Functional software architecture: Difference between revisions

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Revision as of 14:35, 15 November 2011

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A '''Functionalfunctional Softwaresoftware Architecturearchitecture''' ('''FSA''') is an architectural model that identifies [[Enterprise architecture|enterprise]] functions, interactions and corresponding [[Information Technologytechnology|IT]] needs. These functions can be used as reference by different [[___domain expert]]s to develop IT-systems as part of a co-operative information-driven enterprise. In this way both [[software engineers]] and enterprise architects are able to create an information-driven, integrated organizational environment.

==Overview==

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# Strategic management and business consultants set objectives in relation to a more efficient/effective business process.

# Enterprise engineers come up with a design of a more efficient business process and a request for a certain information system in the form of an Enterprise Architecture.

# Software engineers come up with the design of this information system, which describes the components and structural features of the system by use of a certain [[Architecturearchitecture Descriptiondescription Languagelanguage]] (ADL).

# Computer programmers code the different modules and actually implement the system.

The described work division is in reality much more complex and also involves more actors but it outlines the involvement of people with different backgrounds in creating a software system that enables the organization to reach business objectives. A wide variety of material produced by different actors within this system development process needs to be exchanged between, and understood by, multiple actors.

Especially in the field of software engineering many tools (A4 Tool, CAME, [[ARIS]]), [[computer languages|languages]] (ACME, Rapide, [[Unified Modeling Language|UML]]) and methods ([[Dynamicdynamic Systemssystems Developmentdevelopment Methodmethod|DSDM]], [[RUP]], [[ISPL]]) are developed and extensively used. Also, the transition between the software engineers (step 3) and computer programmers (step 4) is already highly formalized by, for instance, [[object-oriented]] development.

Setting strategic objectives (step 1) and the corresponding search for [[business]] opportunities and weaknesses is a subject extensively discussed and investigated for more than a hundred years. Concepts like [[Businessbusiness process reengineering]], [[Productproduct software market analysis]], and [[Requirementsrequirements analysis]] are commonly known and extensively used in this context. These strategic inputs must be used for the development of a good enterprise design (step 2), which can then be used for software design and implementation respectively.

Recent studies have shown that these enterprise architectures can be developed by a number of different methods and techniques. Before these methods and techniques are discussed in detail a definition of an [[Enterpriseenterprise architecture]] is given:

:''An Enterprise Architecture is a strategic information asset base, which defines the mission, the information necessary to perform the mission and the technologies necessary to perform the mission, and the transitional processes for implementing new technologies in response to the changing mission needs.''

This definition emphasizes the use of the architecture as a rich strategic information source for the improvement of business processes and development of needed information systems. If defined, maintained, and implemented effectively, these institutional blueprint assist in optimizing the interdependencies and interrelationships among an organizations business operations and the underlying IT that support operations.

Having read the definition of a Functionalfunctional Softwaresoftware Architecturearchitecture at the beginning of this entry we can see a Functionalfunctional Softwaresoftware Architecturearchitecture as a type of Enterpriseenterprise Architecturearchitecture that can be used as a rich reference for the development of an integrated information system. Naming it a Functionalfunctional Softwaresoftware Architecturearchitecture encourages practitioners to use it as a strategic input for a [[technical architecture]]. A formal mapping between a Functionalfunctional Softwaresoftware Architecturearchitecture and a type of [[Architecture description language|ADL]] is therefore needed. In this way the formal use and reuse of enterprise architectures as strategic input for software architectures can be realized.

==Development of an FSA==

As the boundary of an enterprise is extended, it becomes increasingly important that a common “big picture” of needed business, people and IT system activities is developed and shared by all the parties involved.<ref name="Kim">Kim & Weston & Hodgson & Lee (2002); The complementary use of IDEF and UML. Information system engineering, Deajon University South Korea, Computers & Industrial Engineering 50, 35–56.</ref> A Functionalfunctional Softwaresoftware Architecturearchitecture does this by breaking down the organization in business functions and corresponding IT needs. In this way the enterprise engineer provides a rich schematic reference that can be used by the software engineer in the development of these IT-systems.

The development of a Functionalfunctional Softwaresoftware Architecturearchitecture can be done by a number of (combined) methods and techniques. Filling in the “gap” between the enterprise engineers and software engineers through the use of different combinations of methods and techniques will be the main objective. However, this objective can only be reached when combined methods result in clear and rich functional software architectures that are developed and used by both parties.

Optimizing the internal and external business processes through process reengineering is one of the main objectives an enterprise can have in times of high external pressure. A [[business process]] involves value creating activities with certain inputs and outputs, which are interconnected and thereby jointly contribute to the final outcome (product or service) of the process. Process reengineering covers a variety of perspectives of how to change the organization. It is concerned with the redesign of strategic, value adding processes, systems, policies and organizational structures to optimize the processes of an organization.<ref>Zakarian & Kusiak; Process analysis and reengineering: Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Iowa, USA, Computers & Industrial Engineering 41, 135–150</ref>

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Within the area of [[enterprise engineering]] formal methodologies, methods and techniques are designed, tested and extensively used in order to offer organizations reusable business process solutions:

*Computer-integrated Integratedmanufacturing Manufacturingopen Opensystems Systems Architecturearchitecture (CIMOSA) methodology<ref>Beekman, (1989); European Committee for Standardization, ECN TC310 WG1, 1994</ref>

*Integrated DEFinitiondefinition (IDEF) methodology<ref>U.S. Airforce (1981); ICAM architecture part 1, Ohio, Air Force Materials Laboratory, Wright-Patterson</ref>

*Petri Nets<ref>Peterson J.L. (1981); Petri net theory and the modeling of systems, Englewood Cliffs, N.J., Prentice Hall.</ref>

*Unified Modelingmodeling Languagelanguage (UML) or Unifiedunified Enterpriseenterprise Modelingmodeling Languagelanguage (UEML)<ref># Marshall, C. (2000); Enterprise Modelling with UML, ISBN 0-201-43313-3, Addison-Wesley, MA.</ref><ref>[[François Vernadat]]; A vision for future work of the task force (IFAC-IFIP).</ref>

*Enterprise Function Diagrams (EFD)

These methodologies/techniques and methods are all more or less suited in modeling the enterprise and its underlying processes. So, which of them are suited for the further development of Informationinformation Technologytechnology systems that are needed for effective and efficient (re)designed processes? More important, why using a time consuming enterprise methodology when information and software engineers can’t or won’t use the unclear results in the development of efficiency enabling IT systems? Before we can give the answers to these questions some short descriptions of the listed methods above are given.

===Computer-integrated Integratedmanufacturing Manufacturingopen Opensystems Systems Architecturearchitecture===

[[CIMOSA]] provides templates and interconnected modeling constructs to encode business, people and IT aspects of enterprise requirements. This is done from multiple perspectives: Informationinformation view, Functionfunction view, Resourceresource view and Organizationorganization view. These constructs can further be used to structure and facilitate the design and implementation of detailed IT systems.

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The division in different views makes it a clarifying reference for enterprise and software engineers. It shows information needs for different enterprise functionalities (activities, processes, operations) and corresponding resources. In this way it can easily be determined which IT-system will fulfill the information needs in a certain activity and process.

===Integrated DEFinitiondefinition (IDEF)===

[[IDEF]] is a [[structured modeling]] technique, which was first developed for the modeling of manufacturing systems. It was already being used by the U.S. Airforce in 1981. Initially it had 4 different notations to model an enterprise from a certain viewpoint. These were [[IDEF0]], [[IDEF1]], IDEF2 and [[IDEF3]] for functional, data, dynamic and process analysis respectively. In the past decades a number of tools and techniques for the integration of the notations are developed in an incremental way.

IDEF clearly shows how a business process flows through a variety of decomposed business functions with corresponding information inputs, outputs and actors. Like CIMOSA, it also uses different enterprise views. Moreover, IDEF can be easily transformed into UMLuml-diagrams for the further development of ITit systems. Thesethese positive characteristics make it a powerful method for the development of Functionalfunctional Softwaresoftware Architecturesarchitectures.

===Petri Nets===

[[Petri Netnet]]s are known tools to model manufacturing systems.<ref>Silva, M. and Valette, R. (1989); Petri nets and Flexibleflexible manufacturing. Lecture Notes on Computer Science, 424, 374–417.</ref> They are highly expressive and provide good formalisms for the modeling of [[concurrent system]]s. The most advantageous properties are that of simple representation of states, concurrent system transitions and capabilities to model the duration of transitions.

Petri Netsnets therefore can be used to model certain business processes with corresponding state and transitions or activities with in and outputs. Moreover, Petri Nets can be used to model different software systems and transitions between these systems. In this way programmers use it as a schematic coding reference.

In recent years a number of attempts have shown that Petri Netsnets can contribute to the development of business process integration. One of these is the Model Blue methodology, which is developed by [[IBM]] Chinese Research Laboratory and outlines the importance of model driven business integration as an emerging approach for building integrated platforms.<ref>Zhu et al. (2004); Model-driven business process integration and management: A case study with the Bank SinoPac regional service platform, IBM Corporation, Res. & Dev. Vol. 48 No. 5/6.</ref> A mapping between their Model Blue business view and an equivalent Petri Net is also shown, which indicates that their research closes the gap between business and IT. However, instead of Petri Nets they rather use their own Model Blue IT view, which can be derived from their business view through a transformation engine.

===Unified Modelingmodeling Languagelanguage===

[[Unified Modelingmodeling Languagelanguage|UML]] is a broadly accepted modeling language for the development of software systems and applications. The, so called, “object oriented community” also tries to use UML for enterprise modeling purposes. They emphasize the use of enterprise objects or business objects from which complex enterprise systems are made. A collection of these objects and corresponding interactions between them can represent a complex business system or process. Where Petri Nets focus on the interaction and states of objects, UML focuses more on the business objects themselves. Sometimes these are called the “enterprise building blocks”, which includes resources, processes, goals, rules and metamodels.<ref>Eriksson & Penker (1998); UML Toolkit, Wiley, New York.</ref> Despite the fact that UML in this way can be used to model an integrated software system it has been argued that the reality of business can be modeled with a software modeling language. In reaction the object oriented community makes business extensions for UML and adapts the language. UEML is derived from UML and is proposed as a business modeling language. The question remains if this business transformation is the right thing to do. It was earlier said that UML in combination with other “pure’ business methods can be a better alternative.

===Enterprise Functionfunction Diagramsdidams===

EFD is a used modeling technique for the representation of enterprise functions and corresponding interactions. Different business processes can be modeled in these representations through the use of “function modules” and triggers. A starting business process delivers different inputs to different functions. A process flowing through all the functions and sub-functions creates multiple outputs. Enterprise Functionfunction Diagramsdiagrams hereby give a very easy-to-use and detailed representation about a business process and corresponding functions, inputs, outputs and triggers.

In this way EFD has many similarities with IDEF0 diagrams, which also represent in a hierarchical way business processes as a combination of functions and triggers. Difference is that an EFD places the business functions in an organization hierarchical perspective, which outlines the downstream of certain processes in the organization. On the contrary, IDEF0 diagrams show responsibilities of certain business functions through the use of arrows. Also, IDEF0 has a clear representation of inputs and outputs of every (sub)function.