FML : a model federation language for semantic interoperability of heterogeneous information sources

Keywords

• Model-Driven Engineering
• Model Federation
• Metamodeling

Abstract

Modelling is a universal practice at the root of human thought, for designing, understanding, calculating, imagining, analyzing and communicating. Model Driven Engineering (MDE) aims to systematize the use of models in all activities related to the whole life cycle of systems and software (development, deployment, integration, maintenance and evolution). From this context emerges the need to coherently manage multiple models (or information sources interpreted as models), where each model comes with its own autonomy and lifecycle. The core contribution of this thesis is founded on the formalization of an approach called “model federation”, which aims to explicitly reify the links between federated models, while associating behaviour with those links. More specifically, we propose a modelling language called FML, which is both a language for conceptualization and reification of interpretation, but also features a referencing mechanism that enables federation links to point on heterogeneous data sources. FML allows both to react to the behaviour and evolution of federated models and to program behaviours acting on these models. We propose a tooling environment for the language within a software infrastructure called Openflexo. Finally, we validate the approach on four use cases, research prototypes and industrial experiments.

PhD Defense

The thesis was defended on 30 november 2023.

Jury was composed of :

• Pr Régine Laleau (University Paris Est) (president)
• Pr Jean-Marc Jezequel (University of Rennes) (thesis reporter)
• Pr Vincent Englebert (University of Namur, Belgium) (thesis reporter)
• Pr Sophie Ebersold (University of Toulouse)
• Pr Pierre-Alain Muller (University Haute Alsace)
• Pr Antoine Beugnard (IMT Atlantique) (thesis director)
• Dr Joel Champeau (ENSTA Bretagne) (thesis co-supervisor)
• Pr Hans Vangheluwe (University of Antwerp, Belgium)
• Dr Dominique Blouin (Télécom Paris)

Original manuscript

Original manuscript might be found here.

Slides of the thesis defence

Slides are available here.

Video recording of the thesis defence

Video recording can be downloaded here.