Ontologies and Software Modeling: Potentials, Experience and Challenges Dragan Ga šević Athabasca University Email: dgasevic@acm.org

(How) Are ontologies and MDE related?

Topics to discuss about Ontologies and MDE Modeling spaces Integrating ontologies and MDE Trends and challenges Conclusion

Ontologies and MDE

Modeling spaces

Integrating ontologies and MDE

Trends and challenges

Conclusion

Part I Ontologies and MDE - Basics -

Part I

Ontologies and MDE

- Basics -

Semantic Web To create a universal medium for the exchange of data. … to smoothly interconnect personal information management, enterprise application integration and the global sharing of commercial, scientific and cultural data. Semantic Web Activity Statement http://www.w3.org/2001/sw/Activity

To create a universal medium for the exchange of data.

… to smoothly interconnect personal information management, enterprise application integration and the global sharing of commercial, scientific and cultural data.

Semantic Web Activity Statement http://www.w3.org/2001/sw/Activity

RDF

What is an ontology? Important definition ( Hendler, 2001 ) a set of knowledge terms, including vocabulary semantic interconnections some simple rules of inference and logic for some particular topic

Important definition ( Hendler, 2001 )

a set of knowledge terms, including

vocabulary

semantic interconnections

some simple rules of inference and logic for some particular topic

Semantic Web Ontologies: Interconnecting applications Shared domain conceptualizations

Ontologies: Interconnecting applications

Shared domain conceptualizations

Ontology languages enable reasoning! Not ontologies per se.

Model-Driven Engineering Rising level of abstraction From platform specific low-level details Domain-specific modeling languages Language engineering by using metamodeling Model transformations Model to model Model to text and text to model

Rising level of abstraction

From platform specific low-level details

Domain-specific modeling languages

Language engineering by using metamodeling

Model transformations

Model to model

Model to text and text to model

Metamodels and Models Model a set of statements about a SUS Metamodel is a model of a modeling language, or makes statements about what can be expressed in the valid models of a certain modeling language

Model

a set of statements about a SUS

Metamodel

is a model of a modeling language, or

makes statements about what can be expressed in the valid models of a certain modeling language

Ontologies are models & OWL is a modeling language

Part II Modeling Spaces

Part II

Modeling Spaces

Modeling spaces Well-known examples

Well-known examples

Modeling spaces EBNF MS “in the eyes of” MOF MS Everything is in the real world! We just use a convention to put some things in layers

EBNF MS “in the eyes of” MOF MS

Relations among Modeling Spaces Two types of modeling spaces Orthogonal spaces One MS is represented in another MS In round-trip engineering to facilitate different stages of modeling some system Java grammar and Java metamodel

Two types of modeling spaces

Orthogonal spaces

One MS is represented in another MS

In round-trip engineering to facilitate different stages of modeling some system

Java grammar and Java metamodel

Relations among Modeling Spaces Two types of modeling spaces Parallel spaces One MS models the same set of real-world things as another MS, but in another way RDF(S) ontologies and MOF-based models

Two types of modeling spaces

Parallel spaces

One MS models the same set of real-world things as another MS, but in another way

RDF(S) ontologies and MOF-based models

Relations among Modeling Spaces Parallel MS Orthogonal MS

Technical Spaces A working context Includes various related modeling spaces Typically, built around one mod. space MDA TS – MOF, EBNF, RDF(S)

A working context

Includes various related modeling spaces

Typically, built around one mod. space

MDA TS – MOF, EBNF, RDF(S)

Semantic Web Technical Space Overlapping TS through different MS

Overlapping TS through different MS

Enough theory! Some beef, please?!

Part III Integrating Ontologies and MDE

Part III

Integrating Ontologies and MDE

Integrating MDE and ontologies Language descriptions (M2) Metamodels for ontology languages - ODM Ontologies for language descriptions Integrating at the model level (M1)

Language descriptions (M2)

Metamodels for ontology languages - ODM

Ontologies for language descriptions

Integrating at the model level (M1)

Ontology Definition Metamodel

Ontology Definition Metamodel What it is useful for? MDE tooling support for ontologies Frameworks such as EMF Model transformations such as QVT

What it is useful for?

MDE tooling support for ontologies

Frameworks such as EMF

Model transformations such as QVT

ODM Tooling Integrated Ontology Development Toolkit

Integrated Ontology Development Toolkit

ODM Tooling Integrated Ontology Development Toolkit No support for set operators instance editing capabilities work with multiple ontologies No clear connection with reasoners to support ontology development

Integrated Ontology Development Toolkit

No support for

set operators

instance editing capabilities

work with multiple ontologies

No clear connection with reasoners to support ontology development

ODM Tooling Transformations

Transformations

ODM Tooling Transformations Not really mature yet for OWL

Transformations

ODM Tooling Challenges Know-how strategies for ontology and Semantic Web application development Collections of modeling patterns Relations with other Semantic Web and modeling languages such as SWRL and OCL

Challenges

Know-how strategies for ontology and Semantic Web application development

Collections of modeling patterns

Relations with other Semantic Web and modeling languages such as SWRL and OCL

Integrating MDE and ontologies Language descriptions (M2) Metamodels for ontology languages - ODM Ontologies for language descriptions Integrating at the model level (M1)

Language descriptions (M2)

Metamodels for ontology languages - ODM

Ontologies for language descriptions

Integrating at the model level (M1)

Ontologies for metamodeling Defining modeling languages with OWL Ontology of finite state machines [Dolog, 2004] Petri net ontology [ Gašević, 200 4]

Defining modeling languages with OWL

Ontology of finite state machines [Dolog, 2004]

Petri net ontology [ Gašević, 200 4]

Ontologies for metamodeling When do we use this? When building Semantic Web systems E.g., Petri nets When want to make use DL-based reasoning Reasoning over modeling languages Automated mapping between languages Inferring mappings among languages

When do we use this?

When building Semantic Web systems

E.g., Petri nets

When want to make use DL-based reasoning

Reasoning over modeling languages

Automated mapping between languages

Inferring mappings among languages

Is OWL enough? Typically not! We do need constraints. Static semantics and constraint checking Using UML/MOF with OCL for metamodels Transforming OWL + SWRL and UML + OCL via the R2ML language no support for collections in SWRL/rule languages [Milan o vi ć et al, 2007]

Typically not! We do need constraints.

Static semantics and constraint checking

Using UML/MOF with OCL for metamodels

Transforming

OWL + SWRL and UML + OCL

via the R2ML language

no support for collections in SWRL/rule languages

Is OWL enough? Behavioral reasoning is not DL reasoning Do not expect to use DL instead of Petri nets/π-calculus ! Instantiation Only fine for languages w/o intensional and extensional parts

Behavioral reasoning is not DL reasoning

Do not expect to use DL instead of Petri nets/π-calculus !

Instantiation

Only fine for languages w/o intensional and extensional parts

Integrating MDE and ontologies Language descriptions (M2) Metamodels for ontology languages - ODM Ontologies for language descriptions Integrating at the model level (M1)

Language descriptions (M2)

Metamodels for ontology languages - ODM

Ontologies for language descriptions

Integrating at the model level (M1)

Binding feature models to OWL semantics Feature Models in OWL [Wang et al, 2007]

Binding feature models to OWL semantics

Binding feature models to OWL semantics TBox reasoning Consistency checking of feature models Only OWL is used here NOT ontologies! Feature Models in OWL

Binding feature models to OWL semantics

TBox reasoning

Consistency checking of feature models

Only OWL is used here NOT ontologies!

TwoUse UML, ODM, and OWL in action together! [Parreiras et al, 2008]

UML, ODM, and OWL in action together!

Should OWL and UML/MOF be one language? [Atkinson, 2005] OWL and UML/MOF will be one language

Part IV Trends and Challenges

Part IV

Trends and Challenges

Capturing Requirements (Semi-structured )Natural languages Collaborative requirements/rule capturing Semantic Wikis Ontologies Disambiguate shared terminology Underlying business vocabularies Why don’t we use the OMG’s SBVR?

(Semi-structured )Natural languages

Collaborative requirements/rule capturing

Semantic Wikis

Ontologies

Disambiguate shared terminology

Underlying business vocabularies

Why don’t we use the OMG’s SBVR?

Assisting in Software Process Software product lines Semantic annotation Business vocabularies & non-functional prop. Example Feasible features for a deployment platform On-going Combining with soft-requirements – fuzzy DL Distributed DL for modular FMs Integrating with BPMN [Mohabbati et al, 2009] [ Bagheri et al, 2009; Boskovic et al, 2009]

Software product lines

Semantic annotation

Business vocabularies & non-functional prop.

Example

Feasible features for a deployment platform

On-going

Combining with soft-requirements – fuzzy DL

Distributed DL for modular FMs

Integrating with BPMN

Developing DS(M)L Specializing languages with ontologies To check validity of domain statements in general purpose languages Ontologies as a basis of DS(M)Ls Specially, for end-user development Disambiguate meaning of end-user languages Assign some meaning to icons!

Specializing languages with ontologies

To check validity of domain statements in general purpose languages

Ontologies as a basis of DS(M)Ls

Specially, for end-user development

Disambiguate meaning of end-user languages

Assign some meaning to icons!

Conclusion Ontology languages are well-defined Allowing for reasoning Reasoning and ontologies are not magic OWL does not meaning using ontologies Some early and promising steps Many challenges still open

Ontology languages are well-defined

Allowing for reasoning

Reasoning and ontologies are not magic

OWL does not meaning using ontologies

Some early and promising steps

Many challenges still open

Ontologies and MDE will live together!

Thank you! Questions?