Model-Driven Information Integration “MetaMatrix is Enterprise Information Integration Software providing uniform access to disparate data sources" MetaMatrix presents the first solution to the EII problem. The MetaMatrix product suite, with its flagship MetaMatrix Server™ and MetaBase™ repository, provide a platform through which an enterprise can manage and provide uniform access to disparate information systems for timely application development in a hyper-competitive inter-networked world. ©2002 MetaMatrix Model-Driven Information Integration THE CHALLENGE OF INFORMATION INTEGRATION................................................................................................. 2 THE HISTORICAL PRECEDENT: UML ....................................................................................................................... 2 The Platform Independent Model........................................................................................................................3 Automatic Code Generation through Tools.......................................................................................................3 Simplified Application Migration........................................................................................................................3 PIMs and System Integration...............................................................................................................................3 THE MODEL IN INFORMATION INTEGRATION.......................................................................................................... 3 Differences in Metamodels...................................................................................................................................4 Modeling Data with Metadata.............................................................................................................................5 The Tool for Modeling Metadata........................................................................................................................5 The MetaMatrix MetaBase™...............................................................................................................................6 Modeling Data Presents a Partial Solution.......................................................................................................6 TRUE MODEL-DRIVEN INTEGRATION....................................................................................................................... 6 From PIM to PSM..................................................................................................................................................6 The Tool for Integrating Information.................................................................................................................6 The MetaMatrix Information Integration Server..............................................................................................7 MODEL-DRIVEN INTEGRATION WITH METAMATRIX............................................................................................. 8 The Process .............................................................................................................................................................8 The Benefits.............................................................................................................................................................9 © 2002 MetaMatrix, Inc. All rights reserved. You can obtain additional copies of this document by contacting MetaMatrix, Inc. The processes and routines contained in this document are proprietary properties and trade secrets of MetaMatrix, Inc. Except as provided by license agreement, this document cannot be duplicated, used, or disclosed for any purpose or reason, in whole or in part, without the expressed written consent of MetaMatrix, Inc. The information within this document is subject to change without notice and should not be construed as a commitment by MetaMatrix, Inc. MetaMatrix Server, MetaBase, MetaData Modeler, MetaMatrix Console, MetaMatrix QueryBuilder, and MetaMatrix Connector Development Kit are all trademarks of MetaMatrix, Inc. All other company and product names are trademarks of their respective owners. If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions regarding this document, contact [email protected]. Model-Driven Information Integration White Paper © 2002 MetaMatrix, Inc. THE CHALLENGE OF INFORMATION · Singularity, as the model can contain as many information systems as needed. INTEGRATION Using model-driven integration middleware, Over the past twenty years, enterprises have such as the MetaMatrix Information Integration created many diverse systems to manage their Server, also offers: information and data. Individual systems combine a myriad of hardware configurations, · Real-time access, because the model- operating systems, databases, and applications. driven solution does not manipulate Often, individual enterprises have found copies of the data. Data consuming themselves with several disparate information applications can report from or update the systems among their divisions and departments, native systems. especially after mergers or acquisitions have broadened the scope and depth of the enterprise. · True integration. Data-consuming applications can access all data systems As the world, not to mention the enterprise, the enterprise has modeled. networks more completely, the enterprise needs to integrate its diverse systems to operate and Model-driven integration represents an evolution analyze its resources more effectively. of the common and accepted practice of Numerous external sources, from partner developing applications and representing information resources to real-time data feeds, systems using standard constructions in a model. have become available. The enterprise needs to The most common example of this practice, and marshal and integrate these disparate systems. the precedent for model-driven integration, is the At the heart of the systems integration challenge use of Unified Modeling Language (UML). lies an information integration challenge. THE HISTORICAL PRECEDENT: Model-driven integration differs from the UML programmed integration. Programmed integration relies upon hard-coding a finite, and As development languages and environments inextensible, solution to a particular challenge. proliferated in enterprises, developers Model-driven integration focuses on abstracting accustomed to varied, and often proprietary, the information content into a model that systems and languages found themselves lacking describes the enterprise’s information resources. a common way to express concepts such as This model captures the nature of the workflow, relationships between entities, information the enterprise has within its systems interaction, and other abstractions inherent in and the way the enterprise uses data in its daily development. operations. In 1997, the Object Management Group (OMG) The data model does not rely on a particular established a standard language for expressing hardware or operating system platform; instead, these concepts. UML contains many types of it contains standard constructs that show the data entities and operations. Once an enterprise models that represent standard presentation for a captures its information resources in a model, it type of information. Hence, UML represents a can easily integrate this information using a metamodel, a language for constructing and middleware server. relating diverse models. The Unified Modeling Language (UML) gained Model-driven integration offers a complete rapid acceptance and set off a new trend in solution because the data model can application development. Several companies, demonstrate: such as Rational and TogetherSoft, created · Platform independence, as the contents of software tools that implement the UML standard the model and the systems modeled can to create graphical tools that enterprises of all represent one or more different types of types can use to “design” applications. Figure 1 actual physical systems. contains a UML class diagram depicting a portion of an application. Model-Driven Information Integration White Paper © 2002 MetaMatrix, Inc. Simplified Application Migration When an enterprise needs to migrate an application from one platform to another, a UML model makes the process straightforward. The UML model documents workflow and objects outside of the comments within the code and the memories of developers. Without the model, enterprises can find both occasionally unreliable for a complex task. PIMs and System Integration Figure 1: UML Class Diagram While enterprises have applied UML models successfully to application development, UML This model contains standard constructs; anyone has not yet significantly affected the problem of versed in UML can review the model and systems integration. While Platform understand its contents. By modeling Independent Models offers excellent return on applications in UML before writing actual code, investment (ROI) for large enterprises, the enterprise garners many benefits: enterprises have not yet applied the lessons learned with PIMs and UML to the challenge of · The Platform Independent Model (PIM) systems integration. captures the application’s design. THE MODEL IN INFORMATION · Certain tools can automatically generate code from a PIM. INTEGRATION · PIMs ease product migration from The success of the Platform Independent Model platform to platform. in application