A UML profile utilizing enterprise information system configuration

Enterprise information system configuration is a complex process dealing with interrelated issues. A four-stage methodology has been proposed in order to effectively explore configuration issues. The main advantage of the proposed methodology is the adoption of a common meta-model-for the representation of systems throughout all configuration stages, ensuring interoperability and model consistency. In practice, configuration stages are supported by automated or semiautomated tools, each of which adopts its own meta-modelfor system representation. In order to apply the methodology using existing autonomous tools, model exchangeability (thus metamodel transformation) and tool co-ordination must be facilitated by standard, open methods. Thus, the common meta-model is implemented in a standard, exchangeable format, as XAff.. To provide a standard method to visualize the common meta-model, facilitate the designer to interact with it and co-ordinate specific tool invocation, a UML 2. 0 profile was defined. Different UML 2. 0 diagrams are integrated to support different views of the system. The representation of relationships and restrictions among discrete meta-model entities must be facilitated to identify and explore the dependencies between configuration stages. Constraints are extensively usedfor this purpose. A case study where the proposed profile utilized the configuration of a large-scale banking system is also presented.