An Ontology-based i* Goal-Oriented Referential
Integrity Model in Systems of Systems Context
2King Hussein Cancer Centre
(KHCC), Jordan
Abstract: System of Systems (SoS) results from the integration
of a set of independent Constituent Systems (CS) that could be socio or
technical, in order to offer unique functionalities. SoS is largely driven by
stakeholders’ needs and goals taking into consideration SoS-level global goals
and CS-level individual goals. It’s challenging to manage the satisfaction of
these goals in such complex SoS arrangements, where links between these goals
may not be clearly known or specified, and competing goals establish a complex
stakeholder environment. In this research the i* goal-oriented framework has
been utilised in SoS context to identify, model and manage goals of the overall
SoS and its constituent systems. This paper discusses a novel Goals Referential
Integrity (GRI) model that is intended to maintain the integrity and
consistency of both the SoS-level and the CS-level goals, in an attempt to
address the current challenges of managing goals in an SoS arrangement.
Furthermore, an ontology-based model has been developed to support the GRI
model and semantically annotate goals’ levels in SoS context, specify the
relationships and linkages between the SoS organisation, its constituent
systems, global and local goals, and strategic and policy documents. Together
the GRI model and its associated ontology model form the Semantic Goals
Referential Integrity (SGRI) applied in SoS context, where conflicts between
goals at the SoS and the CS-levels can be discovered in an attempt to maintain
the semantic integrity of the SoS and CS goals.
Keywords: SoS, goal-oriented modelling, i* framework,
GRI, ontology, semantic i* enrichment, cancer care informatics.