News

 

17 Oct 2006

The project has been reorganized into Fusionsoft Company.

17 Oct 2006

One paper and one chapter have been added ([Ov06-1], [Ov06-2]). See Fusionsoft Company site for their preprints.

15 Jan 2006

SCM specification has been completed in Russian (SCM-SPEC-16.10.2005-RU.pdf)

23 Aug 2005

New publications are added (*.pdf)

30 Apr 2005

SCM Portal reconstruction is completed

16 Apr 2005

SCM-based client/server technology is completed under Academic Public License (SCM_ALPHA 1.0). SCM Portal reconstruction is started.

20 Feb 2005

Launching of SCQL-SQL mapping demo tool is simplified: just download and run it. Now you can find it at the SCM_ALPHA 1.0 as exemplary_system\querymapper*.

20 Feb 2005

[Ov05] is added: A Declarative Concept-Based Query Language as a mean for Relational Database Querying.

12 Jan 2005

The project has been launched

 

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SCM_ALPHA 1.0

SCM_ALPHA, or SCM-based client-server technology, is a software complex serving for creation platform-independent client-server applications on basis of Semantically Complete Query Language (SCQL), a pure concept-based query language. Platform-independence means that you can create client-server applications not concerning with a type of DBMS operating at a server (relational, XML-based or other server data sources). “Pure concept-based” means SCQL works with application domain concepts and their associations only, not concerning with system implementation details (relational schema structure, for example).

The current version of SCM_ALPHA has the following restrictions:

·        It does not allow data modification. The feature will be implemented in the near future.

·        It has a client software library for Java 1.4 only. In the near future a client software library for C++ and C# will be implemented.

It supports types of server data sources accessible through JDBC only (Oracle, MS SQL, MySQL, and other RDBMS). In the future it is supposed to support other types of data sources (XML databases, others).

SCM_ALPHA consists of, but not limited to, the following main parts:

·        A client software development library allows for connecting to a SCM server through SSL, executing SCQL statements, fetching results, controlling transactions, requesting metadata.

·        SCM server software listens for clients’ connections, processes a client’s requests, communicates with an underlying server data source and SCM knowledge base. SCM server supports for many clients to be processed simultaneously.

SCM knowledge base stores metainformation for mapping SCQL statements to statements of an underlying data source. SCM knowledge base represents a structure of XML documents, describing reduction of a data source’s model to SCM model.

 

Introduction

 

This resource contains information concerning all aspects of SCM (Semantically Complete Model). Initially, SCM is a conceptual modeling technique based only on two conceptions: concepts and their associations (connections). An association of a SCM model carries complete semantics of underlying concepts interconnection. This feature is guaranteed by two main circumstances:

a)      each association is to be based on a set of concepts (not list of concepts);

b)      a SCM model can not have an association based on a concept set being a proper subset of a concept set of another association.

As a result, associations need not have proper names and are identified by concept sets.

 

There is a conceptual query language built over SCM: SCQL (Semantically Complete Query Language). The language is declarative and concept-based, i.e. a query can be written using concepts only, without referring to association proper names. It makes the language to be ideal for query writing by application domain experts (not IT experts).

 

SCM is also considered as data access interface to a data integration system, named Concept Space, with the following main features:

a)      the global schema is represented as a flat concept space being transparent for users;

b)      new local schemas and view points upon them are shared automatically among all users as soon as created, administration is not necessary;

c)      creation of GUI view points can be fulfilled without involving IT people in the declarative way including master-detail dependencies;

d)      the semantic browsing feature is supported automatically, without any programming;

e)      view points functionality is based on functionality of visual components (grids, charts, trees, graphs, reports, and others), which can be supplied for the Concept Space by independent software vendors.

 

SCM-based client/server technology is considered as a core of the Concept Space. The technology allows to have access from a client-side to data stored on a server-side through SCM/SCQL data access interface. In general, SCM can be backed by a set of heterogeneous and distributed data servers based on different types of DBMS. The technology guarantees maximal isolation of client-side software and data storing structures by dint of SCQL.

 

The following can be considered as the prospects of SCM development:

a)      use of SCM for software modeling and implementation;

b)      use of SCM as a knowledge representation mean for technical specification, education and testing purposes;

c)      SCM/SCQL-natural language and natural language-SCM/SCQL translations.

 

 

Publications: Theoretical and Practical View of SCM, SCQL, and Concept Space

 

[Ov06-2] Ovchinnikov V.V. Architecture of a semantic data integration system based on a semantically complete model and a semantically complete query language // Programming and Computer Software, Springer Netherlands, 32(4), 2006, pp. 228-242.

[Ov06-1] Ovchinnikov V.V. A Concept-Based Query Language Not Using Proper Association Names // Chapter 19 of Advanced Topics in Database Research, volume 5 (Keng Siau ed.), Hershey, PA, USA, Idea Group Publishing, 2006, pp. 374-400.

[Ov05-2] Ovchinnikov V.V. A Concept-Based Query Language Not Using Proper Relation Names // In (Castro J., Teniente E. eds) Proc. of CAiSE’05 Workshops Vol. 1, Porto, FEUP, 2005, pp. 617-628.

[Ov04-4] Ovchinnikov V.V. A Conceptual Modeling Technique Based on Semantically Complete Model, its Applications // In (Doroshenko A., Halpin T., Liddle S., Mayr H. eds.) Proc. of the 3rd International Conference ISTA’2004: Information Systems Technology and its Applications, Salt Lake City, GI Lecture Notes in Informatics P-48, 2004, pp. 25-38.

The central aspects of SCM, SCQL and Concept Space were presented and discussed here.

A Data Integration System Managed by Users. Unpublished.

Complex and Dynamic Constraints of Semantically Complete Model. Unpublished.

[Ov05] Ovchinnikov V.V., Vahromeev Y.V. A Declarative Concept-Based Query Language as a mean for Relational Database Querying // Journal of Conceptual Modeling (www.inconcept.com/jcm), 34, 2005.

The paper shortly describes essence and use of SCQL-SQL mapping tool.

[Ov04-5] Ovchinnikov V.V. Architecture of Heterogeneous Concept Space Managed by non-IT people // Journal of Conceptual Modeling (www.inconcept.com/jcm), 33, 2004.

The paper enumerates existing problems of information systems creation, and shows how they can be solved with SCM-based approaches. A SCM-based data integration system named Concept Space is considered as a core of these solutions. Also the paper considers differences between SCM and ORM, Concept Space and other data integration systems.

[Ov04-3] Ovchinnikov V.V. A Semantically Complete Conceptual Modeling Technique // Journal of Conceptual Modeling (www.inconcept.com/jcm), 32, 2004.

The paper considers notation of SCM and SCQL, structure of SCQL expressions, gives an example of SCM/SCQL application for modeling a Manufacturing Execution System.

[Ov04-1] Ovchinnikov V.V. Improving Controllability of Vast Conceptual Models // Journal of Conceptual Modeling (www.inconcept.com/jcm), 31, 2004.

It contains ideas motivating SCM and SCQL introduction, illustrated on an example.

[Ov03] Ovchinnikov V.V. A Conceptual Modeling Technique without Redundant Structural Elements // Journal of Conceptual Modeling (www.inconcept.com/jcm), 29, 2003.

The paper presents formal foundations of Semantically Complete Model.

[Ov04-2] Ovchinnikov V.V. Conceptual Modeling of Electricity Consumption Tracking Using Semantically Complete Model // Journal of Conceptual Modeling (www.inconcept.com/jcm), 32, 2004.

The paper contains a detailed example of SCM/SCQL application for modeling industry information systems.

[Ов04-2] Овчинников В.В. Повышение управляемости больших концептуальных моделей // Информационные технологии, №10, 2004, сс. 8-14.

The paper considers ideas motivating SCM and SCQL introduction in Russian.

[Ов04-1] Овчинников В.В. Метод концептуального моделирования сложных информационных систем с использованием семантически полной модели // Системы управления и информационные технологии, №4(16) – Москва-Воронеж: Научная книга, 2004, сс. 27-33.

The paper considers notation and structure of SCM and SCQL in Russian.

 

 

Persons

 

Project Persons

 

Vladimir Ovchinnikov, PhD in Computer Science.

SCM, SCQL, Concept Space creator. Initiator of the project.

 

Yuri Vahromeev, Master in Computer Science

Project participant.

 

Maksim Uvarov, Bachelor in Computer Science

Project participant.

 

 

 

Associated links

 

Object-Role Modeling Site

It contains resources concerning all aspects of ORM and conceptual query languages based on it. The ORM is the nearest analogue to SCM. The main distinction is absence of the semantic completeness feature. As a result, its conceptual query languages are not concept-based.

The Concept-Oriented Portal

It introduces Concept-Oriented Database Model and Query Language. The CODM differs from SCM noticeably: concepts are not to be elementary, and are composed of other concepts; there can be only part-whole relations between concepts. The model allows to represent an application domain as one concept hierarchy from highly detailed levels to more abstract ones. COQL is procedural with some declarative aspects.

EMMSAD'2005 Workshop

This workshop focuses on exploring, evaluating, and enhancing current information modeling methods and methodologies.

ER 2005 Conference

The conference deals with conceptual modeling issues.

ISTA 2005 Conference

It considers theoretical and practical issues of information systems technology.

ISTA 2004 Conference

The central aspects of SCM, SCQL and Concept Space were presented and discussed here.