECURE CONTEXT IN A WEB SERVICES ENVIRONMENT

Zakaria Maamar, Ghita Kouadri Mostéfaoui and Djamal Benslimane

This paper presents a policy-based approach for securing the contexts associated with Web services, users, and computing resources. Users interact with Web services for personalization needs, and Web services interact with resources for performance needs. To authorize any context change, a security context is developed. The security context reports on the strategies that protect a context using authorization and restriction~policies.

INTEGRATING SEMANTIC WEB REASONING INTO LEARNING OBJECT METADATA

Shang-Juh Kao and I-Ching Hsu

One of important functions of Learning Object Metadata (LOM) is to associate XML-based metadata with learning objects. The inherent problem of LOM is that it’s XML specified, which emphasizes syntax and format rather than semantic and knowledge. Hence, it lacks the semantic metadata to provide reasoning and inference functions. These functions are necessary for the computer-interpretable descriptions that are critical in the reusability and interoperability of the distributed learning objects. This paper aims at addressing this shortage, and proposes a multi-layered semantic framework to allow the reasoning and inference capabilities to be added to the conventional LOM. To illustrate how this framework work, we developed a Semantic-based Learning Objects Annotations Repository (SLOAR) that offers three different approaches to locate relevant learning objects for an e-learning application - LOM-based metadata, ontology-based reasoning, and rule-based inference. Finally, an experimental report for performance evaluation of the various approaches is presented.

RECOVERY SERVICES FOR THE PLANNING LAYER OF AGENTS

Khaled Nagi and George Beskales

Software agents represent aim at automating user tasks. A central task of an agent is planning to achieve its goals. Unexpected disturbances occurring in the agent execution environment represent a serious challenge for agent planning. In this work, a recovery model for the planning process of agents is proposed to cope with these disturbances. The proposed recovery model supports the Hierarchical Task Networks (HTN) planners which represent a broad family of planners that are widely used in agent systems. A prototype for the proposed recovery services is implemented to demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed approach. Fur-thermore, a simulation is built and many simulation experiments were conducted to gain insight about the performance of the proposed recovery model.

SAFETY OF CHECKPOINTING AND ROLLBACK-RECOVERY PROTOCOL FOR MOBILE SYSTEMS WITH RYW SESSION GUARANTEE

Jerzy Brzeziński, Anna Kobusińska and Jacek Kobusiński

This paper presents rRYW checkpointing and rollback-recovery protocol for mobile environment, where clients accessing data are not bound to particular servers and can switch from one server to another. The proposed protocol is integrated with the underlying consistency VsSG protocol, which provides system consistency from a client’s perspective. The rRYW protocol combines logging and checkpointing of operations to prevent Read Your Writes session guarantee provided by VsSG, even in case of servers failures. The paper includes proofs of safety and liveness properties of the presented protocol.

A MULTI-AGENT SYSTEM FOR INFORMATION SHARING

Marco Mari, Agostino Poggi and Michele Tomaiuolo

This paper presents RAIS, a peer-to-peer multi-agent system supporting the sharing of information among a community of users connected through the internet. RAIS has been designed and implemented on the top of well known technologies and software tools for realizing multi-agent and peer-to-peer systems, for the searching of information and for the authentication and authorization of users. RAIS offers a similar search power of Web search engines, but avoids the burden of publishing the information on the Web and guaranties a controlled and dynamic access to the information. Moreover, the use of agent technologies simplifies the realization of three of the main features of the system: i) the filtering of the information coming from different users on the basis of the previous experience of the local user, ii) the pushing of the new information that can be of possible interest for a user, and iii) the delegation of access capabilities on the basis of a network of reputation built by the agents of the system on the community of its users.

MIGRATING LEGACY VIDEO LECTURES TO MULTIMEDIA LEARNING OBJECTS

Andrea De Lucia, Rita Francese, Massimiliano Giordano, Ignazio Passero and Genoveffa Tortora

Video Lectures are an old distance learning approach which do not offer any feature of interaction and retrieval to the user. Thus, to follow the new learning paradigms we need to reengineer the e-learning processes while preserving the investments made in the past. In this paper we present a methodology for semi-automatically migrating traditional video lectures into multimedia Learning Objects. The process identifies the frames where a slide transition occurs and extracts from the PowerPoint Presentation information for structuring the Learning Object metadata. Similarly to scene detection approaches, we iteratively tune several parameters starting from a small portion of the video to reach the best results. Once a slide transition is correctly detected, the video sample is successively enlarged until satisfactory results are reached. The proposed approach has been validated in a case study.

AN SMS-BASED E-GOVERNMENT MODEL

Tony Dwi Susanto and Robert Goodwin

The fact that more than one-third of e-government initiatives in developing countries are total failures, half are partial failures and roughly only one-seventh are successful, show that e-government development in developing countries has many problems. According to an analysis by Heeks (2003), one of the failure factors of e-government in developing countries is unrealistic design. This paper will focus on this factor, particularly the mismatch of the technological design for accessing e-government systems and the skills and access to the technology of the citizens. Many countries, particularly developing countries, still face problems of lack of internet infrastructure, low of internet penetration, internet illiteracy and high internet costs. When governments implement web-based e-government models which require citizens to access the system by the Internet/web medium, the failure rate is high as few citizens can participate. There is technology gap between design and reality. In the same countries, mobile phones are widely used, are low in cost, and citizens are more familiar with the short message service application (SMS) than the Internet and Web. In order to address this situation, the paper proposes an SMS-based e-government system as a first step toward a future Internet-based e-government system in order to increase public (citizens and businesses) participation in e-government systems.

SUPPORTING COMPLEX COLLABORATIVE LEARNING ACTIVITIES – THE LIBRESOURCE APPROACH

Olivera Marjanovic, Hala Skaf-Molli , Pascal Molli , Fethi Rabhi1 and Claude Godart

The main objective of this paper is to describe collaborative technology called LibreSource and how it is used to implement an innovative learning/teaching activity designed for software engineering students. From the educational perspective, this educational activity is based on the principles of problem-based learning and the latest Learning Design theory. The main objective of this activity to offer students a real-life experience in collaborative software development. Compared to the popular Learning Management Systems that only offer collaborative tools and support individual collaborative tasks, this technology enables design and implementation of complex collaborative processes.

TOWARDS A WEB PORTAL DATA QUALITY MODEL

Angélica Caro, Coral Calero, Ismael Caballero and Mario Piattini

The technological advance and the internet have favoured the appearance of a great diversity of web applications, one of them are Web Portals. Through this, organizations develop their businesses in a more and more competitive environment. A decisive factor for this competitiveness is the assurance of data quality. In the last years, several research works on Web Data Quality have been developed. However, there is a lack of specific proposals for web portals data quality. In this paper, we will present a proposal for a model data quality for web portals based on some web data quality works.

E-PROCUREMENT ADOPTION AMONG ITALIAN FIRMS BY USING DOMAIN NAMES

Maurizio Martinelli, Irma Serrecchia and Michela Serrecchia

The digital divide can occur either as a “local” ( within a given country) or “global” (between developing and industrialized countries) phenomenon. Our study intends to offer an important contribution by analyzing the digital divide in Italy and the factors contributing to this situation at the territorial level (i.e., macroareas: North, Center, South and at the provincial level) To do this, we used the registration of Internet domains under the “.it” ccTLD as proxy. In particular, we analyzed domain names registered by firms. The analysis produced interesting results: the distribution of domains registered by firms in Italian provinces is more concentrated than the distribution according to income and number of firms, suggesting a diffusive effect. Furthermore, when analyzing the factors that contribute to the presence of a digital divide at the regional level, regression analysis was performed using demographic, social, economic and infrastructure indicators. Results show that Italian regions that have good productive efficiency measured of the added value per employee and a high educational level measured by number of firms specialized in the ICT service sale (provider/maintainer) and by number of employees devoted to research and development are the best candidates for utilization of the Internet.

DYNAMIC SERVICE COMPOSITION : A PETRI-NET BASED APPROACH

Michael Köhler, Daniel Moldt and Jan Ortmann

Dynamic service composition requires a formal description of the services such that an agent can process these descriptions and reason about them. The amount of detail needed for an agent to grasp the meaning of a service results in clumsy specification. Petri nets offer a visual modeling technique for processes, that offers a refinement mechanism. Through this, a specification can be inspected on the level of detail needed for a given objective. In this paper we introduce a Petri net based approach to capture the semantics of services by combining Petri nets ideas from the description logic area focusing on ontologies. The resulting framework can than be used by agents to plan about activities involving services.

A SUCCINCT ANALYSIS OF WEB SERVICE COMPOSITION

Wassam Zahreddine and Qusay H. Mahmoud

Numerous standards are being proposed by industry and academia to find ways to best compose web services together. Such standards have produced semi-automatic compositions which can only be applied in a limited number of scenarios. Indeed, the future is moving towards a semantic web and fully automatic compositions will only occur when semantics are involved with web services. This paper discusses recent research and future challenges in the field of service composition. The paper classifies service composition into two streams: semi-automatic and automatic, then it compares and contrasts the available composition techniques.

WSRF-BASED VIRTUALIZATION FOR MANUFACTURING RESOURCES

Lei Wu, Xiangxu Meng, Shijun Liu, Chenlei Yang and Xueqin Li

The essence of a Grid is the virtualization of resource and the virtualization of the concept of a user. The term of manufacturing grid (MG) is the applying of grid technologies on manufacturing. To share manufacturing resources in Manufacturing Grid, they could be virtualized and exposed as web service. The paper presents a new way based WSRF to virtualize resource. The paper presents resource encapsulation templates and resource container to virtualilze resource conveniently. The design principle and the implement of the resource encapsulate template and the resource container is described in detail. The resource container is a WSRF service deployed in GT java core and can virtualize resource as WS-Resource. Resource providers can encapsulate their resources with the encapsulation template and added them in the resource container. The resource will be virtualized and exposed as web service and be shared in grid. We have developed a prototype platform to testify the validity of the resource virtualization method. The portal (www.mgrid.cn) can be visited now.

A MULTI-AGENT BASED FRAMEWORK FOR SUPPORTING LEARNING IN ADAPTIVE AUTOMATED NEGOTIATION

Rômulo Oliveira, Herman Gomes, Alan Silva, Ig Bittencourt and Evandro Costa

Automated negotiation is one of the hottest research topics in AI applied to e-commerce. Lately this topic is receiving more attention from the scientific community with the challenges related to providing more realistic and feasible solutions. Following this track, we propose a multi-agent based framework for supporting adaptive bilateral automated negotiation during buyer-seller agent interactions. In this work, these interactions are viewed as a cooperative game (from the idea of two-person game theory, nonzerosum game), where the players try to reach an agreement about a certain negotiation object that is offered by one player to another. The final agreement is assumed to be satisfactory to both parts. To achieve effectively this goal, we modelled each player as a multi-agent system with its respective environment. In doing so, we aim at providing an effective means to collect relevant information to help agents to make good decisions, that is, how to choose the ``best way to play'' among a set of alternatives. Then we define a mechanism to model the opponent player and other mechanisms for monitoring relevant variables from the player´ environment. Also, we maintain the context of the current game and keep the most relevant information of previous games. Additionally, we integrate all the information to be used in the refinement of the game strategies governing the multi-agent system.

AOPOA - ORGANIZATIONAL APPROACH FOR AGENT ORIENTED PROGRAMMING

Enrique González and Miguel Torres

This paper presents AOPOA, an agent oriented programming methodology based in an organizational approach. The resulting multiagent system is composed by a set of active entities that aim to accomplish a well-defined set of goals. This approach allows to build complex systems by decomposing them into simpler ones. The organizational approach makes it easier to perform an iterative and recursive decomposition based in the concept of goal; and at the same time to identify the interactions between the entities composing the system. At each iteration an organization level is developed. During the analysis phase, tasks and roles are detected. During the design phase, the interactions are specified and managed by cooperation links. At the final iteration, the role parameterization is performed, which allows to specify the events and actions associated to each agent.

THE STATE OF E-BUSINESS ON THE GERMAN ELECTRONIC CONSUMER GOODS INDUSTRY

Eulalio G. Campelo F. and Wolffried Stucky

B2B electronic commerce is an increasing important component of company’s strategy as it provides key support for the business processes and transactions. Therefore, e-business applications were expected to have a high cumulative growth and be widely applied by companies in different sectors of the global economy. This paper outlines the state of e-business on one of the most dynamic sectors in the area of B2B electronic commerce, the electronic consumer goods industry in the highly competitive German market. The intention is to develop a better understanding on the level of information technology utilisation to support businesses as well as the reasons and the course of e-business initiatives in this sector.

POWERING RSS AGGREGATORS WITH ONTOLOGIES - A CASE FOR THE RSSOWL AGGREGATOR

Felipe M. Villoria, Oscar Díaz and Sergio F. Anzuola

Content syndication through RSS is gaining wide acceptance, and it is envisaged that feed aggregators will be provided as a commodity in future browsers. As we consume more of our information by way of RSS feeds, search mechanisms other than simple keyword search will be required. To this end, advances in semantic tooling can effectively improve the current state of the art in feed aggregators. This work reports on the benets of making a popular RSS aggregator, RSSOwl, ontology-aware. The paper uses three common functions, namely, semantic view, semantic navigation and semantic query, to illustrate how RSS aggregators can be ontology powered. The outcome is that location, browsing and rendering of RSS feeds are customised to the conceptual model of the reader, making RSS aggregators a powerful companion to face the RSSosphere. The system has been fully implemented, and successfully tested by distinct users.

THE ATTITUDE TOWARDS E-DEMOCRACY - EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE FROM THE VIENNESE POPULATION

Alexander Prosser, Yan Guo and Jasmin Lenhart

Systems for citizen participation have become technically feasible and are currently being developed. But what are the preferences of the citizens and which factors determine their attitude towards e-democracy? This paper reports the results of a representative survey in the Viennese population investigating the attitude towards e-democracy, the relationship to the respondents’ current Internet usage and possible motives for e-democracy.

AN OPEN ARCHITECTURE FOR COLLABORATIVE VISUALIZATION IN RICH MEDIA ENVIRONMENTS

Bernd Eßmann, Thorsten Hampel and Frank Goetz

Mobile cooperation systems are in focus of current CSCW research. Many challenges of supporting users' mobility arise from weak computational power of their mobile devices. Especially when visualization applications need to compute complex three-dimensional scenes from huge data-sets also more powerful mobile devices reach their limits. In this paper we present a solution for providing complex visualization techniques embedded in a fully-fledged CSCW system for broad spectrum of (portable) computer devices. Our approach combines two sophisticated technologies. On the visualization part it deploys remote render farms to produce the representation as video streams, separately for every cooperation partner. Thus the mobile devices only need to be able to play MEPG-4 compliant video streams, commonly provided by off-the-shelf PDAs and laptops. On the part of the collaboration support we use a full-featured CSCW system. This allows embedding visualizations as active objects into cooperative knowledge spaces. In a document centered environment the visualizations are displayed as active pictures on a cooperative shared whiteboard. Users may manipulate the visualization scene as well as the whiteboard representation which is a view on the persistent knowledge space saved in the CSCW system.

TOWARDS AN INTEGRATED IS FRAMEWORK FOR THE DESIGN AND MANAGEMENT OF LEAN SUPPLY CHAINS

Emmanuel Adamides, Nikos Karacapilidis, Hara Pylarinou and Dimitrios Koumanakos

In this paper we present Co-LEAN, an integrated suite of software tools suitable for the design and management of lean supply chains. In addition to providing full operational support in the planning and execution of the lean supply chain, Co-LEAN supports internet-based collaboration in the innovation and product design, manufacturing strategy, and supply-chain improvement tasks. The paper discusses the information system support requirements of a lean supply chain, describes the main components and the integration mechanisms of Co-LEAN and concludes with a brief description of its pilot use in a major supermarket chain.

THE CASCOM ABSTRACT ARCHITECTURE FOR SEMANTIC SERVICE DISCOVERY AND COORDINATION IN IP2P ENVIRONMENTS

Cesar Caceres, Alberto Fernandez, Sascha Ossowski and Matteo Vasirani

Intelligent agent-based peer-to-peer (IP2P) environments provide a means for pervasively providing and flexibly co-ordinating ubiquitous business application services to the mobile users and workers in the dynamically changing contexts of open, large-scale, and pervasive settings. In this paper, we present an abstract architecture for service delivery and coordination in IP2P environments that has been developed within the CASCOM project. Furthermore, we outline the potential benefits of a role-based interaction modelling approach for a concrete application of this abstract architecture based on a real-world scenario for emergency assistance in the healthcare domain.

E-LEARNING USE IN THE TERTIARY EDUCATION IN CYPRUS

Vasso Stylianou and Angelika Kokkinak

E-Learning may be defined as any training activity that utilizes electronic technology to provide instructional content or various learning experiences through an electronic network, which can be customized for specific business needs or even individual needs. The geographic position and size of Cyprus make it ideal for businesses to grow by capitalizing on the benefits of e-learning and e-training. Opportunities exist in all areas of e-learning in academic education and industrial training for expanding education in Cyprus to other regions, creating regional hubs for international students and industries on-line worldwide. Any strategic move in this direction would initially require an appreciation of the current state of affairs in respect to e-learning availability in Cyprus. Thus, the aim of this study has been to investigate e-learning facilities provided in some of the main tertiary education institutions in the island, namely the Intercollege, the University of Cyprus and the Higher Technical Institute. The findings of this investigation, formed as brief case studies, are presented herein and certain conclusions are being made.

CLIENT SYNTHESIS FOR WEB SERVICES BY WAY OF A TIMED SEMANTICS

Serge Haddad, Patrice Moreaux and Sylvain Rampacek

A complex Web service described with languages like BPEL4WS, consists of an executable process and its observable behaviour (called an abstract process) based on the messages exchanged with the client. The abstract process behaviour is non deterministic due to the internal choices during the service execution. Furthermore the specification often includes timing constraints which must be taken into account by the client. Thus given a service specification, we identify the synthesis of a client as a key issue for the development of Web services. To this end, we propose an approach based on (dense) timed automata to first describe the observable service behaviour and then to build correct interacting clients when possible. The present work extends a previous discrete time approach and overcomes its limitations.

DISTRIBUTED BUSINESS PROCESSES IN OPEN AGENT ENVIRONMENTS

Christine Reese, Kolja Markwardt, Sven Offermann and Daniel Moldt

In the context of multi agent systems, one general aim is the interoperability of agents. One problem remaining is the control of processes between agents. The need for workflow technology on an agent level to support business processes becomes obvious. We provide concepts for distributed WFMS where the distribution is realised within the architecture. This work is innovative regarding the interplay of those technologies against the formal background of Petri nets.

USING SHADOW PRICES FOR RESOURCE ALLOCATION IN A COMBINATORIAL GRID WITH PROXY-BIDDING AGENTS

Michael Schwind and Oleg Gujo

Our paper presents an agent-based simulation environment for task scheduling in a distributed computer systems (grid). The scheduler enables the simultaneous allocation of resources like CPU time, communication bandwidth, volatile and non-volatile memory while employing a combinatorial resource allocation mechanism. The resource allocation is performed by an iterative combinatorial auction in which proxy-bidding agents try to acquire their desired resource allocation profiles with respect to limited monetary budget endowments. To achieve an efficient bidding process, the auctioneer provides resource price information to the bidding agents. The calculation of the resource prices in a combinatorial auction is not trivial, especially if the the bid bundles exhibit complementarities or substitutionalities. We propose an approximate pricing mechanism using shadow prices from a linear programming formulation for this purpose. The efficiency of the shadow price-based allocation mechanism is tested in the context of a closed loop grid system in which the agents can use monetary units rewarded for the resources they provide to the system for the acquisition of complementary capacity. Two types of proxy-bidding agents are compared in terms of efficiency (received units of resources, time until bid acceptance) within this scenario: An aggressive bidding agent with intense rising bids and a smooth bidding agent with slow increasing bids.

PROVIDING RECOMMENDATIONS IN AN AGENT-BASED TRANSPORTATION TRANSACTIONS MANAGEMENT PLATFORM

Alexis Lazanas, Nikos Karacapilidis and Yiannis Pirovolakis

Diverse recommendation techniques have been already proposed and encapsulated into several e-business systems aiming to perform a more accurate evaluation of the existing alternatives and accordingly augment the assistance provided to the users involved. Extending previous work, this paper focuses on the development of a recommendation module for transportation transactions purposes and its integration in a web-based platform. The module is built according to a hybrid recommendation technique, which combines the advantages of collaborative filtering and knowledge-based recommendations. The proposed technique and supporting module enable customers to consider in detail alternative transportation transactions satisfying their requests, as well as to evaluate such transactions after their completion.

A NARRATIVE APPROACH TO COLLABORATIVE WRITING - A BUSINESS PROCESS MODEL

Peter Henderson and Nishadi De Silva

Narratives have been used in the past to enhance technical documents such as research proposals by implementing a single-user writing tool called CANS (Computer-Aided Narrative Support). This study has now been extended to collaborative writing (CW); another area that can greatly benefit from a narrative-based writing tool. Before implementing such an asynchronous, multi-user system, however, it was imperative to do a concrete design for it. Therefore, after studying existing CW tools and strategies, a concise business process (BP) model was designed to describe the process of narrative-based CW. This paper introduces narrative-based CW for technical authors, the BP model for it and discusses the benefits of such an implementation on particular areas of research, such as the development of Grid applications.

ADDING MEANING TO QOS NEGOTIATION

Cláudia M. F. A. Ribeiro, Nelson Souto Rosa and Paulo Roberto Freire Cunha

Using quality of service (QoS) to discover Web Services that better meet users’ needs became a key factor to differentiate similar services. Treating QoS includes negotiating QoS capabilities, since there is a potential conflict between service provider and service requestor requirements. This paper addresses this problem by using an ontological approach for QoS negotiation that aims to improve user participation. For this purpose, a Service Level Agreement (SLA) ontology that explicitly considers subjective user QoS specification was conceived. Its internal components and the role it plays during service discovery are detailed.

A GRID SERVICE COMPUTING ENVIRONMENT FOR SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT

Sam Chung and George A. Orriss

This paper proposes to develop a Grid Service Computing Environment for Supply Chain Management. Current research into Grid Services for distributed systems has resulted in interesting questions being raised as to whether or not the Open Grid Service Architecture can be applied to developing a Supply Chain Management system. If so, how will it affect development of SCM systems as a typical example of Business-to-Business (B2B) application integration? As much recent development has been focused on resource allocation in a Grid environment, this approach to Grid computing is still relatively unexplored. By developing a Supply Chain Management system using the Open Grid Service Architecture and the Globus toolkit, this research will provide an infrastructure for composing existing services into a system that can be utilized for Supply Chain Management. The result of this project is a Grid environment that provides efficient and effective service management of available Supply Chain Management services. Also, we address some of the inherent issues of dynamic binding and automation associated with B2B transactions, such as those surrounding security protocols, service lifecycle, and instance creation.

THE CONCEPT AND TECHNOLOGY OF PLUG AND PLAY BUSINESS

Paul Davidsson1, Anders Hederstierna2, Andreas Jacobsson1, Jan A. Persson, Bengt Carlsson, Stefan J. Johansson, Anders Nilsson, Gunnar Ågren, and Stefan Östholm

Several barriers to turn innovative ideas into growth-oriented businesses with a global outlook are identified. The Plug and Play Business concept is suggested to lower these barriers by making it possible for the innovator to plug into a network of actors or potential collaborators with automated entrepreneurial functions. A P2P paradigm with intelligent agents is proposed to realize an environment that manages a dynamic network of roles and business relations. It is suggested that a critical characteristic of the Plug and Play Business software is to facilitate trust in-between the actors.

LIBRARY IN VIRTUAL REALITY: AN INNOVATIVE WAY FOR ACCESSING, DISSEMINATING, AND SHARING INFORMATION

Tereza G. Kirner, Andréa T. Matos and Plácida L. Costa

This paper focuses on Virtual Reality (VR) as a very useful resource to be applied to the libraries available in the web, aiming at contributing to process of accessing, disseminating, and sharing information. The paper gives an overview of the use of technology in libraries, stressing some forecasts related to the so called “library of the future”. Then, it describes the VR in terms of three essential characteristics, that is, immersion, interaction, and involvement. After that, it presents some libraries in virtual reality under utilization in different countries. Finally, the paper gives the final considerations, pointing out the use of virtual reality technology to develop libraries as collaborative virtual environments.

CONSTRUCTIVIST INSTRUCTIONAL PRINCIPLES, LEARNER PSYCHOLOGY AND TECHNOLOGICAL ENABLERS OF LEARNING

Erkki Patokorpi

Constructivists generally assume that the central principles and objectives of the constructivist pedagogy are realized by information and communication technology (ICT) enhanced learning. This paper critically examines the grounds for this assumption in the light of available empirical and theoretical research literature. The general methodological thrust comes from Alavi and Leidner (2001), who have called for research on the interconnections of instructional method, psychological processes and technology. Hermeneutic psychology and philosophical argumentation are applied to identify some potential or actual weaknesses in the chain of connections between constructivist pedagogical principles, psychological processes, supporting technologies and the actual application of ICT in a learning environment. One example of a weak link is personalisation technologies whose immaturity hampers the constructivists’ attempts at enabling learners to create personal knowledge. Pragmatism enters the picture as a ready source of criticism, bringing out a certain one-sidedness of the constructivist view of man and learning.

MULTI-MODAL HANDS-FREE HUMAN COMPUTER INTERACTION: A PROTOTYPE SYSTEM

Frangiskos Frangeskides and Andreas Lanitis

Conventional Human Computer Interaction requires the use of hands for moving the mouse and pressing keys on the keyboard. As a result paraplegics are not able to use computer systems unless they acquire special Human Computer Interaction (HCI) equipment. In this paper we describe a prototype system that aims to provide paraplegics the opportunity to use computer systems without the need for additional invasive hardware. The proposed system is a multi-modal system combining both visual and speech input. Visual input is provided through a standard web camera used for capturing face images showing the user of the computer. Image processing techniques are used for tracking head movements, making it possible to use head motion in order to interact with a computer. Speech input is used for activating commonly used tasks that are normally activated using the mouse or the keyboard. Speech input improves the speed and ease of executing various HCI tasks in a hands free fashion. The performance of the proposed system was evaluated using a number of specially designed test applications. According to the quantitative results, it is possible to perform most HCI tasks with the same ease and accuracy as in the case that a touch pad of a portable computer is used. Currently our system is being used by a number of paraplegics.

AN INCLUSIVE APPROACH TO COOPERATIVE EVALUATION OF WEB USER INTERFACES

Amanda Meincke Melo and M. Cecília C. Baranauskas

Accessibility has been one of the major challenges for interface design of Web applications nowadays, especially those involving e-government and e-learning. In this paper we present an Inclusive and Participatory approach to the Cooperative Evaluation of user interfaces. It was carried out with an interdisciplinary research group that aims to include students with disabilities in the university campus and academic life. HCI specialists and non-specialists, with and without visual disabilities, participated as users and observers during the evaluation of a web site designed to be one of the communication channels between the group and the University community. This paper shows the benefits and the challenges of considering the differences among stakeholders in an inclusive and participatory approach, when designing for accessibility within the Universal Design paradigm.

MEDICAL INFORMATION PORTALS: AN EMPIRICAL STUDY OF PERSONALIZED SEARCH MECHANISMS AND SEARCH INTERFACES

Andrea Andrenucci

The World Wide Web has become, since its creation, one of most popular tools for accessing and distributing medical information. The purpose of this paper is to provide indications about how users search for health-related information and how medical portals should be implemented to fit users’ needs. The results are mainly based on the evaluation of a prototype that tailors the retrieval of documents from the Web4health portal to users’ characteristics and information needs with the help of a user model. The evaluation is conducted through a user empirical study based on user observation and in-depth interviews

MODELING THE TASK - LEVERAGING KNOWLEDGE-IN-THE-HEAD AT DESIGN TIME

George Christou, Robert J. K. Jacob and Pericles Leng Cheng

A key problem in Human Computer Interaction is the evaluation and comparison of tasks that are designed in different interaction styles. A closely related problem is how to create a model of the task that allows this comparison. This paper tries to tackle these two questions. It initially presents a structure (Specific User Knowledge Representation) that allows the creation of task models which allow direct comparisons between different interaction styles. It then presents an evaluation measure based on the structures. The measure is a predictive quantitative one named Learnability The combination of the two allows the researcher or the designer to evaluate an interaction design very early in the design process. Then a case study is presented to show how the measure may be used to create performance predictions for novices.

ENWIC: VISUALIZING WIKI SEMANTICS AS TOPIC MAPS - AN AUTOMATED TOPIC DISCOVERY AND VISUALIZATION TOOL

Cleo Espiritu, Eleni Stroulia and Tapanee Tirapat

In this paper, we present ENWiC (EduNuggets Wiki Crawler), a framework for intelligent visualization of Wikis. In recent years, e-learning has emerged as an appealing alternative to traditional teaching. The effectiveness of e-Learning is depended upon the sharing of information on the web, which makes the web a vast library of information that students and instructors can utilize for educational purposes. Wiki s collaborative authoring nature makes it a very attractive tool to use for e-Learning purposes; however, its text-based navigational structure becomes insufficient as the Wiki grows in size, and this backlash can hinder students from taking full advantage of the information available. ENWiC s goal is to provide student with an intelligent interface for navigating Wikis and other similar large-scale websites. ENWiC make use of graphic organizers to visualize the relationships between content pages so that students can gain a cognitional understanding of the content as they navigating through the Wiki pages. We describe ENWiC s automated visualization process, and its user interfaces for students to view and navigate the Wiki in a meaningful manner, and for instructors to further enhance the visualization. We also discuss our usability study for evaluating ENWiC s effectiveness as a Wiki Interface.

E-INSTRUMENTATION: A COLLABORATIVE AND ADAPTATIVE INTELLIGENT HCI FOR REMOTE CONTROL OF DEVICES

Christophe Gravier and Jacques Fayolle

What is being discussed here is a Computer Supported Collaborative Learning System. The learning system aims at providing a distant, collaborative and adaptative access to high technological devices. Some strong points in the fields of HCI are to be stressed : the user is expected to access the device while being in a group of users, that is to say "group awareness" must be supported by some mechanisms. In order to get a generic platform, being "instrument-independant", tools are expected to be provided for the graphic user interface to be easily (and without too much user skills) built. Moreover, the notion of sequence of utilization of a device could possibly be a tool enabling new models of evaluation of graphic user interface (consequently HCI) and/or user behaviors.

GDIT - TOOL FOR THE DESIGN, SPECIFICATION AND GENERATION OF GOALS DRIVEN USER INTERFACES

Antonio Carrillo, Juan Falgueras and Antonio Guevara

This paper presents a style of interaction, called Goals Driven Interaction, a user interface design methology (also called GDI) and a software tool (GDIT) that brings support for it. GDI is a way of interaction for those applications in which a zero learning time is necessary. We also present GDIT, a software tool for the design and specification of any type of user interface regardless of its interaction paradigm. Moreover, this tool is specially appropiated for GDI, and generates user interface prototypes that can be tested early in the developing process.

PERSONALIZATION IN INTERACTIVE SYSTEMS - THE GENERATION OF COMPLIANCE?

Stephen Sobol

This paper examines applications of personalization in interactive systems and seeks to map success in this area into a general theory of database and narrative. It is argued that conventions of human communication established well before the digital age play a large part in determining user responses to personalization. The analysis offers a logic to help determine when to apply personalization. The results of an experiment to detect personalization effects are reported which provide evidence of the value of personalization.

UBIQUITOUS KNOWLEDGE MODELING FOR DIALOGUE SYSTEMS

Porfírio Filipe and Nuno Mamede

The main general problem that we want to address is the re-configuration of dialogue systems to work with a generic plug-and-play device. This paper describes our research in designing knowledge-based everyday devices that can be dynamically adapted to spoken dialogue systems. We propose a model for ubiquitous knowledge representation that enables the spoken dialogue system to be aware of the devices belonging to the domain and of the tasks they provide. We consider that each device can be augmented with computational capabilities in order to support its own knowledge model. A knowledge- -based broker adapts the spoken dialogue system to deal with an arbitrary set of devices. The knowledge integration process between the knowledge models of the devices and the knowledge model of the broker is depicted. This process was tested in the home environment domain.

A SIMULATION ENVIRONMENT TO EVALUATE DRIVER PERFORMANCES WHILE INTERACTING WITH TELEMATICS SYSTEMS

Gennaro Costagliola, Sergio Di Martino and Filomena Ferrucci

The evaluation of user interfaces for vehicular telematics systems is a challenging task, since, due to safety issues, it is necessary to particularly take into account the effects of interaction on user mental workload and thus on driving performances. To this aim, in 2005 we developed a simulation environment specifically conceived for the indoor evaluation of these systems. In this paper we present some significant improvements of that proposal. Among others, we highly enhanced the possibility to assess indoor the navigation module, which is a very distinguish feature. Indeed, the automatic generation of virtual test tracks starting from a cartographical database was improved, giving rise to more realistic scenarios, which increase the sense of presence in the virtual scenario. Moreover, to support data analysts in understanding subjects’ driving performances, we developed a graphical analysis tool, able to provide a clear and deep insight on the high amount of logged data generated by the simulator. Finally, we validated the effectiveness of the framework in measuring on-road driving performances, by employing a set of sixteen subjects, gathering positive results.

DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION OF ADAPTIVE WEB APPLICATION

Raoudha Ben Djemaa, Ikram Amous and Abdelmajid Ben Hamadou

Engineering adaptive Web applications imply the development of content that can be automatically adjusted to varying classes of users and their preferences in terms of presentation. To meet this requirement, we present in this paper a generator for adaptive web applications called GIWA. GIWA‘s target is to facilitate the automatic execution of the design and the automatic generation of adaptable web interface. GIWA methodology is based on three levels: semantic level, adaptation level and presentation level. The implementation of GIWA is based on java swing interface to instantiate the models which are translated in XML files. GIWA uses then XSL files to generate the HTML page corresponding to the user.

PROACTIVE PSYCHOTHERAPY WITH HANDHELD DEVICES

Luís Carriço, Marco de Sá and Pedro Antunes

This paper presents a set of components that support psychotherapy processes on mobile and office settings. One provides patients the required access to psychotherapy artefacts, enabling an adequate and tailored aid and motivation for fulfilment of common therapy tasks. Another offers therapists the ability to define and refine the artefacts, in order to present, help and react to the patient according to his/her specific needs and therapy progress. Two other components allow the analysis and annotation of the aforementioned artefacts. All these components run on a PDA base. Evaluation results validated some of the design choices, and indicate future directions and improvements.

A MULTIMODAL INTERFACE FOR PERSONALISING SPATIAL DATA IN MOBILE GIS

Julie Doyle, Joe Weakliam, Michela Bertolotto and David Wilson

Recently the availability and usage of more advanced mobile devices has significantly increased, with many users accessing information and applications while on the go. However, for users to truly accept and adopt such technologies it is necessary to address human-computer interaction challenges associated with such devices. We are interested in exploring these issues within the context of mobile GIS applications. Current mobile GIS interfaces suffer from two major problems: nterface complexity and information overload. We have developed a novel system that addresses both of these issues. Firstly, our system allows GIS users to interact multimodally, providing them with the flexibility of choosing their preferred mode of interaction for specific tasks in specific contexts. Secondly, it records all such interactions, analyses them and uses them to build individual user profiles. Based on these, our system returns personalised spatial data to users, and hence liminates superfluous information that might be otherwise presented to them. In this paper we describe the system we have developed that combines multimodal interaction with personalised services, and that can be used by mobile users, whether they are novices or professionals within the field of GIS. The advantages of our multimodal GIS interface approach are demonstrated through a user interaction study.

EVALUATION OF USER INTERFACES FOR GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS: A CASE STUDY

Lucia Peixe Maziero, Cl´audia Robbi Slutter, Laura Sanchéz García and Cássio da Pieva Ehlers

This paper presents an evaluation of user interfaces of two Geographic Information Systems (GIS) tools, ArcView and Spring. This work is related to a specific characteristic of those interfaces, which is to allow the user to view a map. User interfaces were evaluated based on the main cognitive difficulties related to the execution and evaluation bridges employing a cognitive engineering approach and, complementarily, in accordance with the semiotics engineering parameter called "system communicability". Both evaluated systems are generally considered to be quite complex, not only in terms of understanding the interaction elements present in the interface, but also the knowledge embedded in the tasks that can be accomplished by these systems. Although the study described in this work was focused on a single task it confirmed the general opinion about these kinds of applications: a novice user cannot explore them without some assistance from an expert user or by studying books and manuals. Even an expert user usually faces significant difficulties using those GIS tools.

CONTEXT OF USE ANALYSIS - ACTIVITY CHECKLIST FOR VISUAL DATA MINING

Edwige Fangseu Badjio and François Poulet

In this paper, emphasis is placed on understanding how human behaviour interacts with visual data mining tools in order to improve their design and usefulness. Computer tools that are more useful assist users in achieving desired goals. Our objective is to highlight quality in context of use problems with existing VDM systems that need to be addressed in the design of new VDM systems. For this purpose, we defined a checklist based on activity theory. The responses provided by 15 potential users are summarised as design insights. The users respond to questions selected from the activity checklist. This paper describes the evaluation method and shares lessons learned from its application.

INTELLIGENT TUTORING SYSTEM: AN ASSESSMENT STRATEGY FOR TUTORING ON-LINE

Francesco Colace, Massimo De Santo and Mario Vento

In this paper we introduce a tutoring approach for E-Learning formative process. This approach is strictly related to the assessment phase. Assessment in the context of education is the process of characterizing what a student knows. The reasons to perform evaluation are quite varied, ranging from a need to informally understand student learning progress in a course to a need to characterize student expertise in a subject. Otherwise finding an appropriate assessment tool is a central challenge in designing a tutoring approach. In this paper we propose an assessment method based on the use of ontologies and their representation through a Bayesian Networks. The aim of our approach is the generation of adapted questionnaires in order to test the student’s knowledge in every phase of learning process. Analyzing the results of the evaluation an intelligent tutoring system can help students offering an effective support to learning process and adapting their learning paths.

INTELLIGENT TUTORING SYSTEM: A MODEL FOR STUDENT TRACKING

Francesco Colace, Massimo De Santo and Marcello Iacone

Thanks to the technological improvements of recent years, distance education today represents a real and effective tool for integrate and support the traditional formative processes. In literature it is widely recognized that an important component of this success is related with the ability “to customize” the learning process for the specific needs of a given learner. This ability is still far to have been reached and there is a lot of interest in investigating new approaches and tools to adapt the formative process on the specific individual needs. In this paper we present and discuss a model to capture information about learning style and capabilities of students; this information is successively used to select the most suitable learning objects and to arrange them in “adapted” learning paths

FACE RECOGNITION FROM SKETCHES USING ADVANCED CORRELATION FILTERS USING HYBRID EIGENANALYSIS FOR FACE SYNTHESIS

Yung-hui Li, Marios Savvides and Vijayakumar Bhagavatula

Most face recognition systems focus on photo-based (or video) face recognition, but there are many law-enforcement applications where a police sketch artist composes a face sketch of the criminal and that is used by the officers to looks for the criminal. Currently state-of-the-art research approach transforms all test face images into sketches then perform recognition on sketch domain using the sketch composite, however there is one flaw in such approach which hinders it from being deployed fully automatic in the field, due to the fact that generating a sketch image from a surveillance footage will vary greatly due to illumination variations of the face in the footage under different lighting conditions. This will result imprecise sketches for real time recognition. In our approach we propose the opposite which is a better approach; we propose to generate a realistic face image from the composite sketch using a Hybrid subspace method and then build an illumination tolerant correlation filter which can recognize the person under different illumination variations. We show experimental results on our approach on the CMU PIE (Pose Illumination and Expression) database on the effectiveness of our novel approach.

TOWARDS AN ONTOLOGY OF LMS - A CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

Gabriela Díaz-Antón and María A. Pérez

Learning Management Systems (LMS) are used widely to support training in an organization. Selecting and implementing an LMS can have an impact in cost, time and customer satisfaction in the organization. Due to the existence of a variety of definitions on the subject of elearning and LMS, it is necessary a conceptual framework using an ontology. This article presents a research in progress whose final objective is to develop a method to select, implement and integrate an LMS into an organization with a systemic quality approach. As a first step, in this article is presented an ontology to conceptualize the terms associated to LMS, unifying them through their relations.

AN EVALUATION OF A VISUAL QUERY LANGUAGE FOR INFORMATION SYSTEMS

Haifa Elsidani Elariss, Souheil Khaddaj and Ramzi Haraty

In recent years, many non-expert user applications have been developed to query Geographic Information Systems (GIS). GIS are also being used to browse and view data about space and time thus naming them spatio-temporal databases. Many approaches to querying spatio-temporal databases have been recently proposed. The Location Based Services which are considered as part of the spatio-temporal field, concern the user who asks questions related to his current position by using a mobile phone. Our research aims at designing and developing an Intelligent Visual Query Language (IVQL) that allows users to query databases based on their location. The databases are installed on a GIS server computer. The queries are sent to the server from a mobile phone through the Short Messages System (SMS). With the emerging Globalization of user interfaces, IVQL is meant to have a global and international user interface that could be understood by all users worldwide who are from different countries with different cultures and languages. We propose a user interface consisting of smiley icons that are used to represent and build an international query language. Smiley icons enable the users to access data and build queries easily and in a user-friendly way. A query is formulated by means of selecting the smiley icon that represents the operation to be executed then selecting the theme or object to be found. IVQL is an expandable language. It can include as many icons as needed whether they represent themes or objects. Hence, IVQL is considered to be an intelligent query language. The visual query language and its user interface are explained. The IVQL model is described. The query formulation is illustrated using a sample GIS system for tourists. The IVQL user interface and query formulation can be applied to other fields such as Management Information Systems specifically in Customer Relationship Management, air traffic and bioinformatics. We then conclude about our future work.

A FUZZY-BASED DISTANCE TO IMPROVE EMPIRICAL METHODS FOR MENU CLUSTERING

Cristina Coppola, Gennaro Costagliola, Sergio Di Martino, Filomena Ferrucci and Tiziana Pacelli

An effective menu organization is fundamental to obtain usable applications. A common practice to achieve this is to adopt empirical methods in the menu design phase, by requesting a number of intended final users to provide their ideal tasks arrangements. However, to improve the effectiveness of this approach, it is necessary to filter results, by identifying and discarding data coming from subjects whose mental models are too weak on the considered domain. To this aim, in the paper, we propose a formal tool suited to support menu designers, which is based on a fuzzy-based distance we defined. This measure can be easily calculated on the empirical datasets, thanks to a specifically conceived supporting application we developed. As a result, by exploiting the proposed solution, menu designers can rely on a formal tool to evaluate significance of empirical data, thus leading towards more effective menu clustering.

AUTOMATIC FEEDBACK GENERATION - USING ONTOLOGY IN AN INTELLIGENT TUTORING SYSTEM FOR BOTH LEARNER AND AUTHOR BASED ON STUDENT MODEL

Pooya Bakhtyari

One of the essential elements needed for effective learning is feedback. Feedback can be given to learners during learning but also to authors during course development. But producing valuable feedback is often time consuming and makes delays. So with this reason and the others like incomplete and inaccurate feedback generating by human, we think that it’s a good idea if we could generate feedback automatically for both learner and author in an intelligent tutoring system (ITS) that is one of the main tutoring and guidance tool in these systems. For the development of these mechanisms, we used ontology to create a rich supply of feedback. We designed all components of the ITS like course materials and learner model based on ontology to share common understanding of the structure of information among other software agents and make it easier to analyze the domain knowledge. With ontologies we specify (1) the knowledge to be learned (domain and task knowledge) and (2) how the knowledge should be learned (education). We add all the fa