RE: [dcml-frame] Groups - New Action Item #0001 Fred to write up a proposal for ...

["Cummins, Fred A" <fred.cummins@eds.com>]

Here are my thoughts on changing the DCML modeling approach from OWL/RDF to
object-oriented using UML.  I thought it more important to get these ideas
communicated than to put them into a pretty format.

OWL and ontology disciplines are still evolving.  The purpose of this
technology is to model concepts as they exist in the real world.  Such
models may become extremely complex because they are modeling for all
possible uses of the concepts.  The underlying language (OWL) must be able
to express the complexities of relationships and ambiguities that exist in
the real world.  

In the DCML development context, OWL models are likely to be unbounded and
consume much effort without producing practical results to support improved
systems management.  In addition, it would still be necessary to define
abstractions of such models in order to develop applications/tools to use
DCML and to express the appropriate data in the form of XML documents for
exchange.

DCML does not require such sophisticated models. DCML has a defined domain
to address--hardware and software that comprise computer and communications
systems, and associated systems management events.  DCML will be used by
computer systems to communicate systems management data.  

Object-oriented models provide a practical form of representation of the
real world for the purpose of developing modeling, management and analysis
tools and applications.  Object-oriented models support inheritance and
polymorhism (substitution of alternative specializations) to facilitate
on-going development and refinement of the DCML model and associated tools
and applications.  An object oriented model of data relevant to DCML and
systems management will be sufficiently robust to form the basis for
consistent definition of XML docuements to be exchanged between tools and
systems.

CIM and WSDM define a data model and interfaces, respectively, for systems
management of computer systems.  Considerable work has been invested in
these specifications and should be used as a foundation for DCML.  Both of
these specifications are based on object-oriented models, and WSDM uses
these models as the basis for specification of XML documents for exchange of
system management information.  Using UML, these specifications can be
leveraged with minimal investment in interpretation and re-specification.

UML is a widely accepted object-oriented modeling language and notation with
generally available tools.  A large body of developers are familiar with and
comfortable using UML.  UML technology will soon also include specifications
for model transformations.

In the long term, it will be desirable for UML tools to produce
configuration specifications for the applications they specify.  This will
likely involve the transformation of application models to deployment models
for input to specialized tools to enable configuration specialists to
appropriately configure and optimize the performance of the applications in
a particular production environment.  The output from these models should be
DCML deployment/provisioning specifications.

Most of the tools, systems and applications involved in systems management
will be implemented with object-oriented technology.  Some will be modeling
tools based on UML technology (implemented with object-oriented technology).
In the context of communicating information between object oriented
applications for a particular purpose, mapping from the object-oriented
representation to XML is relatively straightforward.  Because in most cases
the data exchange is for a particular purpose, only a segment of the overall
model and a subset of the relationships will be expressed in an XML
document.

Fred

 

> -----Original Message-----
> From: howes@opsware.com [mailto:howes@opsware.com]
> Sent: Tuesday, February 15, 2005 12:53 PM
> To: dcml-frame@lists.oasis-open.org
> Subject: [dcml-frame] Groups - New Action Item #0001 Fred to 
> write up a
> proposal for ...
> 
> 
> 
> OASIS DCML Framework TC member,
> 
> Dr Tim Howes has created a new action item.
> 
> Number: #0001
> Description: Fred to write up a proposal for ...
> Owner: Mr Fred Cummins
> Due: 01 Mar 2005
> 
> Comments:
> 
> 
> View Details:
> http://www.oasis-open.org/apps/org/workgroup/dcml-frame/member
s/action_item.php?action_item_id=843



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