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Lookup NU author(s): Dr Brian Rossiter
A universal representation is developed, based on the ISO standards for Information Resource Dictionary System (IRDS), with the aim of providing a complete definition of an information system from the physical data values held to the concepts employed for data and function description and real--world abstractions. It is discussed how such a multi--level model can be used to control the evolution of information systems by creating an environment where heterogeneous systems can be compared. Current trends towards more structured programming techniques and more disciplined software engineering environments lead to the potential for considerable benefits from using an IRDS approach. This potential, however, will only be realized if a formal underpinning of the IRDS standard is achieved and then only reliably if the {it formal} is constructive and the underpinning is enabling not just supporting. The application of standards to interoperable systems is frustrated by their complexity. Consistency across integrated levels in open environments can be satisfied by a single reference model but only if it has natural closure. Standards can usually be relied on when applied to closed systems but there is not the same guarantee in mixed systems based on different standards. The purpose of a reference model is to support corporate information systems by integrating the different standards but formal verification may need to go beyond first-order logic. The ISO standard Information Resource Dictionary System (IRDS) can be shown to have the appropriate formal basis to perform the role of a universal reference model
Author(s): Rossiter BN, Heather MA
Publication type: Report
Publication status: Published
Series Title: Department of Computing Science Technical Report Series
Year: 1998
Pages: 14
Print publication date: 01/06/1998
Source Publication Date: June 1998
Report Number: 623
Institution: Department of Computing Science, University of Newcastle upon Tyne
Place Published: Newcastle upon Tyne
URL: http://www.cs.ncl.ac.uk/publications/trs/papers/623.pdf
