OASIS XML Interchange Language (XMILE) for System Dynamics Technical Committee

The official charter for this Technical Committee is provided below. (For additional information, see the Call for Participation that was issued when this TC was formed.)

  1. Name of the TC

    OASIS XML Interchange Language (XMILE) for System Dynamics Technical Committee

  2. Statement of Purpose

    The purpose of the XML Interchange Language (XMILE) for System Dynamics (SD) Technical Committee (TC) is to define an open XML protocol for the sharing, interoperability, and reuse of SD models and simulations. System Dynamics is an interactive environment for simulating the impact of policy on complex ecosystems. The benefits of this standard are:

    • SD models can be re-used with Big Data sets to show how different policies produce different outcomes in complex environments.
    • Models can be stored in cloud-based libraries, shared within and between organizations, and used to communicate different outcomes with common vocabulary.
    • Model components can be re-used and plugged into other simulations.
    • It will allow the creation of online repositories modeling many common business decisions.
    • It will increase acceptance and use of System Dynamics as a discipline
    • It will help ISVs make new tools that help businesses to develop and understand models and simulations.
    • It will enable vendors to develop standards-based applications for new markets such as mobile and social media.
  3. Scope of Work

    The TC will accept as input the following SMILE and XMILE specifications published on 7 June 2013:

    http://www.iseesystems.com/community/support/SMILEv4.pdf
    http://www.iseesystems.com/community/support/XMILEv4.pdf

    SMILE is a descriptive language based on Dynamo that allows people to create System Dynamic models and components. XMILE is a specification that encodes SMILE in XML.

    Features of SMILE include:

    • A language for simulation of SD models
    • A core feature set for representing stock-flow diagrams of SD models

    Features of XMILE include:

    • A representation for simulation of SD models, in accordance with SMILE, including macro capabilities to both describe and implement vendor-unique language features (level 1)
    • A representation of the stock-flow diagrams of SD models, in accordance with SMILE (level 2)
    • A representation (level 3) of:
      • Output devices for displaying data, such as graphs and tables,
      • Input devices to allow the building of management flight simulators, and
      • Model and flight simulator annotations such as text boxes and pictures

    The TC will refine these initial contributions to produce OASIS Standard versions of the SMILE and XMILE specifications, including necessary supporting documentation.

    The scope of the TC’s work is limited to technical refinements to the features defined in the input contributions. Modest extensions to the SMILE language that substantively increase the interoperability of SD models between vendors, together with their renderings in XMILE, will also be considered. However, the TC’s main focus is to refine the functionality presented in the input documents. Other contributions will be collected and can be considered in subsequent versions of the standard.

    Out of scope: Any work not reasonably covered by the Scope of Work is deemed to be out of scope. Renderings of SMILE that do not use XML are deemed to be out of scope.

  4. Deliverables

    The TC will produce OASIS Standard versions of both the SMILE and XMILE specifications within 12 to 16 months of the first meeting. The TC may optionally deliver white papers, orientation materials, tutorials, and such other non-normative content as may be useful to the community.

    Maintenance

    Once the TC has successfully produced the deliverables, the TC will enter into a maintenance mode. The purpose of the maintenance mode is to provide minor revisions to previously adopted deliverables, to clarify ambiguities, inconsistencies, and obvious errors. The maintenance mode will not functionally enhance a previously adopted deliverable, or extend its functionality.

  5. IPR Mode

    The committee will operate under the Non-Assertion IPR mode as defined in the OASIS Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Policy effective 21 June 2012.

  6. Anticipated Audience

    The anticipated audience for this work includes:

    • Vendors of SD software, Big Data, cloud, mobile, and social media solutions.
    • End users of and of the above who implement solutions that require interoperability between SD models and other systems.
    • Consultants, educators, and interested parties.
  7. Language

    The TC will conduct its business in English. The output documents will be written in (US) English.