An Axiom Based Metamodel for Software Process Formalisation: An Ontology Approach

Loading...
Thumbnail Image
Date
2017
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Springer, Cham
Abstract
Software development usually follows well known process models and standards for development processes. However, these are usually diverse and described in natural language which complicates their automation, adaptivity and verification. The need for process formalization has long been highlighted, and we have provided a formalization and translation algorithm to that effect in earlier work. However, to systematically and faithfully formalize heterogeneous processes from different standards and process models, there is a need to utilize uniform concepts to underpin the formalization process. Meta models and ontologies have been explored recently to lay a foundation for structuring and expressing additional rigour to process formalization. In this study, we develop an axiom based meta model utilizing power type patterns as a conceptual framework to underpin homogeneous process formalization. The advantage of an axiomatic and power type based meta model approach lies in its potential to determine the meta model basic constituents and formalism as well as its extensibility and adaptability. We formalize the meta model using ontologies while adopting use cases from ISO/IEC 29110 and ISO/IEC 24744 standards for meta model illustrations. Ontology based process descriptions enable process automated verification and adaptivity capability through the use of ontology reasoning support engines
Description
Keywords
Software process, Metamodel, Powertype, Axiom, Ontology
Citation
Kabaale, E., Wen, L., Wang, Z., & Rout, T. (2017, October). An axiom based metamodel for software process formalisation: An ontology approach. In International Conference on Software Process Improvement and Capability Determination (pp. 226-240). Springer, Cham.