DIRK BEECKMAN
CAP GEMINI INNOVATION

CIM-OSA MODELLING FRAMEWORK (ABSTRACT)

1.      Introduction

A consortium with 21 members is developing an architecture for Computer
Integrated Manufacturing (CIM), in the framework of the CIME (Computer
Integrated Manufacturing and Engineering) area of the Esprit program. Both
the consortium and the project itself are named AMICE (reverse acronym for
European Computer Integrated Manufacturing Architecture).
The AMICE project is developing the CIM-OSA architecture (Computer
Integrated Manufacturing - Open System Architecture). The main objective of
the project is to elaborate a serie of standard proposals which will
contribute and stimulate the development of CIM systems based on components
(computers, NC-machines, robots, software modules,...) which have been
developed by different suppliers. The standard proposals are transferred,
through the national standardisation bodies, to the European CEN/CENELEC
committee and, on worldwide level, to the ISO/TC184 (Technical Committee 184
on Industrial Automation).

The CIM-OSA architecture mainly consists of two parts: the Modelling
Framework and the Integrating Infrastructure. This presentation will focus
on the Modelling Framework and its relation to metrics.


2.      The Modelling framework

The CIM-OSA modelling framework guides and supports the CIM system life
cycle : first the business requirements of the enterprise are identified
and, starting from these requirements, the design specifications are
developed. From those design specifications, an implementation model, which
is a description of the physical CIM system, is built. Those implementation
models are intended to be computer executable: the models will enable the
daily operations of an enterprise to be run, monitored and controlled. 
Accross those three modelling levels, three levels of architectural
genericity and four views are defined. The genericity levels will guide the
system developer by focusing on the re-useability of elementary model
language construct, of object oriented inheritance of those constructs and
of parts of models. The view focuse on different aspects of a CIM system
(functionality, information, resources, organisation). 


3.      Relation of the Modelling Framework with metrics

During the presentation of the CIM-OSA Modelling Framework, reference will
be made to the issues listed in the call for participation for the workshop.
The presentation of the Modelling Framework will focus on the justification
of the basic concepts. This will allow to establish references between the
basic concepts of the Modelling Framework and the issues suggested in the
call for participation.

Even if several issues are overlapping, the following ones will be touched:

Certification criteria for EI models
-       completeness (content of four views)
-       simulation (at design level)

Application of models
-       linked to simulation

Interworking between different models
-       CIM-OSA proposes a homogenuous model

Extensions for domain-specific models
-       the levels of genericity proposed by CIM-OSA

Modelling methodology

Integration Methodology