SERVICE COMPUTATION 2012 : The Fourth International Conferences on Advanced Service Computing Enterprise Architecture Ontology for Services Computing Alfred Zimmermann Gertrud Zimmermann Reutlingen University, Faculty of Informatics ZIMMERMANN UND PARTNER Architecture Reference Lab of the Enterprise Architecture Management Research SOA Innovation Lab, Germany Pfullingen, Germany [email protected] [email protected] Abstract – Enterprise services computing is the current trend architecture diagnostics, monitoring and optimization. We for powerful large-scale information systems, which intend to provide a unified and consistent methodology for increasingly converge with cloud, computing environments. In enterprise architecture management for service-oriented and this paper, we propose an original ontology-based Architecture cloud computing systems. Our research results are currently Classification Framework for supporting cyclic architecture validated and extended, and are further to be used for evaluations and optimizations of enterprise systems based on assessments and for integral monitoring of heterogeneous service-oriented architectures: ESARC - Enterprise Services business processes and complex integrated information Architecture Reference Cube. ESARC provides a standardized systems in commercial use [1] by members of the SOA and normative classification framework for important Innovation Lab in Germany and Europe. architecture artifacts of service-oriented enterprise systems. Our new introduced approach of an enterprise Current approaches for assessing architecture quality and maturity of service-oriented enterprise software architectures architecture ontology for services computing is a work in are rarely validated and were intuitively developed, having progress research, which is ongoing extended to cover the sparse reference model, pattern, metamodel, or ontology integral scope of the existing, but still evaluating, foundation. Cyclic assessments of complex service-oriented classification framework of our ESARC–Enterprise Services systems and architectures should produce comparable Architecture Reference Cube. In assessing the quality of evaluation results. Today architecture evaluation findings are implemented SOA vendor platforms and the integral hardly comparable. Our current idea and contribution is to architecture of service-oriented enterprise systems, we face extend the basic architecture classification framework of the problem of not having real comparable evaluation ESARC from our previous research by developing specialized findings from consecutive (cyclic) assessments. Only an metamodels and ontologies for a coherent set of reference architecture classification framework, which sets a relative architectures, to be able to support machine-based architecture standard of comparison, makes it possible to track the diagnostics and optimizations in enterprise services computing. improvement path of different enterprise services and systems, their architectures and related technologies. Keywords – service-oriented architecture; enterprise services; The current state of art research in enterprise services and enterprise architecture; ESARC; reference model; refernce cloud computing research lacks an integral understanding of architecture; ontology; classification framework; diagnostics. architecture classification and semantic representation of service-oriented and cloud computing enterprise systems. I. INTRODUCTION Our previous assessment findings were done without an Since recent years, innovation oriented companies have architecture reference model. As a result multiple evaluations introduced service-oriented computing paradigms and of enterprise systems with service-oriented architectures combine them with traditional information systems. As the were blurry and hardly comparable within a series of architecture of service-oriented enterprise systems becomes consecutive architectural tests and therefore have produced more and more complex, and we are going rapidly into cloud less meaningful assessment results. computing scenarios, we need a new and improved set of The aim of our research is to enhance analytical methodological well-supported instruments and tools for instruments for cyclic evaluations of business and system managing, diagnosing and optimizing complex enterprise capabilities of different service-oriented platforms and service-oriented information systems. Service-oriented enterprise systems for real business enterprise system systems close the business – information technology (IT) gap environments. In this paper, we disclose our ontology-based by delivering efficiently appropriate business functionality approach toward a unified classification framework for and integrating legacy systems with standard application enterprise architectures of services and cloud computing platforms. systems. Our research work and current innovation practice is The novelty in our current research paper for the ESARC about new methods for architecture assessments, and comprises new aspects and extended ideas for Enterprise Architecture Management (EAM) for Services & Cloud Copyright (c) IARIA, 2012. ISBN: 978-1-61208-215-8 64 SERVICE COMPUTATION 2012 : The Fourth International Conferences on Advanced Service Computing Computing (SCC). As worked out in this paper, metamodels architecture classification framework. ESARC sets a and related ontologies for ESARC - Enterprise Services standardization framework for cyclic diagnostics and Architecture Reference Cube - are the useful extension and optimizations of the following interrelated views of the integration aid for a holistic set of reference architectures, reference architecture: Architecture Governance, which we have derived from the ESARC classification Architecture Management, Business & Information framework and the Open Group’s standard on Service- Reference Architecture, Information Systems Architecture, oriented Architecture Ontology. Our architecture ontology Technology Architecture, Operation Architecture, Security should provide a base for semantic-supported navigation and Architecture, and Cloud Services Architecture. automatic inference in architecture diagnostics. The Architecture Governance and Management In the following Section II, we present the main view of framework organizes main architecture types, like the our original developed ESARC architecture classification Business & Information Architecture, the Information framework. We define interrelating reference architecture Systems Architecture, and the Technology Architecture. The domains of service-oriented enterprise systems, as part of an architecture governance [12] cycle sets the abstract architecture layer model, which we built from integrated governance frame for concrete architecture activities within standards. In Section III, we introduce correlated architecture the enterprise software and product line development. The metamodels and our developed architecture ontology in the architecture governance cycle specifies constitutive context of standards. In Section IV, we set the base for our management activities: plan, define, enable, measure, and study from the state of art and other related work. Finally, control. The second aim of architecture governance is to set Section V summarizes our conclusion and gives ideas from rules for architecture to comply with internal and external current research and for future work. standards. Policies for governance and decision definition are set, to allow a standardized and efficient process for II. ENTERPRISE ARCHITECTURE REFERENCE MODEL architecture decisions inside the enterprise architecture ESARC – the Enterprise Services Architecture Reference organization. Because enterprise and software architects are Cube – is an integral and continually growing ontology- acting on a sophisticated connection path (from business and supported architecture classification framework [2] to be IT strategy to the realization of an architecture landscape of used by enterprise and software architects, to define, interrelated business domains, applications and structure, verify, and improve service-oriented enterprise and technologies), architecture governance has to set rules for the software architectures in a standard way. In order to specify empowerment of software architecture staff, defining our innovative enterprise and software architecture structures and procedures of an architecture governance assessment method, we used a metamodel-based approach board, and setting rules for communication. [3] for capability evaluations of architecture elements and The ESARC - Business & Information Reference their main relationships. For this purpose, we have extended, Architecture, as set in [3], extends the Business Architecture integrated and adapted elements from convergent from TOGAF [8] and defines the link between the enterprise architecture methods, architecture patterns [4] and [5], business strategy and the integral business and information related standards and reference models from the state of art. design for supporting strategic initiatives. The Business & ESARC is an abstract architecture classification Information Reference Architecture provides a single source framework [3], which defines an integral view for main and comprehensive repository of knowledge from which interweaved architecture types. ESARC was derived corporate initiatives will evolve and link. This knowledge is primarily from state of art research and