An Enterprise Interoperability Framework based on Compliance and Conformance

Abstract

The existing interoperability frameworks usually take an application-driven, top-down approach, in which the most relevant dimensions of interoperability are optimized for some problem space. For example, The European Interoperability Framework has been conceived primarily to support e-Government services. With the goal of contributing to the establishment of the scientific foundations of interoperability, this chapter presents a multidimensional interoperability framework, conceived in a generic, bottom-up approach. The basic tenet is to add an interoperability dimension (based on the concepts of compliance and conformance) to an enterprise architecture framework with lifecycle and concreteness as its main dimensions, forming a universal core framework. This core is then provided with an extensibility mechanism, based on a concerns dimension, into which the specific characteristics of applications and their domains can be added to instantiate the framework, now in an application-driven fashion. The most relevant concerns, with sufficient applicability breadth, can be promoted to full dimensions and extend the framework. The use of partial compliance and conformance reduces coupling while still allowing interoperability, which increases adaptability, changeability, and reliability, thereby contributing to a sustainable interoperability.