Publication Date:
2020-02-12
Description:
An important aim of modelling complex environmental systems is to embed scientific outcomes into applications. With this characteristic, not only the modelled systems, but also the required technical realizations are complex. Managing interdisciplinary, interorganisational modelling tasks and dealing with complex heterogeneous technologies are challenges the modellers and respective institutions are faced with. In practice, issues arise due to technological heterogeneity across organisational and disciplinary boundaries, model reuse within different application contexts, and integrative system specification. Service-oriented Architecture (SOA) with Web Services and Workflow Management provide a conceptual framework and a technological basis to deal with these problems. As part of a web-based disaster information platform established in Germany, we implemented the SOA-based prototypical distributed information system NaDiNe-Dike. It combines a numerical dike breach simulation model, spatial data handling, simulation management, and a web-based user interface. All functionalities of the system are provided by Web Services. The execution of these services is managed by a Workflow Management System. In this paper, we describe how various existing technologies, including heritage simulation and other off-the-shelf software (i.e. OGC-WS), have been integrated using SOA. This approach is particularly flexible by supporting the reuse and recombination of functionalities (e.g. simulation models) in different contexts and applications. We discuss the main characteristics of the implemented system and conclude that the main advantages using SOA in such a way are the possibility to distribute functionality of a system spatially and functionally across institutions, programming languages and operating systems. Moreover, SOA provides enough flexibility to integrate simulation models with data management and presentation technologies that originate in different technological spaces and may be provided and maintained by different spatially distributed organizations. The possibility to reuse software components helps to reduce redundant implementation efforts and eases the transfer from science to the application domain. The main disadvantages of the approach followed here are the use of the network as the coupling media, the need to redesign heritage software, and the lack of specific simulation support. Moreover, the introduction of the component-based software implementation paradigm into the participating organizations is required, which must be accompanied by adequate system specification techniques. However, SOA provides the technological basis for a software infrastructure that reflects the distributed nature of today's modelling tasks, enhancing the division of responsibilities, thus, making modelling more efficient in the long run.
Keywords:
550 - Earth sciences
Type:
info:eu-repo/semantics/bookPart
Format:
application/pdf
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