Journal of Integrated Design and Process Science - Volume 3, issue 1

Authors: Philippe, A. | Marc, D. | Philippe, R.

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: The use of CSCW is growing as much as communication and coordination between applications are needed. But technologies to develop such applications are not finalized and not satisfaying. So, after our works on Active DBMS, we decided to focus our researches on how to develop an Active DMBS for the cooperative work. We decide to include the notion of groups and modules to realize cooperative applications. These notions are integrated with the concept of a Active …DBMS for the cooperative work. Our mechanisms are general enough to be adapted to any kind of cooperative applications, for example, it allows to develop active interfaces (Diaz, 1994). Show more

Citation: Journal of Integrated Design & Process Science, vol. 3, no. 1, pp. 1-14, 1999

Authors: Beckstein, C. | Klausner, J.

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: Current workflow management systems still lack some important features, esp. intelligent failure handling mechanisms. This is due to the static and only implicitly defined meta model of these systems. We argue that intelligent failure handling needs semantically enriched workflow models. We, therefore, propose a meta level architecture for WFMSs providing an explicit and dynamic meta model. This complex architecture is supported by an intelligent assistant based on established AI techniques. The system uses a …plan representation for workflow models. With this representation the system is not only able to do intelligent failure handling, but can also support the workflow modelling and execution processes. Show more

Citation: Journal of Integrated Design & Process Science, vol. 3, no. 1, pp. 15-26, 1999

Authors: Ramfos, A. | Busse, R. | Platis, N. | Fankhauser, P.

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: The evolving developments of the recent decades in information management have resulted in a situation where information is stored and managed by a large variety of systems around the globe. The growing requirement for information support to the globalised social and economic forces makes efficient and effective availability of distributed information and the correlation of relevant data a pressing business need. The most recent CORBA standard of the Object Management Group provides standardised interfaces for …accessing remote data but the task of collecting and correlating the relevant, heterogeneous sources is still left over to the human user. The presented work proposes a CORBA-based Data Integration Framework with which data is integrated and offered to users according to their application needs. This framework is composed of two CORBA horizontal facilities, the design-time Object Composition Facility, which supports the data integration process, and the run-time Composed Access Facility which, based on the previously defined data integration, performs all required distributed accesses transparently to the users. Show more

Citation: Journal of Integrated Design & Process Science, vol. 3, no. 1, pp. 27-41, 1999

Authors: Dignum, F. | Houben, G. J.

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: This paper describes a new approach to design modern information systems that offer an integrated access to the data and knowledge that is available in local applications. By integrating the local data management activities into one transparent information distribution process, modern organizations can offer better support for its workers in the execution and coordination of their work activities. Observing practical applications of decentralized, autonomous and heterogeneous information systems we see deficiencies in …currently available approaches to model such information systems. They do not acknowledge the pivotal role that (informal) communicating workers play in the context of an entire organization. The interaction between the members of social and informal groups of employees makes it possible that (in many of todays information-intensive enterprises) the local structured procedures can be effectively and flexibly integrated into global work processes supporting the business goals. Traditional design techniques concentrate on either the structured local procedures (and its local database applications), the structured global process (and its global business goals), or the informal (less structured) communication between individuals. We suggest to combine an activity-based model (suited to describe the structured parts of the processes) with a goal- or conversation-based model to tie the different elements together. Using an agent architecture we show that it is possible to implement this integrated approach. The different types of cooperating agents support the individual workers by assessing the goal of the activity, the applicability of the standard procedure, and the availability of alternative knowledge and information in order to supply the necessary information. Show more

Citation: Journal of Integrated Design & Process Science, vol. 3, no. 1, pp. 43-53, 1999

Authors: Bonifati, A. | Palopoli, L. | Saccà, D. | Ursino, D.

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: This paper deals with the derivation of complex properties relating objects belonging to a set of database schemes and the exploitation of derived properties in query optimization and view maintenance problems. The derivation process has an iterative nature and works by case analysis over database schemes, in a way somehow similar to the way knowledge discovery processes behave on database extensions: for this reason, we call it Intentional Knowledge Discovery. Complex properties have a fuzzy nature …and are represented and manipulated using a fuzzy variant of Description Logics. The paper presents detailed descriptions of procedures used to derive complex properties. As far as applications are concerned, the paper illustrates several query optimization cases and a view maintenance algorithm both based on the availability of extracted complex properties. Show more

Citation: Journal of Integrated Design & Process Science, vol. 3, no. 1, pp. 55-78, 1999