Semantic Mediation between Loosely Coupled Information Models in Service-Oriented Architectures

Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)

• Abstract
• Zusammenfassung
• Preface
• 1. Introduction
• 1.1 Motivation
• 1.2 Objectives and Goals
• 1.3 Research Approach and Structure of the Thesis
• 1.4 Related Work
• 2. Conceptual Foundations
• 2.1 Interoperability and Semantic Interoperability
• 2.1.1 Interoperability Framework
• 2.1.2 Semantic Interoperability and Information Models
• 2.2 Service-Oriented Architecture
• 2.2.1 SOA Architecture
• 2.2.2 SOA Design Principles
• 2.2.3 SOA Standards and Technologies
• 2.3 Loose Coupling
• 2.3.1 Benefits of Loose Coupling
• 2.3.2 Characteristics of Loose Coupling
• 2.3.3 Loose Coupling in SOA
• 2.4 Semantic Technologies
• 2.4.1 Ontologies and Description Logics
• 2.4.2 Rule-Based Semantic Reasoning
• 3. Semantic Interoperability in SOA
• 3.1 Semantic Interoperability Approaches
• 3.1.1 Global Ontologies
• 3.1.2 Ontology Mapping
• 3.1.3 Semantic Brokers
• 3.1.4 Federated Ontologies
• 3.2 Challenges and Requirements for Semantic Interoperability in SOA
• 3.2.1 Heterogeneity
• 3.2.2 Distributed Environments
• 3.2.3 Organizational Boundaries
• 3.2.4 Scalability
• 3.2.5 Maintainability
• 3.3 Analysis of Existing Approaches
• 3.3.1 Global Ontology Approach
• 3.3.2 Ontology Mapping Approach
• 3.3.3 Semantic Broker Approach
• 3.3.4 Federated Ontology Approach
• 4. Semantic Mediation: A Concept for Loosely Coupled Information Models
• 4.1 Introduction
• 4.2 Conceptual Framework
• 4.2.1 Principle of Loose Coupling Applied to Information Models
• 4.2.2 Loosely Coupled Information Models in SOA
• 4.3 Semantic Mediation Mechanism
• 4.3.1 Rule-Based Semantic Bridges
• 4.3.2 Self-Contained Domain Ontologies
• 4.3.3 Facet Analysis Classification
• 4.3.4 Declarative Entity Manipulation
• 4.4 Implementation of Semantic Mediation
• 4.4.1 Semantic Mediation Toolkit
• 4.4.2 Implementation of Semantic Bridges
• 4.4.3 Implementation of Domain Ontologies
• 4.4.4 Semantic Mediation Methodology
• 4.5 Evaluation of the Semantic Mediation Concept
• 4.5.1 Effectiveness of Semantic Mediation
• 4.5.2 Efficiency of Semantic Mediation
• 5. Semantic Mediation in Practice: Case Study and Results
• 5.1 Introduction
• 5.2 Case Study: Distributed Organization
• 5.2.1 Scenario Description
• 5.2.2 Business Processes and Information Models
• 5.3 Implementation of Semantic Mediation
• 5.3.1 Modeling of Semantic Bridges
• 5.3.2 Implementation of Domain Ontologies
• 5.4 Evaluation of the Semantic Mediation Approach
• 5.4.1 Effectiveness of Semantic Mediation
• 5.4.2 Efficiency of Semantic Mediation
• 6. Conclusions and Future Work
• 6.1 Summary of Contributions
• 6.2 Future Research Directions

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)

This dissertation focuses on the development of a semantic interoperability approach for service-oriented architectures (SOA) based on the principle of loose coupling. The aim is to reduce complexity and improve efficiency in semantic system integration by enabling semantic mediation between loosely coupled information models.

• Semantic interoperability in SOA
• Loose coupling in information models
• Semantic mediation mechanism
• Application of semantic technologies
• Evaluation of the developed approach

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)

• Chapter 1: This chapter introduces the motivation behind this dissertation, outlines the research objectives and goals, presents the chosen research approach and structure of the thesis, and discusses related work in the field of semantic interoperability in SOA.
• Chapter 2: This chapter provides the conceptual foundations for the dissertation. It covers topics such as interoperability and semantic interoperability, the concept of service-oriented architectures (SOA), the principle of loose coupling, and a brief overview of relevant semantic technologies.
• Chapter 3: This chapter focuses on semantic interoperability in SOA, discussing various approaches and their challenges. It also presents an analysis of existing approaches, highlighting their strengths and weaknesses.
• Chapter 4: This chapter introduces the concept of semantic mediation between loosely coupled information models. It outlines the conceptual framework for this approach, describes the semantic mediation mechanism, and discusses its implementation and evaluation.
• Chapter 5: This chapter presents a case study demonstrating the practical application of the developed semantic mediation approach. It discusses the implementation of the approach in a distributed organization and evaluates its effectiveness and efficiency.

Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)

This dissertation explores the key concepts of semantic interoperability, loose coupling, information models, ontologies, description logics, rule-based reasoning, and semantic mediation. It aims to develop a practical and efficient approach for achieving semantic interoperability in large-scale SOA landscapes, focusing on the use of semantic technologies to manage and integrate heterogeneous information systems.