Architecture of Interoperable Information Systems: Difference between revisions

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The '''Architecture of Interoperable Information Systems (AIOS)''' is a reference architecture for the development of interoperable [[enterprise information systems]]. If enterprises or public administrations want to engage in automated business processes with other organizations, their IT systems must be able to work together, i.e. they need to be [[interoperability|interoperable]]. The AIOS represents a generic building plan for these organizations to develop interoperable information systems by systematically adjusting and extending their internal information systems.

The AIOS was described in a doctoral thesis and is based on the results of various research projects on interoperability <ref name=">Ziemann" (2010): Architecture of Interoperable Information Systems - An enterprise Model-based Approach for Describing and Enacting Collaborative Business Processes. Logos, 2010</ref>. It is independent from specific products or vendors but describes generically the different layers, views, relationships and technical means needed to efficiently establish interoperable information systems. To this aim it combines concepts from [[Service-oriented Architecture]], Collaborative Business and [[Business Process Modelling]]. It can be seen as complementary to [[Architecture of Integrated Information Systems|ARIS]], a well-known architecture for internal information systems and business processes.

== Definition ==

Similar to the automation of processes inside organizations, the automation of cross-organizational [[business process]]es is an important trend. In this endeavor, collaborating organizations rather strive for a loose coupling of their information systems, instead of a tight [[integration]]: the collaborating information systems should be able to work together but retain as much independency as possible. This characteristic is also called '''[[interoperability]]''', or in the context of of collaborating organizations, [[Business Interoperability Interface#Business Interoperability|Business Interoperability]], i.e. the capability of autonomous organizations to execute a collaborative business process among them.

'''[[Information systems|Information system]]''' are systems that process information, i.e. they capture, transport, transform, store and offer information. Following the conception prevailing in information systems research, an information system comprises not only the hardware and software of an enterprise, but also the related human actors, business functions and processes as well as organization structures.<ref>Compare name="Comparefor"for example Becker & Schütte (2004, p. 33): Handelsinformationssysteme – Domänenorientierte Einführung in die Wirtschaftsinformatik 2nd Edition, Redline Wirtschaft, Frankfurt or Gabriel(2008): Informationssystem. Enzyklopädie der Wirtschaftsinformatik, Online Lexikon. Oldenbourg Wissenschaftsverlag, Germany. </ref> This broad understanding is for example also embodied by the [[Zachman Framework]].

'''[[Architecture]]''' is defined as the “fundamental organization of a system, embodied in its components, their relationships to each other and the environment, and the principles governing its design and evolution”<ref>IEEE name="(2007): IEEE 1471 Website, IEEE Std. 1471 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) - Version 5.0, 19 July 2007. Http://www.iso-architecture".org/ieee-1471/ieee-1471-faq.html, ac-cessed: May 2009</ref>. Sinz defines an information system architecture as the building plan of an information system in the sense of a specification and documentation of its components and their relationships covering all relevant viewpoints as well as the constructions rules for the creation of the building plan<ref> name="Sinz" (2002): Architektur von Informationssystemen. In: Rechenberg, P., Pomberger, G. (eds.): Informatik-Handbuch. 3rd Edition, Hanser, München, pp. 1055-1068</ref>.

Accordingly, an '''Architecture of Interoperable Information Systems''' can be defined as the building plan of a cross-organizational information system, which enables organizations to execute a collaborative business process among them.

== Background and Application ==

Following the work on interoperable information systems conducted in European Research Projects<ref name=">Interop" NOE (2004 to 2007, project number IST-2004-508011), ATHENA (2004 to 2007, “Advanced Technologies for Interoperability of Heterogeneous Enterprise Networks and their Application”, project number IST-2004-507849) or R4eGov (2006 to 2009, project number IST-2004-026650)</ref> in 2010 the Architecure of Interoperable Information Systems (AIOS) was published as a reference for the construction of loosely coupled, interoperating information systems and for the systematic, model-based enactment of collaborative business processes.

The AIOS aims primarily at large organizations that want to interoperate with each other. To this aim it describes how internal information system elements can be systematically connected with the information systems of collaboration partners. The main elements of the AIOS are: