JOURNÉES DU CMSL
Application Interoperability & Integration
The complexity challenge
in French
Wednesday, December 4 and Thursday, December 5
9:00-17:30
Today, in a massively computerized economic world, there is a tendency towards
interoperable applications, as much within a same organization as among different
organizations working towards a same goal. Avoiding repetitious information recording is
an economic constraint imposed by the "just-in-time" process of integrated
enterprise and, even more so, of virtual enterprise. The current trend is to provide
services to which enterprise requires access, while saving its capability to evolve
without being bound to a particular provider. According to such a logic, information
systems rest on an ability to integrate, which requires to be protected and maintained.
The software ingredients enabling such an interoperability are well known today; namely
they are EAI or workflow engines, as far as middleware is concerned, and CRM, ERP, or SCM,
for applications; all of them being integrated, through heterogeneous platforms in-tier
architectures. In practice, implementing related projects is more difficult than
anticipated. Several professional organizations are worried about this situation and the
press dedicated to IS regularly reports the difficulties encountered.
In fact, integration and interoperability projects are powerful revealers of the
complexity hidden, but real indeed, inside applications. Exchanging information means not
only being able to emit and receive messages containing data, but also means that actors
understand all data in the same way and unambiguously; otherwise, errors occur, thus
hindering efficient action. Complexity shows in projects through two types of symptoms:
Generally, the second symptom is the more visible one, as it gives rise at once
to lagging releases or to non quality.
Based on a reflection on interoperability and organized by the Center for Mastering
Systems and Software (CMSL) of Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers (CNAM), the
present 2-day seminar aims at bringing light to, on the one hand, the architectural
complexity inherent to this kind of approach, which must be mastered for integration
quality to be guaranteed, on the other hand, to the complexity of projects which must be
conducted to achieve expected results and which involve a wide variety of actors.
The first part of the seminar (December 4, 2002) will be dedicated to a tutorial on
mastering the complexity of computerized systems. The second part (December 5, 2002) will
consist in a critical analysis of techniques and methods currently in use as well as a
review of practices in enterprises through a series of field experience reports provided
by practitioners in enterprises.
PART 1 :
TUTORIALFirst part: Complexity in systems integration and engineering
Complexity in computerized systems: the interoperability issue will be used as a
recurring example. How complexity is perceived in software projects: architecture and
complexity, taking into account non functional features, impact on validation,
verification, and tests. Static and dynamic configuration: combinatorial aspects of
complexity. Information and complexity: distinguishing information representation (syntax)
and information handling (semantics). Complexity indicators and metrics: quantitative and
qualitative approaches. Algorithmic complexity and systems performances: impact of
optimization on complexity. Algorithmic information and program size: impact on fault
density in software. Overview of methods for modeling and mastering complexity: role of
interfaces, layered architecture, and n-tier architecture.
Deuxième partie :Complexité des architectures & impact de la
combinatoire
Complexité du projet. De la complexité du système à faire à la complexité du
système pour le faire. Impacts sur l'architecture industrielle, la planification et la
maîtrise du projet. Complexité organisationnelle et humaine. Applicabilité des concepts
d'ingénierie système.
Éléments de complexité des systèmes et des processus : complexité systémique,
indéterminisme, hétérogénéité, complexité humaine. Limitation de la problématique
aux systèmes technologiques. De la complexité du problème à celle de la solution :
nécessité et limitation des approches analytiques structurelles et comportementales.
Les solutions apportées par l'ingénierie système : tour d'horizon des problématiques
de maîtrise de la complexité : apports des processus et de la modélisation. Exemples
d'approches méthodologiques d'évaluation et de prise en compte des éléments de la
complexité dans l'exploration du problème, la définition des exigences, la conception
des architectures, l'optimisation de la définition du système et de son pilotage. Vers
une vision systémique intégrant de multiples approches analytiques.
Second part: Architectural complexity and impact of combinatorics
Project complexity. From the complexity of the system to be implemented to the complexity
of the enabling system. Impact on industrial architectures, project planning and
mastering. Organizational and human complexity. Applicability of concepts to systems
engineering.
Process and systems complexity factors: systemic complexity, non-determinism,
heterogeneity, and human complexity. Limitation to technological systems. From problem
complexity to solution complexity: needs and limitation of structural and behavioral
analytical approaches.
Solutions provided by systems engineering. Issues in mastering complexity, contribution of
processes and modeling. Instances of methodological approaches for assessing and taking
into account complexity factors in investigating a given problem, requirements
elicitation, architectural design, optimizing system definition and control. Towards a
systemic view integrating multiple analytical approaches.
The presentations will be based on the following two books:
Jacques Printz : Puissance et limites des systèmes informatisés, Lavoisier, 1998
Jean-Pierre Meinadier : Intégration et Ingénierie des systèmes, Lavoisier, 1998
PART 2 : EXPERIENCE REPORTS
Thursday, December 5, 9:00-17:30
The program of December 5 will consist ofa series of presentations regarding projects and implementations performed by enterprises related to several industrial sectors. A panel will close the seminar.
Break
Lunch
Break
Round table: Do we know how to manage complex projects?
Co-Chairs :
Jean-Pierre Meinadier - Professeur Titulaire de la Chaire d'Intégration de
Systèmes au CNAM
Jacques Printz - Professeur Titulaire de la Chaire de Génie Logiciel au CNAM,
Directeur du CNAM-CMSL
in cooperation with the speakers.
Copyright (C) CNAM-CMSL 2002, Tous droits réservés.