Data processing: database and file management or data structures – Database design – Data structure types
Patent
1996-05-10
1999-02-23
Teska, Kevin J.
Data processing: database and file management or data structures
Database design
Data structure types
395680, 395683, 707100, 707102, 707200, 364578, G06F 1750
Patent
active
058753192
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
Engineering processes (for example project planning processes) are becoming ever more complex and unclear. In order, nevertheless, for them to be defined and optimized effectively, modeling is being employed in an ever greater extent. The method respectively used must in this case solve the following problems: representation of the complex to be optimized).
The individual parts, which are to be modeled, of the model have a multiplicity of properties which have to be taken into account in defining or optimizing the process (for example tools and aids employed, throughput times, responsibilities/executives, connections between the individual process elements, users, . . . ).
As a rule, a plurality of different departments, tools and methods participate in such complex processes or in their optimization. For example, up to 15,000 documents are produced in the project planning of gas-fired and steam-driven power plants. Participating in the creation are, for example, the most varied groups/persons, such as the project leader, designers in instrumentation and control technology and in structural engineering, but also tooling developers or those responsible for costs. Because of the different emphases of interest, the participating groups have different problem formulations relating to individual details of the process. Exchanging the type of a cooling circuit pump during a project planning process gives rise, for example, to the following problems:
How do the costs develop, taking account of all the follow-up activities? Or: which structural changes are thereby necessary? Depending on the emphasis of interest and the range of tasks of the individual groups, further different problem formulations arise which have to be answered by a process model and represented clearly and comprehensibly for all participants.
At present, there are point-by-point approaches to solutions (isolated solutions) for optimizing individual parts of engineering processes. Nevertheless, the segments of the processes are always very complex, with the result that the overview can be lost very quickly without suitable structuring. However, it is precisely the possibilities of flexible structuring accompanied by the use of changing requirements which are not provided in the case of previously available tools and modeling possibilities. Consequently, mastering the overall complexity when engineering large systems also presents ever greater difficulties, but so too do large system developments. Particularly difficult in this regard is detecting or optimizing the flow of information which is required between the individual participants. Modeling possibilities known to date are structured analysis, representation in entity relationship models, or SDL models. In order to be able to master the complexity of an engineering process, in the current methods, for example, an important property/parameter (for example the functional dependencies) of the parts to be modeled is extracted. A rigid hierarchy is constructed in accordance with this parameter, and the model is structured in accordance therewith. This mode of procedure has, however, the consequence that relationships which would arise when taking account of other parameters are not sufficiently taken into account. Again the required structure is not known in every case at the start of modeling. Thus, the first step is to collect material and only subsequently to find a hierarchy tree in a plurality of iteration steps. Once found and taken as a basis, this hierarchy structure is rigid and permits only a few problem formulations to be answered. Information for answering further problem formulations is either distributed over the entire model or not contained in the model, since there is no backup for rationally entering data or reading it out again, or for being able to extend the model. A further problem is the comprehensibility of the models of the individual respective modeling methods. The approaches to date are very strongly designed for individuals concerned (for example developers and DP ex
REFERENCES:
patent: 5195178 (1993-03-01), Krieger et al.
patent: 5241645 (1993-08-01), Cimral et al.
patent: 5249300 (1993-09-01), Bachman et al.
IBM Systems Journal, vol. 32, No. 3, (1993), Saracelli et al, Process Automation In Software Application Development, pp. 376-396.
Proceedings Fifth International Workshop on Computer-Aided Software Engineering, 6 Jul. 1992, Heym et al, A Semantic Data Model For Methodology Engineering, pp. 142-155.
Phan Thai
Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
Teska Kevin J.
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