Working Draft
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UCM Reference Architecture
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1.0 Draft
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Authors
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Scott Hinkelman
Contributors
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2009-03-20
Jim Wilson
Nikola Stojanovic
Mark Crawford
Pat O’Conner
Michael Rowell
David Connelly
Last Edited: 03 April 2009
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UN/CEFACT Context Methodology (UCM) Technical Specification
Copyright © UN/CEFACT 2007-2009. All Rights Reserved.
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Introduction
The UN/CEFACT Unified Context Methodology (UCM) is a methodology for defining precise
information semantics based on information context. While there are, and will continue to be
various approaches to defining semantics, the UN/CEFACT UCM approach requires shared
knowledge – there is no intention for dynamic understanding of among information producers
and consumers. That is, while UCM provides a method to organize and define context values and
their relationships to business information, such values and relationships must be known in
advance by the users. This may be achieved through shared or copied context-value libraries.
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UCM consists of three foundational dimensions, which frame its intended use. These three
dimensions provide the foundation of the UCM Reference Architecture and reflect input from a
variety of use cases submitted to the UCM project from various stakeholders.
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Foundational Dimensions
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The three dimensions are:
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1. Modeling Dimension
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2. Syntax-Binding Dimension
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3. Deployment Dimension
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Modeling Dimension
The modeling dimension addresses the definition, management, and governance of business
concepts.
The following diagram illustrates the modeling dimension’s basic workflow concepts as applied
to CCTS information modeling:
Modeling Dimension
UCM
Iterative CC / BIE / BP
Refinement
Semantic
Based
Modeling
Type/ValueDomain
Modeling
CC / CDT
Libraries
Context Values,
Classification Schemes,
Context Libraries
BIE / BDT / BP
Libraries
BIEs / BDTs / BPs
Contextualized Profile
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~
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Central to the modeling dimension are the complementary activities of semantic-modeling and
type/value-domain modeling. While both are intrinsic to the modeling dimension, they differ in
UN/CEFACT Context Methodology (UCM) Technical Specification
Copyright © UN/CEFACT 2007-2009. All Rights Reserved.
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respect to the effect on related business concepts, and are therefore distinct activities within this
dimension.
Semantic modeling is the essence of the CCTS component model pattern of specialization by
restriction, where a business concept (a Core Component, or CC) is defined without any
specified business context. Context-specific entities (Business Information Entities, or BIEs) are
then defined based on a CC by selecting a set of basic and complex properties of an ACC and
associating the ABIE within an instance of a classification scheme. Semantics are realized in
UCM by classification schemes which narrow the CC business concept by associating a BIEs
with specific context values. The realization of meaning for a specific BIE is a function of the
precision of the context values defined in the instance of a context classification scheme where a
given BIE is classified and the specific contextual category where BIE was classified.
It is important to understand that UCM does not specify contextual classification categories and
values – but how categories and values are specified, including their relationships to one another
in context classification scheme instances. This differs from CCTS 2.01 specifications, which
specifies context categories and how to assign their values. (UCM plans to provide examples
based on the CCTS 2.01 categories in order to demonstrate how UCM can be used to support
those classification categories.)
Type/value-domain modeling defines possible types and allowed value ranges. Unlike
semanticmodeling , type/value-domain modeling usually does not increase the precision of
meaning of a given business concept (a CC). UCM therefore distinguishes type/value-domain
modeling from semantic modeling.
The two modeling activities form an iterative process of refinement. Within this process, CC and
CDT (Core Data Type) Library aspects must be accessed and leveraged, providing lifecycle and
management of these context independent entities. Libraries of BIEs and BDT (Business Data
Type classified in instances of context classification schemes, which define classification values,
are also directly accessible aspects from the semantic modeling process.
The Modeling dimension’s output is a BIE/BDT Contextualized Profile. This profile is the result
of interrogation, or query, of the CC/CDT libraries, context values of classification scheme
instances classifying BIEs, and context libraries for a given business-usage context. Such
interrogation is accomplished by leveraging part, or all, classification schemes and component
libraries available within the modeling environment. The BIE/BDT Contextualized Profile
represents the semantic content input to the Syntax-Binding Dimension.
The modeling dimension primarily addresses business information concerns. Applicable UCM
specifications include:
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Context Classification Schemes – models defining how to define classification scheme
instances and the relationships of classification values for classifying BIEs and/or
references to them.
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Tooling APIs for context-aware modeling to facilitate consistent software tooling
products.
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BIE reference specifications to permit efficient classification and transmission of
classification scheme instances of large amounts BIEs.
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Syntax-Binding Dimension
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Syntax-binding transforms the BIE/BDT contextualized profile to a specific syntax.
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The following diagram illustrates basic syntax-binding concepts:
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UCM’s syntax-binding dimension produces a contextualized syntax-specific payload structure
reflective of the BIE/BDT contextual profile. A Syntax-Specific Contextual Model Payload
reflects classification, library, and BIE/BDT artifacts defined during modeling. This propogates
the semantics through a machine-processable syntax-specific payload definition.
For example, an XML Schema could be used as the model, and could be generated to reflect the
Context Classification Scheme instances containing Context Values and associations with the
included BIEs. The best use of the specific syntax (such as XML) will influence the naming and
design rules that determine this exact structure. Further, it is possible that such structure can be
designed to use referencing (“by-reference”) or passing actual content (“by-content”) of either
the actual BIE business information and/or the Context Scheme instance containing the Context
Values.
The BIE/BDT vocabulary expressed in the syntax-specific payload model has precise meaning to
the extent of, quality and granularity of the discipline used in the Modeling Dimension. Payload
structure representing context reflection will differ per syntax, depending on best usage of the
specific syntax restrictions and its capabilities. Syntax Binding is driven by Naming and Design
Rules (NDR) for a specific syntax which defines representation of the business concepts,
classification schemes, and payload structure utilizing the capabilities of the syntax. The ultimate
output of the Syntax Binding Dimension is a Syntax-Specific Contextual Model Payload. This is
a ‘model’ in the sense, that it defines a payload structure of definitions (not instances) of
BIE/BDT.
The Syntax Binding Dimension of UCM is fundamentally a representation dimension concerning
technology, but also payload layout using specific technologies. Appropriate UCM specifications
in this area are:
UN/CEFACT Context Methodology (UCM) Technical Specification
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The representation of BIEs and BDT models and relationship to their based-on Core
Components.
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Payload design for representing a structure of BIE and BDT models and how they are organized
within the payload structure concerning referencing or relating to their classification schemes,
component libraries, etc.
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Deployment Dimension
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Deployment is focused on specific instances of the Syntax-Specific Contextual Model Payloads
that would reflect the context in which the interchange of information between two endpoints
occurs.
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The following diagram illustrates the basic concepts of the deployment dimension:
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While the Syntax-Specific Contextual Model Payload is a context-aware payload structure of
BIE/BDT models (or definitions), the Contextual Instance Payload which is output from the
Deployment dimension is a single instance of the model (ie, “message on the wire”).
Creation of the Contextual Instance Payload is driven by the metadata and operational
requirements for a specific run-time business situation. The dynamics of the deployed operating
environment may differ across the usages of the same Syntax-Specific Contextual Model
Payload. Examples would be local languages, local code lists, restrictions with specific business
partner database fields, etc.
The Contextual Instance Payload is produced considering such business dynamics by including
all information needed for a comprehensive business context across all dimensions of modeling,
syntax representation, and deployment.
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The Contextual Instance Payload is a specific structure, which is appropriate for containment
within business messages and/or business message envelopes.
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Applicable UCM specifications include:
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Business Partner specifications which identify restrictions on a per partner basis.
Language or dialect rules which identify specific languages to be used at runtime
Code list usage rules which identify specific lists of codes appropriate for a given location, etc.
Interchange mechanism for aligning understanding of Contextual Schemes used between business
partners
UN/CEFACT Context Methodology (UCM) Technical Specification
Copyright © UN/CEFACT 2007-2009. All Rights Reserved.
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