Abstract
This paper illustrates the experiences in the adaptation of the Conceptual Schema approach as defined in ISO TR 9007 on a mega-project. It steps through the stages that a large project for the re-design of a secure networked Automatic Data Processing system takes in a particular Canadian Government Sector. The experiences of personnel in establishing the necessary framework for requirements definition and specification are highlighted. Traditional large information technology projects present their requirements in elusive terms, using narrative text for contractors to analyze. The Canadian Forces Supply System Upgrade Project has taken an innovative approach in formalizing its system specifications for presentation to contractors. The paper defines the framework of models that were used in establishing the set of system specifications and its associated problems with people, skills, time and resources, in terras of Conceptual Schemas, Database Semantics, and Databases, to handle a mix of classified and unclassified data. This is the first time that a large government project in North America is approaching industry with a formal specification suite based on a comprehensive set of integrated models. This paper summarizes the work done in this area to the time of submission of the responses to the Request for Proposal for Funded Project Definition phase of the Project (August, 1991).
Mr. Piprani has been involved in a senior capacity with the Canadian Forces Supply System Upgrade Project since 1984, where he introduced Natural-language (Nijssen's) Information Analysis Method (NIAM) to the Project. Prior to 1984, he was a senior Data Management Consultant with Control Data Canada Ltd for 13 years, consulting and teaching NIAM, consulting and implementing applications using DBMS adaptations of the NIAM based models. His background includes a bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Post Graduate Diploma in Industrial Management (equivalent MBA) from the University of Madras. He was also teaching at both Control Data Corporation, Massachusetts and at Northeastern University, Boston, where he pursued his graduate work in Industrial Engineering (MS). He has been actively involved in ISO Working Groups for Conceptual Schemas, Database, Open Distributed Processing and Database Language SQL2. He is also an active member of IFIP 2.6. Colonel R. Bruce Morris is the Project Manager. His background includes being the Director of ADP Operations for the two National/Departmental Level Data Centres at Canadian Forces Bases Borden and Ottawa, and several technical communicationselectronics positions prior to being appointed Project Manager in 1988. The authors wish to thank Mr. Maurice Smith, Dr. Robert Meersman, and Dr. T.W.(Bill) Olle for their contributions in some enlightening and “lively” discussions in this area. The authors also thank the Canadian Department of National Defence, for allowing publication of this paper and support from the CFSSU Project staff, in particular the Project Director, Col. Ralph A. Genest, and the senior staff of the Project Management Office. This paper reflects the opinions as expressed by the authors and does not represent the official position of the Canadian Department of National Defence.
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References
ISO Technical Report TR 9007: Concepts and Terminology for the Conceptual Schema and the Information Base. International Organization for Standardization, Geneva.
Verheijen, G.M.A., and Van Bekkum, J.: NIAM, An Information Analysis Method. CRIS Report 1982, edited by T.W. Olle et al., Proceedings of the IFIP 8.1 Conference, North Holland.
Briefing to Industry, Canadian Forces Supply System Upgrade Project, Department of National Defence, Ottawa, Canada, 29 November 1989.
Briefing to Industry, Canadian Forces Supply System Upgrade Project, Department of National Defence, Ottawa, Canada, 22 June 1990.
Information Analysis Support Tools Reference Manual, Control Data Corporation, Minneapolis, USA, 1982, Revised 1983, 1985.
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© 1993 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
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Piprani, C.(., Morris, C.R.B. (1993). A multi-model approach for deriving requirements specifications for a mega-project. In: Rolland, C., Bodart, F., Cauvet, C. (eds) Advanced Information Systems Engineering. CAiSE 1993. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 685. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-56777-1_11
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-56777-1_11
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