Copyright (c) 2009 All rights reserved. http://works.bepress.com/jpohl Recent documents in Jens G. Pohl en-us Tue, 22 Sep 2009 23:40:54 PDT 3600 http://works.bepress.com/jpohl/96 http://works.bepress.com/jpohl/96 Mon, 21 Sep 2009 11:02:09 PDT Jens G. Pohl Conference Proceedings http://works.bepress.com/jpohl/95 http://works.bepress.com/jpohl/95 Tue, 15 Sep 2009 12:46:19 PDT This paper proposes the construction of a Conceptual Model as a logical step prior to the preparation of the Object Model of an ontology to facilitate the design and development of software systems in which a high-level internal representation of context supports some intelligent capabilities. The intent of the Conceptual Model is to be expressive for human interpretation utilizing descriptions that are readily understood by laypersons, subject matter experts, and software developers who may be concerned with only a particular portion of the software system. The intent of the Object Model (as a subset of an ontology) is to be expressive for machine interpretation. The author argues that the existence of a Conceptual Model not only serves as an effective communication vehicle among the various stakeholders in a software development project, but also facilitates the development of the Object Model component of an ontology. Xiaoshan Pan Conference Proceedings http://works.bepress.com/jpohl/94 http://works.bepress.com/jpohl/94 Tue, 15 Sep 2009 12:46:17 PDT Data mediation is an essential component in the Modeling and Simulation field (M&S). Managing multiple data sources and exchanging data among multiple systems requires sophisticated tools and a powerful process management system. Business Process Management (BPM) provides a framework for modeling and managing business activities, both manual and automated, in a consistent manner. Managing automated processes offers an opportunity to integrate external applications into the platform. By integrating automated data transformation tools into the business processes using graphical programming, we provide an approach to achieve operational interoperability among diverse applications without the need for any application to be aware of any other. Dennis Taylor Articles http://works.bepress.com/jpohl/93 http://works.bepress.com/jpohl/93 Tue, 15 Sep 2009 12:46:15 PDT The purpose of this paper is to provide an introduction to the OWL Web ontology language, a survey focused on the current state of the art in OWL inferencing capabilities, and a historical perspective on procedural attachments. The perspective is aligned with current OWL research. Several limitations of the OWL language and proposed extensions to overcome these limitations are discussed. A framework that provides empirical testing support for evaluating the effects of procedural attachments to the OWL inferencing capabilities is outlined. The examples presented suggest that it is possible to provide rule-based extensibility support for OWL that does not limit the ability of an OWL reasoner to perform consistency checking. Specifically, the framework is used to demonstrate with an example experiment the ability to provide support for the compound sub-property axiom. Dennis Taylor Conference Proceedings http://works.bepress.com/jpohl/92 http://works.bepress.com/jpohl/92 Tue, 15 Sep 2009 12:04:52 PDT Computers do not have the equivalent of a human cognitive system and therefore store data simply as the numbers and words that are entered into the computer. For a computer to interpret data it requires an information structure that provides at least some level of context. This can be accomplished utilizing an ontology of objects with characteristics, semantic behavior, and a rich set of relationships to create a virtual version of real world situations and provide the context within which intelligent logic (e.g., agents) can automatically operate. This paper discusses the process of developing ontologies that serve to provide context for agents to interpret and reason about data changes in decision-support software tools, services and systems. Hisham Assal Conference Proceedings http://works.bepress.com/jpohl/91 http://works.bepress.com/jpohl/91 Tue, 15 Sep 2009 12:04:40 PDT Over the past decade the Collaborative Agent Design Research Center (CADRC) at California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo) and its commercial arm CDM Technologies, Inc. (CDM) have developed a suite of information-centric software tools in support of military deployment and distribution processes. All of these tools feature agents that are capable of reasoning about data in the context provided by an internal information model. Together they represent an evolving suite of adaptive Knowledge Management Enterprise Services (KMES) that can be readily configured into a net-centric, Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) based planning and decision-support toolset for a particular application domain. As a set of KMES tools the Integrated Computerized Deployment System (ICODES) is configured to support the movement of supplies in the military deployment and sustainment operational domain. The application focus is conveyance load-planning, including the staging of cargo in marshalling yards, assembly areas, and rail heads. ICODES is an example of a new generation of information-centric military decision-support software tools that feature expert agents with automatic reasoning and analysis capabilities. This is made possible by an internal virtual representation (i.e., ontology) of the load-planning environment, in terms of conveyance and cargo characteristics and the complex relationships that constitute the context within which load-planning operations are performed. ICODES agents monitor the principal determinants of cargo stowage, including: the placement and segregation requirements for hazardous cargo items; the trim and stability requirements of the conveyance; the accessibility of stow areas; the correct placement of cargo items in respect to restricted areas and inter-cargo spacing tolerances; and, the accuracy of cargo characteristics (e.g., dimensions, weight, type, and identification codes) relative to standard cargo libraries and associated reference tables. A critical requirement for the ICODES suite of load-planning services is the ability to grow to meet increasing needs. With an initial narrow focus ICODES was designated as the migration system for ship load-planning in 1996. However, as the user-base of ICODES increased so did the number of requests to support specialized problems and application domains that were not considered in the original design of the ICODES toolset. In November 2007, after an extensive evaluation of alternatives, ICODES was designated by USTRANSCOM's Distribution Steering Group (DSG) to become the Single Load Planning Capability (SLPC) for all types of conveyances. Consequently, by 2011 ICODES Global Services (GS) is expected to provide planning and execution support for cargo movement by ship, rail and trucks, airlift, warehousing, staging, and other domains that require space planning and in-transit visibility capabilities. Beyond this, within a wider scope of domains, ICODES GS must also be architecturally ready to integrate additional capabilities or services, such as viewers tailored to specific operational needs, critical data feeds from external sources, and newly available capabilities such as smart tags and other emerging technologies. Jens G. Pohl Conference Proceedings http://works.bepress.com/jpohl/90 http://works.bepress.com/jpohl/90 Tue, 15 Sep 2009 12:04:09 PDT This paper draws attention to the increasing need for agile and adaptive software environments that are capable of supporting rapid re-planning during the execution of time-critical operations involving commercial end-to-end supply chain transaction sequences, as well as disaster response and military missions. It is argued that such environments are currently best served by information-centric software tools executing within a service-oriented paradigm. Service-oriented architecture (SOA) design concepts and principles are described, with a focus on the functions of the services management framework (SMF) and enterprise service bus (ESB) components. Differentiating between data-centric and information-centric services, it is suggested that only intelligent software services, particularly those that incorporate an internal representation of context in the form of an ontology and agents with reasoning capabilities, are able to effectively address the need for agile and adaptive planning, re-planning and decision-support tools. The paper concludes with a description of the design components of a business process management (BPM) system operating within a SOA-based infrastructure, followed by a brief discussion of Cloud computing promises and potential user concerns. Jens G. Pohl Conference Proceedings http://works.bepress.com/jpohl/89 http://works.bepress.com/jpohl/89 Tue, 22 Jul 2008 08:47:04 PDT Agent-based collaborative decision support is a methodology of utilizing domain specific intelligent systems, interacting in a common environment, to partner with one or more human decision makers to reach a consensus solution to a complex problem. An example is the recently developed Collaborative Infrastructure Assessment Tool (CIAT) that provides a collaborative planning facility management tool in support of military pier and port management. This methodology is applicable to many similar dynamic facility management problems where the complexity of issues and the number of decision makers result in the need for domain specific agents, a common view of the data, and the need to reach a consensus solution. Arthur J. Chapman Conference Proceedings http://works.bepress.com/jpohl/88 http://works.bepress.com/jpohl/88 Mon, 21 Jul 2008 15:13:50 PDT Multi-agent systems provide an attractive architecture for the implementation of complex systems. Much of the research is focussed on complete automation of the decision making process as a means of duplicating human abilities for working with new problems and environments. There as also a need for systems that employ the human as an agent and rely on human abilities for common sense and deep thought. The CAD Research Center at Cal Poly and CDM Technologies have significant experience in building systems of the latter type that assist human users in solving complex problems in planning, design and economics. This experience has generated a set of guidelines and a software development framework that have collectively been identified as ICDM. This paper presents a brief history of major applications built with the ICDM framework, and proposes some basic precepts. Leonard Myers Conference Proceedings http://works.bepress.com/jpohl/87 http://works.bepress.com/jpohl/87 Mon, 21 Jul 2008 10:30:48 PDT This paper provides a basic description of the concept of an ontology. It then describes how ontologies are structured and employed in the context of interfaces between software based information systems. This usage is discussed in the context of three successive levels of semantic interoperability between two example systems. The paper goes on to suggest that the interfaces between information systems should perhaps be viewed and implemented as systems themselves. The paper concludes by providing a brief summary of what was discussed. Michael A. Zang Conference Proceedings