BRIDGING MDA AND OWL ONTOLOGIES
Keywords:
Ontology development, MDA, UML Profiles, OWL, model transformationsAbstract
Web Ontology Language (OWL) and Model-Driven Architectures (MDA) are two technologies being developed in parallel, but by different communities. They have common points and issues and can be brought closer together. Many authors have so far stressed this problem and have proposed several solutions. The result of these efforts is the recent OMG’s initiative for defining an ontology development platform. However, the problem of transformation between ontology and MDA-based languages has been solved using rather partial and ad hoc solutions, most often by XSLT. In this paper we analyze OWL and MDA-compliant languages as separate technological spaces. In order to achieve a synergy between these technological spaces we define ontology languages in terms of MDA standards, recognize relations between OWL and MDA-based ontology languages, and propose mapping techniques. In order to illustrate the approach, we use an MDA-defined ontology architecture that includes ontology metamodel and ontology UML Profile. Based on this approach, we have implemented a transformation of the ontology UML Profile into OWL representation.
Downloads
References
Atkinson, C. and Kühne, T., Profiles in a strict metamodeling framework, Science of Computer
Programming, 44(1), 2002. 5-22.
Atkinson, C. and Kühne, T., Model-Driven Development: A Metamodeling Foundation. IEEE
Software 20(5), 2003. 36-41.
Baclawski, K., Kokar, M.K., Kogut, P., Hart, L., Smith, J.E., Letkowski, J. and Emery, P.
Extending the Unified Modeling Language for ontology development. International Journal
Software and Systems Modeling (SoSyM), 1(2), 2002. 142-156.
Baclawski, K. Kokar, M., Smith, J.E., Wallace, E., Letkowski, J., Koethe, M.R. and Kogut, P.
UOL: Unified Ontology Language. Assorted papers discussed at the DC Ontology SIG meeting,
(2002), http://www.omg.org/cgi-bin/doc?ontology/2002-11-02
Bechhofer, S., van Harmelen, F., Hendler, J., Horrocks, I., McGuinness, D.L. Patel-Schneider,
P.F. and Stein, L.A. OWL Web Ontology Language Reference. W3C Recommendation, (2004),
http://www.w3.org/TR/2004/REC-owl-ref-20040210
Berners-Lee, T. Weaving the Web. Orion Business Books, 1999.
Bézivin, J., Dupé, G., Jouault, F., Pitette, G., Rougui, J.E., First experiments with the ATL model
transformation language: Transforming XSLT into Xquery. in Proceedings of the 2nd OOPSLA
Workshop on Generative Techniques in the context of Model Driven Architecture, (Anaheim, CA,
USA, 2003).
Bézivin, J., From Object Composition to Model Transformation with the MDA. in Proceedings of
the 39th International Conference and Exhibition on Technology of Object-Oriented Languages
and Systems, (Santa Barbara, USA, 2001), 350-355.
Bézivin, J., In Search of a Basic Principle for Model Driven Engineering. Upgrade, 5(2), 2004.
-24.
Bock, C. UML without Pictures. IEEE Software, 20(5), 2003. 33-35.
Brachman, R.J. On the Epistemological Status of Semantic Networks, in Findler, N.V. ed.
Associative Networks: Representations and Use of Knowledge by Computers, Academic Press,
, 3-50.
Brickley, D. and Guha, R.V. (eds.) Resource Description Framework (RDF) Schema Specification
0. W3C Recommendation, (2004), http://www.w3.org/TR/2004/REC-rdf-schema-20040210/
Chandrasekaran, B., Josephson, J.R. and Benjamins, V.R. What Are Ontologies, and Why Do We
Need Them?. IEEE Intelligent Systems, 14(1), 1999. 20-26.
Cranefield, S. Networked Knowledge Representation and Exchange using UML and RDF. Journal
of Digital information, 1(8), 2001. http://jodi.ecs.soton.ac.uk
Damjanović, V. Semantic Web, Ontologies, and Agents. Specialist degree thesis, University of
Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro (2003).
Decker, S., Melnik, S., van Harmelen, F., Fensel, D., Klein, M., Broekstra, J., Ederman, M. and
Horrocks, I. The Semantic Web: The Roles of XML and RDF. IEEE Internet Computing, 4(5),
63-74.
Devedžić, V. Understanding Ontological Engineering. Communications of the ACM, 45(4), 2002.
-144.
Dirckze, R. (spec. leader) Java Metadata Interface (JMI) Specification Version 1.0, (2002),
http://jcp.org/aboutJava/communityprocess/final/jsr040/index.html
Djurić, D., MDA-based Ontology Infrastructure. International Journal on Computer Science and
Information Systems, 1(1), 2004. 91-116.
Djurić, D., Gašević, D., Devedžić, V. and Damjanović, V., A UML profile for OWL ontologies. in
Proceedings of the Workshop on Model Driven Architecture: Foundations and Applications,
(Linköping, Sweden, 2004).
Djurić, D., Gašević, D. and Devedžić, V. Ontology Modeling and MDA. Journal on Object
Technology, 4(1), 2005. 109-128.
Duddy, K. UML2 Must Enable A Family of Languages. Communications of the ACM, 45(11),
73-75.
Falkovych, K., Sabou, M. and Stuckenschmidt, H. UML for the Semantic Web: Transformation-
Based Approaches. in Omelayenko, B. and Klein, M. eds. Knowledge Transformation for the
Semantic Web, Frontiers in Artificial Intelligence and Applications, Vol. 95, IOS Press, 2003, 92-
Fensel, D., van Harmelen, F., Horrocks, I., McGuinness, D.L. and Patel-Schneider, P.F. OIL: An
Ontology Infrastructure for the Semantic Web. IEEE Intelligent Systems, 16(2), 2001. 38-45.
Gašević D. and Devedžić, V., Reusing Petri Nets Through the Semantic Web. in Proceedings of
the 1st European Semantic Web Symposium, (Heraklion, Greece, 2004) 284-298.
Gašević, D., Damjanović, V. and Devedžić, V., Analysis of the MDA Standards in Ontological
Engineering. in Proceedings of the 6th International Conference of Information Technology,
(Bhubaneswar, India, 2003), 193-196.
Gašević, D., Djurić, D., Devedžić, V. and Damjanović, V., Converting UML to OWL ontologies.
in Proceedings of the 13th International WWW Conference, (NY, USA, 2004) 488-489.
Gašević, D., Djurić, D., Devedžić, V. and Damjanović, V., UML for Read-To-Use OWL
Ontologies. in Proceedings of the 2nd IEEE International Conference on Intelligent Systems,
(Vrana, Bulgaria, 2004) 485-490.
Gómez-Pérez, A. and Corcho, O. Ontology Languages for the Semantic Web. IEEE Intelligent
Systems, 17(1), 2002. 54-60.
Gruber, T. A translation approach to portable ontology specifications. Knowledge Acquisition,
(2), 1993. 199-220.
Juerjens, J. Secure Systems Development with UML. Springer-Verlag, 2003.
Karp, P.D., Myers, K. and Gruber, T., The Generic Frame Protocol. in Proceedings of the 14th
International Joint Conference on Artificial Intelligence, IJCAI 1995, (Montréal, Québec, Canada,
, 768-774.
Klein, M. XML, RDF, and Relatives. IEEE Intelligent Systems, 16(2), 2001. 26-28.
Klein M. and Visser, U. Guest Editors’ Introduction: Semantic Web Challenge 2003. IEEE
Intelligent Systems, 19(3), 2004. 31-33.
Kogut, P., Cranefield, S., Hart, L., Dutra, M., Baclawski, K., Kokar, M. and Smith, J. UML for
Ontology Development. The Knowledge Engineering Review, 17(1), 2002. 61-64.
Kurtev, I. and van den Berg, K., Model Driven Architecture based XML Processing. in
Proceedings of the ACM Symposium on Document Engineering, (Grenoble, France, 2003), 246-
Kurtev, I., Bézivin, J. and Aksit, M., Technological Spaces: An Initial Appraisal. in Proceedings
of the Confederated International Conferences CoopIS, DOA, and ODBASE 2002, Industrial
track, (Irvine, CA, USA, 2002).
McGuinness, D.L., Fikes, R., Hendler, J. and Stein, L.A. DAML+OIL: An Ontology Language for
the Semantic Web. IEEE Intelligent Systems, 17(5), 2002. 72-80.
Miller, J. and Mukerji, J. (eds.), MDA Guide Version 1.0. OMG Document: omg/2003-05-01,
(2003) http://www.omg.org/mda/mda_files/MDA_Guide_Version1-0.pdf
Noy, N.F. and McGuinness, D.L., Ontology Development 101: A Guide to Creating Your First
Ontology. Knowledge Systems Laboratory, Stanford University, (2004)
http://www.ksl.stanford.edu/people/dlm/papers/ontology101/ontology101-noy-mcguinness.html
Noy, N.F., Fergerson, R.W. and Musen, M.A., The knowledge model of Protégé-2000: combining
interoperability and flexibility. in Proceedings of the 12th International Conference, (Juan-les-Pins,
France, 2000), 17-32.
Noy, N.F., Sintek, M., Decker, S., Crubézy, M., Fergerson, R.W. and Musen, M.A. Creating
Semantic Web Contents with Protégé-2000. IEEE Intelligent Systems, 16(2), 2001. 60-71.
Open Knowledge Base Connectivity, (2003) http://www.ai.sri.com/~okbc/
MOF Model to Text Transformation Language - Request For Proposal. OMG Document ad/04-
-07, (2004), http://www.omg.org/cgibin/apps/doc?ad/04-04-07.pdf
Meta Object Facility (MOF) Specification v1.4. OMG Document formal/02-04-03, (2002),
http://www.omg.org/cgi-bin/apps/doc?formal/02-04-03.pdf
Ontology Definition Metamodel Request for Proposal. OMG Document: ad/2003-03-40, (2003)
http://www.omg.org/cgi-bin/doc?ad/2003-03-40
MOF 2.0 Query/Views/Transformations Request for Proposal. OMG Document ad/2002-04-10,
(2002), http://www.omg.org/docs/ad/02-04-10.pdf
Unified Modeling Language Specification v1.5. OMG Document formal/03-03-01, (2003),
http://www.omg.org/cgi-bin/apps/doc?formal/03-03-01.zip
Unified Modeling Language: Superstructure, Version 2.0, Final Adopted Specification, OMG
Document ptc/03-08-02, (2003), http://www.omg.org/cgi-bin/apps/doc?ptc/03-08-02.zip
OMG XMI Specification, v1.2. OMG Document formal/02-01-01, (2002),
http://www.omg.org/cgi-bin/doc?formal/2002-01-01
Seidewitz, E. What Models Mean. IEEE Software, 20(5), 2003. 26-32.
Selic, B. The Pragmatics of Model-Driven Development. IEEE Software, 20 (5), 2003. 19-25.
Sigel, J. Developing in OMG’s Model-Driven Architecture, Revision 2.6. OMG’s White Paper,
(2001), ftp://ftp.omg.org/pub/docs/-omg/01-12-01.pdf
Sowa, J.F. Knowledge Representation: Logical, Philosophical, and Computational Foundation.
Brooks Cole Publishing Co., 2000.