Researchers in software engineering proposed design method for distributed applications to construct a set of communicating system components from a global behavior. The joint behaviors of these components must precisely satisfy the specified global behavior. The next concern is to transform the constructed models of these components into executable business processes by ensuring the exchange of asynchronous messages among the generated business processes. The introduction of Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) has helped to achieve this goal. SOA provides high flexibility in composing loosely-integrated services that can be used among business domains to carry out business transactions; this composition is known as service orchestration. Moreover, SOA supports Model Driven Architecture (MDA) such that services modeled as UML Activity Diagrams (AD) can be transformed into a set of Business Execution Language (BPEL) processes. Many researchers discussed the transformation of UML AD and the Business Process Modeling Notation (BPMN) into BPEL. However, they did not discuss the practical limitations that some of these transformations impose. This thesis addresses the imitations of the transformation from UML AD to BPEL processes using the IBM Rational Software Architect (RSA). We showed here that the tool is unable to create the correct BPEL artifacts from UML AD components in certain cases, for instance when the behavior includes the alternative for receiving single or concurrent messages, a weak loop, or certain choice activities. Furthermore, we provided novel solutions to the transformations in these cases in order to facilitate the transformation from UML AD to BPEL.

Virtual Organizations (VO)—a network of independent organizations collaborating to address specific business opportunities—have become popular in today’s technology driven business environment. Due to their autonomous and interdependent nature, management of collaboration among such organizations is a challenging task. Although many solutions have been proposed over the past two decades to support inter-organizational interactions, VOs still face several challenges due to their dynamic and temporal nature that cannot be addressed by traditional solutions such as ebXML, RosettaNet and EDI. In this research, we present a framework for process management in service oriented virtual organizations and a distributed architecture for a flexible infrastructure that supports collaborative business process execution, monitoring and management. The framework contains 6 layers with multiple components within each layer. In designing the components of the framework, standard reference architecture such as the Open-EDI reference model and the S3 service oriented architecture, as well as best practices such as ITIL V3 and PMBOK are used. The infrastructure supports the common topologies of inter-organizational collaboration (e.g. peer-to-peer, star, linear), and responds well to changes due to its loosely coupled components. The proposed infrastructure is based on federating multiple SOA infrastructures with the Enterprise Service Bus (ESB) as its core. It is implemented using IBM WebSphere ™ products. We demonstrate that VOs built with our framework and implementation architecture facilitate flexibility, rapid process integration and dynamic evolution.

Management of Virtual Organizations faces new challenges that traditional approaches cannot address. This research proposes a performance measurement framework for service oriented virtual organizations including a structural and a procedural component. The structural framework aligns the activities of partners in a virtual organization at three different layers. The first layer is designed for partners’ strategic alignment through coordination of the value creation network. In the second layer, performance dimensions of partners’ collaboration are defined and mapped to the service choreography model. The third layer focuses on assessing effectiveness and efficiency of partners’ domain specific services, which is designed based on ITIL V3 service level management guidelines. In order to consolidate the structural framework, these three layers are integrated using a method for extracting service choreography model and SLA aggregation patterns from the value network. The procedural framework, on the other side, defines the processes required to design the KPI structure, implement the solution, communicate the results, and derive improvements. We propose an implementation architecture that enables inter-organizational performance management in collaborative environments. Then, the IBM products for business process and performance management (IBM BPM, Business Monitor, and Cognos BI) are employed to implement the proposed architecture. The conceptual framework along with the implementation architecture provides an integrated solution for decentralized performance measurement without the need for a central authority. We demonstrate that the proposed solution enhances flexibility, scalability, and interoperability, and supports transparency of partners’ performance information at an agreed-upon level as a basis for mutual trust.

Thesis (M.S. in Modeling, Virtual Environments and Simulation (MOVES))--Naval Postgraduate School, December 2008. / Thesis Advisor(s): Brutzman, Don. "December 2008." Description based on title screen as viewed on 28 January 2009. Includes bibliographical references (p. 181-183). Also available in print.

<p>To support the difficult process of SOA adoption, SOA maturity models are published.</p><p>In this thesis a literature analysis introduces the area of SOA maturity models and highlights benefits and criticism.</p><p>As a result, the combined SOA maturity model (CSOAMM), a model to facilitate the interpretation and comparison of SOA maturity models, is proposed.</p><p>CSOAMM is a model with 10 levels that describes SOA maturity by combining level characteristics of two recently published maturity models: SIMM and SOAMM.</p><p>CSOAMM was created by a comparative analysis in combination with a relational content analysis.</p><p>The model can be used for collaboration between companies and points out that a common understanding of SOA adoption exists.</p>

Το αντικείμενο που πραγματεύεται είναι η χρήση τεχνικών και τεχνολογιών υπηρεσιοστραφούς αρχιτεκτονικής και σημασιολογικού ιστού περιλαμβάνοντας κανόνες σημασιολογίας και κατανεμημένου λογισμικού για την κάθετη ολοκλήρωση και ανάπτυξη προσβάσιμων επιχειρησιακών συστημάτων. Επομένως, η παρούσα διατριβή εστιάζει αφενός με την ολοκλήρωση ετερογενών συστημάτων μέσω της χρήσης μεθόδων και τεχνικών σημασιολογικής ολοκλήρωσης και υπηρεσιοστραφούς αρχιτεκτονικής και αφετέρου με την εισαγωγή μιας πρωτότυπης μεθοδολογίας για την ολοκλήρωση προτύπων και τεχνικών προσβασιμότητας προκειμένου να παραχθούν προσβάσιμα διαδικτυακά συστήματα για άτομα με κάθε μορφής αναπηρία. Μέρος της διατριβής αυτή έγινε στα πλαίσια του FP7 Ερευνητικού Προγράμματος με τίτλο ‘Accessibility Assessment Simulation Environment for New Applications Design and Development (ACCESSIBLE) καθώς και στα πλαίσια σχετικών συμβάσεων με την Νομαρχιακή Αυτοδιοίκηση Αχαΐας. / This Phd Thesis presents the usage of Service Oriented Technologies and techniques for the development of an hybrid top-down integrated framework that can be utilized for the integration of heterogeneous systems and the introduction of accessibility features. Taking into account the requirements of the successful deployment of semantic Web technologies regarding off-the-shelf and easy to use semantic SWRL and SPARQL rules and querry tools, the proposed muti-dimensional Framework should be capable of meeting the demands of different users. With the presented Framework, which allows for the selection of suitable matching approaches between well known tools and methodologies, we intend to contribute to the tackling of real world challenges and scenarios, with the aim of ensuring seamless interoperability and integration of different systems. Furthermore, the presented framework facilitates, for the first time, the development of an innovative methodology for the integration of international standards and appropriate techniques, in order to create accessible Web applications and systems. This thesis was partially supported by the European FP7 Research project ACCESSIBLE - Accessibility Assessment Simulation Environment for New Applications Design and Development as well as different contracts with prefecture of Achaia.

Os requisitos de manufatura industrial apontam uma necessidade de reconfiguração e reprogramação do fluxo de processo, a fim de atender modificações no produto com as mudanças dos requisitos de mercado. Estas mudanças implicam em alterações no processo de fabricação, o que, em muitos casos, significa alterar o leiaute, reprogramar controladores, modificar acoplamentos e interfaceamentos, etc. Os tamanhos dos lotes de produção estão ficando menores e a variedade de produtos em uma mesma linha tem aumentado. Isto torna o tempo de preparação dos dispositivos de manufatura fator crucial na formação do custo final. Dispositivos com mais autonomia, capazes de se autogerenciar e que permitam uma troca rápida de funcionalidades passam a serem desejados em um ambiente de manufatura, onde os sistemas convencionais com programação centralizada, sequência definida no controlador central e arranjo de funcionalidades fixas deixam a desejar. Orientação a serviços é um conceito que propõe a descentralização do controle e a disposição de componentes de forma a se agruparem virtualmente e formar novos dispositivos, com novas funcionalidades, otimizando investimento, recurso e tempo de produção. Nesta abordagem os equipamentos passam a se comportar como agentes de manufatura, em um universo de multi-agentes, que negociam entre si o processo requerido, propiciando o atendimento à variação de produto e dispondo de um número maior de funcionalidades, o que reduz o tempo de troca de processos. Um estudo de caso de um sistema orientado a serviços, sob uma plataforma multi-agentes, é proposto neste trabalho, buscando fornecer subsídios para a análise de desempenho e potencialidades deste conceito. / The industrial manufacturing requirements indicate a need for reconfiguration and reprogramming of process flow in order to meet changes in the product with the changing market requirements. These changes imply changes in the manufacturing process, which in many cases, means changing the layout, reprogram controllers, modify interfaces and couplings etc. The production lot sizes are getting smaller and the variety of products in the same line has increased. This makes the preparation time of manufacturing devices crucial factor in the formation of the final cost. Devices with more autonomy, able to manage themselves and allow a rapid exchange of features are to be desired in a manufacturing environment, where conventional systems with centralized scheduling, sequence defined in the central controller and array of features still fall short. Service orientation is a concept that proposes to decentralize the control and disposition of components in order to regroup virtually and form new devices with new features, optimizing investment, resource and production time. In this approach the devices start to act as agents of manufacturing, in a universe of multi-agents, who negotiate among themselves the process required, providing care for the product variation and having a greater number of features, which reduces the switching time processes. A case study of system-oriented services, under a multi-agent platform is proposed in this work, aiming to provide tools for performance analysis and potential of the concept.

Sistemas embarcados, em especial aqueles utilizados em robótica, apresentam, em sua estrutura, uma multiplicidade de dispositivos que resultam em uma arquitetura bastante heterogênea e bem distribuída. Para auxiliar na resolução dessa complexidade inerente, este trabalho resgata os conceitos de frameworks, buscando na sua integração e modelo conceitual, desenvolver um conjunto de ferramentas que gerencia a mediação entre sistemas embarcados e demais aplicações de software, fornecendo bibliotecas e componentes reutilizáveis para aplicações na robótica. Propõe-se utilizar framework e middleware de sistemas open-source para integração entre a plataforma de software e hardware. Um dos objetivos do projeto é criar um framework multi-plataforma com diferentes tipos de serviços para o de desenvolvimento de aplicações no campo da robótica. O projeto tem como estudo de caso sistemas embarcados aplicados em robótica móvel e tecnologia assistiva. / Embedded systems, especially those used in robotics, present in its structure, a plurality of devices that result in a very heterogeneous and well distributed architecture. To help resolve this inherent complexity, the work rescues the concepts of frameworks, seeking their integration and conceptual model, develop a set of tools that manage to mediate between embedded systems and other of software applications, providing reusable libraries and components for applications in robotics. It is proposed to use framework and middleware systems open source for integration between the platform software and hardware. One of the project objectives is to create a multi-platform framework with different types of services, considering the programming and compatibility with hardware for the development of applications in the field of robotics. The project’s case study developing embedded applied in mobile and Assistive Technology robotics.

abstract: Nowadays, Computing is so pervasive that it has become indeed the 5th utility (after water, electricity, gas, telephony) as Leonard Kleinrock once envisioned. Evolved from utility computing, cloud computing has emerged as a computing infrastructure that enables rapid delivery of computing resources as a utility in a dynamically scalable, virtualized manner. However, the current industrial cloud computing implementations promote segregation among different cloud providers, which leads to user lockdown because of prohibitive migration cost. On the other hand, Service-Orented Computing (SOC) including service-oriented architecture (SOA) and Web Services (WS) promote standardization and openness with its enabling standards and communication protocols. This thesis proposes a Service-Oriented Cloud Computing Architecture by combining the best attributes of the two paradigms to promote an open, interoperable environment for cloud computing development. Mutil-tenancy SaaS applicantions built on top of SOCCA have more flexibility and are not locked down by a certain platform. Tenants residing on a multi-tenant application appear to be the sole owner of the application and not aware of the existence of others. A multi-tenant SaaS application accommodates each tenant’s unique requirements by allowing tenant-level customization. A complex SaaS application that supports hundreds, even thousands of tenants could have hundreds of customization points with each of them providing multiple options, and this could result in a huge number of ways to customize the application. This dissertation also proposes innovative customization approaches, which studies similar tenants’ customization choices and each individual users behaviors, then provides guided semi-automated customization process for the future tenants. A semi-automated customization process could enable tenants to quickly implement the customization that best suits their business needs. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Computer Science 2016

Os requisitos de manufatura industrial apontam uma necessidade de reconfiguração e reprogramação do fluxo de processo, a fim de atender modificações no produto com as mudanças dos requisitos de mercado. Estas mudanças implicam em alterações no processo de fabricação, o que, em muitos casos, significa alterar o leiaute, reprogramar controladores, modificar acoplamentos e interfaceamentos, etc. Os tamanhos dos lotes de produção estão ficando menores e a variedade de produtos em uma mesma linha tem aumentado. Isto torna o tempo de preparação dos dispositivos de manufatura fator crucial na formação do custo final. Dispositivos com mais autonomia, capazes de se autogerenciar e que permitam uma troca rápida de funcionalidades passam a serem desejados em um ambiente de manufatura, onde os sistemas convencionais com programação centralizada, sequência definida no controlador central e arranjo de funcionalidades fixas deixam a desejar. Orientação a serviços é um conceito que propõe a descentralização do controle e a disposição de componentes de forma a se agruparem virtualmente e formar novos dispositivos, com novas funcionalidades, otimizando investimento, recurso e tempo de produção. Nesta abordagem os equipamentos passam a se comportar como agentes de manufatura, em um universo de multi-agentes, que negociam entre si o processo requerido, propiciando o atendimento à variação de produto e dispondo de um número maior de funcionalidades, o que reduz o tempo de troca de processos. Um estudo de caso de um sistema orientado a serviços, sob uma plataforma multi-agentes, é proposto neste trabalho, buscando fornecer subsídios para a análise de desempenho e potencialidades deste conceito. / The industrial manufacturing requirements indicate a need for reconfiguration and reprogramming of process flow in order to meet changes in the product with the changing market requirements. These changes imply changes in the manufacturing process, which in many cases, means changing the layout, reprogram controllers, modify interfaces and couplings etc. The production lot sizes are getting smaller and the variety of products in the same line has increased. This makes the preparation time of manufacturing devices crucial factor in the formation of the final cost. Devices with more autonomy, able to manage themselves and allow a rapid exchange of features are to be desired in a manufacturing environment, where conventional systems with centralized scheduling, sequence defined in the central controller and array of features still fall short. Service orientation is a concept that proposes to decentralize the control and disposition of components in order to regroup virtually and form new devices with new features, optimizing investment, resource and production time. In this approach the devices start to act as agents of manufacturing, in a universe of multi-agents, who negotiate among themselves the process required, providing care for the product variation and having a greater number of features, which reduces the switching time processes. A case study of system-oriented services, under a multi-agent platform is proposed in this work, aiming to provide tools for performance analysis and potential of the concept.