An Automated Venture Architectural System

Published Date: 02 Nov 2017

Mahreen Jurial Khan *, Murtaza Hussain Shaikh #, Ievet Karlson ±

* Institute of Information & Communication Technology, University of Sindh, Pakistan

# Member IEEE, Norway

± Department of Computer Science, University of Bristol, United Kingdom

Abstract

The metis tool is indeed one of renowned tools in the field of venture architecture and especially in modeling world of information systems engineering. The advantages of this tool give users flexibility in terms of usage and accomplishment in their ventures as well. This article tried to elucidate the quality of the tool rather than the practical implementation of this tool. However, brief glimpse of the usage can be seen. The appraisal is also focused on the capability of the tool used for simple modeling, visual element features maintained by tool.

Keywords

Component; Annotations; Comprehensibility; Consistency; Venture; Flexibility; Implementation; Independently; Representation

Introduction

An automated level architecture is a fine way to represent venture structure, its subsystems and relationships between the subsystems influence of external ventures, principles adopted for design and evolution of venture [2, 3]. In this technological era, with the growing needs of the enterprises, the various visual aided tools such as Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Visio are of little usage. It needs greater capability beyond the pictures in order to practically solve the problems pertaining to the various ventures and to implement those changes [4]. "Actually, Metis is a family of client and server products for creating, visualizing, and managing venture models" [4]. The latest version of the tool is called "Troux architect". Experiencing one of the most distinguished features of metis tool is that it provides flexibility to use various modeling languages such as Unified Modeling Language (UML), Escalator Elevator Markup Language (EEML) and Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) [1, 5].

Objectives

The objective behind this research and study is to get familiar with the metis tool and determine the capability of tool. To achieve these goals and solve problems, we would focus on mainly two aspects;

a) How useful is metis tool as a modeler?

b) How to evaluate this tool?

The above stated problems can be easily solved using certain evaluation criteria. This paper recommends and suggests the use of sequal framework in order to solve these scale level problems.

Methodology & Rationalities

First of all, the methodology for solving the problems can be done by practically using the tool and experiencing it oneself. The scope with respect to the study is to access the modeling and limitations if any for the tool. The various standards are provided by the tool. The features incorporated in tool and compliance of designer make it as a tool. However, there are some constraints like practical problems concerning to ventures and usage of this tool to solve those problems.

Overview of Tool

Metis tool offers many features for modeling depending upon the usage. The diverse supported modes are edit mode, browse mode, and annotate mode [4, 6]. Metis facilitates various collaborative features depending upon the user profiles. They can suitably serve five major roles as listed below;

(1) Metis model browser.

(2) Metis model annotator.

(3) Metis model editor.

(4) Metis model designer.

(5) Metis meta model developer.

FIG.1 The metis model browser

1)Method for Accessing Metis Modeler

Metis is a standard tool for meeting all the venture needs. Metis models can be used in three ways depending upon user’s perspectives [8].

(a) Modelers: The developers, who do the designing and modeling in engine.

(b) Reviewers: The end users, who have access to make annotations for models. The improper collocation with "privilege" to make annotations and annotator software are being provided for their needs.

(c) Viewers: They are the set of users such as internal members or clients who just need the access for reading only version of the models. For them, functionality of metis browser is only needed to be installed on their machine.

Therefore, to completely access and evaluate the tool, we have to look into all these three perspectives, but in this paper we would mainly focused on the modeler’s point of view.

2)Modeling a Progression Using Metis Tool

The interface of metis is provided with many useful and unique features. The layout of the tool consists of navigation area called as "Model Tree" and designer canvas area used for designing models called as "Editor Space". The fig.1, illustrates the user interface of the metis. The tabs are essentially used for switching among various views. In the top, it shows the various tools for toolbars and drop down menus.

Evaluation & Insights

The evaluation of the tool is basically done using the quality framework. Firstly, we shall discuss about the basics of framework and then we implement metis tool. This framework states various aspects related to the quality from various perspectives such as Social quality, Semantic quality, Syntactic quality, Physical quality, Organizational and Pragmatic quality [4]. Physical quality is the model representation and its availability, persistence. Enable it to be interpreted by various actors and possibly change if needed. The empirical quality is about the presentational graphical layout which helps reading and writing easily. Syntactic quality is about syntax validity of the model with respect to language used for modeling. Semantic quality has mainly focused on two characteristics i.e. validity and completeness of the model with respect to domain [9]. This quality depends upon the knowledge of the actor to model and understand the domain, which is also called as semantic perception of model. Pragmatic quality is about comprehensibility of model from the audience point of view. Social quality is about actor’s agreement on their knowledge and interpretation of model. The followings are the evaluation of the metis tool;

1. The Persistence: Using metis team server, the models can be stored and versioned.

2. Availability: In availability there are three basic phases;

(a) Annotation: The created models are also available for annotation using metis annotator.

(b) Browsing: The created models are also made available to the users by means of metis model browser, or web-reports.

(c) Language: The language medium used for user interface in general as English. It can serve very well as most of the organizations use English as their official working language. The tool also provides features to import and export as comma separated values.

3. A Social Quality: The tool helps in differentiation between harmonized and local processes which can be attained by setting the process whether confined or universal [6]. The tool also sustains modeling the exceptions [3, 10]. The exception modeling is to capture the exception. Consequently, in case of any exception of failure to find a promising match, handler catches and sends it to protected node if it survives [8].

4. Organizational Quality: Metis is worked out as the best tool supporting diverse languages for modeling. This makes best use of parts and concepts by means of diverse languages. The cost of the tool is very expensive but its immobility provides good characteristics as needed by the diverse organizations [7,10]. This tool is not easy to use as it needs a lot of expertise. The training of the tool can certainly improve the usage of the tool and exploit all the features provided by this tool.

Alliance with Collaborative Tools

After evaluating the tools in terms of the descriptions and factors for designing business process models, majority of the tools were rejected [2].

FIG.2 Collaborative Process Modeling Tools Classification [6]

Furthermore, metis provides good features in terms of the user profiles and usage (i.e. metis model browser, metis model annotator, metis model editor, metis model designer, metis meta model developer) [11]. In comparison to mainstream of the tools (i.e. within 148 tools, metis meets the client needs very well). As it can be seen from the above fig. 2, metis has very competitive features on comparison with other tools for providing web capability to models and client server requirements [9].

Prospectual Scope

This article consists of evaluation of the tool on the basis of a well known framework. However, this paper fails to take into account the familiarity of tool users and also more work can be done by taking practical requirements and need of ventures into consideration. We have tried to provide the comparison between the tool and the other tools in terms of collaboration but, still work can be further extended by comparing in detail with other tools thereby it gives the exact picture of which tool is better than other. This article focused mainly on appraisal of the metis tool from modeler designer perspective. The appraisal of the tool has supported the fact that tool provides important features as required by the venture modelers. However, the real test can be done upon comparing with other tools and working in practical venture environment.