Examination paper for TDT4252 and DT8802 Enterprise Modeling and Architecture

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1 Department of Computer and Information Science Examination paper for TDT4252 and DT8802 Enterprise Modeling and Architecture Assignments prepared by John Krogstie. Academic contact during examination: Sobah Abbas Petersen Phone: Examination date: 21 May 2014 Examination time (from-to): 09-13hrs Permitted examination support material: None except standard dictionaries (English-English, and from English to other languages) Other information: The total number of points are 65, which will be added to the points from the assignment for the final grade. The exam-text is below found both in English, norsk bokmål and nynorsk. The English version is to be regarded as the original if there are discrepancies. If you consider the information given incomplete or inaccurate, then make a note of the assumptions you find it necessary to make in order to answer the question. Good Luck Number of pages: 6 Checked by Hallvard Trætteberg: Date Signature Page 1 of 10

2 English version Question 1 Modeling perspectives in conceptual and enterprise modelling a) In this course we have differentiated among a number of perspectives to modelling. What characterizes a modelling perspective? (3%) SG: A modelling perspective focuses on some aspects/concepts (e.g. tasks, entities, events, actors) at the expense of others. These are emphasized in the language, e.g. in the way it is represented. b) Briefly describe the eight perspectives to modelling described in chapter 3 of Krogstie - Model Based Development and Evolution of Information System. (4%) SG: 1. Behavioral 2. Functional 3. Structural 4. Goal and rule-oriented 5. Object-oriented 6. (Social) communication 7. Actor/role-oriented 8. Topological c) One of the languages that have been presented in the course is i*. What is the main perspective of i*? (2%) SG: i* is primarily focused on actor/role oriented-modelling. It also has some aspects that cover the goal and rule perspective Question 2 Enterprise modelling a) Define enterprise modelling. (4%) SG: Example A computational representation of the structure, activities, processes, information, resources, people, behaviour, goals and constraints of a business, government, or other enterprise. (Fox & Gruninger). Important aspect is the breath of (business oriented) concepts, and a main focus on communication and sensemaking, not execution. b) SeeMe is a process-oriented enterprise modelling language. Give a short description of SeeMe, emphasizing the aspects in SeeMe that is not found in languages such as UML and BPMN. You might illustrate your answer with a small SeeMe model (6%) SG: SeeMe represents roles, activities and entities, with a focus on activities. Some particular aspects are the explicit representation of fuzziness and incompleteness. SeeMe is not for model execution, but early stages for communication and Page 2 of 10

3 sensemaking. It has much fewer concepts than e.g. BPMN and UML Activity Diagrams. The below figure illustrates the main concepts and relationships (the students were not expected to know all of these). c) Describe the main steps in a method for participatory development of enterprise models. (10%) SG: The following figure illustrates main steps. Note that another approach (Gjersvik et al) was also described (As for how to do sessions in particular). A good answer based on this material will also score well. Page 3 of 10

4 Question 3 Modelling of Enterprise Architecture a) ArchiMate is a language developed for modelling enterprise architectures. Give an overview of the layers and aspects of ArchiMate (5%) SG: Layers Business, application, Technology, Aspects: Passive structure, behaviour, active structure. b) Using ArchiMate, model the case described in Appendix A with the purpose of communicating the business idea of the company to the different stakeholders (both employees and possible customers and collaborators). The core concepts of ArchiMate are found in Appendix B (15 %) Page 4 of 10

5 SG: Below is a suggested model. This has aspect also on the application and technology level. If the model is on the business level only, this is fine, since it is indicated that one is to communicate the business idea (on the other hand in the BYOD-discussion it can be argued to be important also on the business level to be aware of the multi-platform delivery possibilities). c) How can different parts of ArchiMate be used to support the different phases in the TOGAF-ADM process? (5%) SG: This is depicted below. Page 5 of 10

6 Question 4 AKM - Active Knowledge Modeling a) What is an active model? (2%) SG: A visual model must first and foremost be available to the users of the operational information system at the time of execution. The model must influence the behaviour of the computerised work system support and workplace. It must be possible to dynamically extend and adapt the model; users must be supported in changing the model to fit their local needs, enabling tailoring of the work environment s behaviour b) What are the 4 Enterprise Knowledge Spaces defined i connection to AKM? (4%) SG: personal space, innovation space (within the organization), business network space (across collaborating organizations), community space (across society). c) In what Enterprise Knowledge Space does the model you made in 3b reside? Please provide a rationale for your answer (5%) SG: Since it relates both activities in the DigApp company and their customers, one can argue it is in a business network space. The weight is very much on the internal business, so one could also argue for this being in the innovation space, but when processes both internally and externally is depicted and interrelated, the business network space is more correct (note the innovation space is part of the business network space). Page 6 of 10

7 Norsk bokmål versjon Spørsmål 1 Modelleringsperspektiv a) I kurset har vi skilt mellom ulike modelleringsperspektiv. Hva kjennetegner et modelleringsperspektiv? (3%) b) Beskriv kortde 8 perspektivene til modellering som er beskrevet i kapittel 3 av Krogstie - Model Based Development and Evolution of Information System. (4%) c) Et av modelleringsspråkene vi har beskrevet i kurset er i*. Hva er det primære perspektivet til i*? (2%) Spørsmål 2 - Virksomhetsmodellering a) Definer virksomhetsmodellering (4%) b) SeeMe er et prosessorientert språk for virksomhetsmodellering. Gi en kort beskrivelse av SeeMe, med fokus på muligheter i språket som ikke finnes i modelleringsspråk som UML og BPMN. Du kan gjerne illustrere svaret med en liten SeeMe-modell. (6%) c) Beskriv hovedstegene i en metode for deltagende (participative) virksomhetsmodellering. (10%) Spørsmål 3 - Modellering av virksomhetsarkitektur a) ArchiMate er et språk for modellering av virksomhetsarkitektur. Gi en oversikt over lag (layers) og aspekter (aspects) i ArchiMate (5%) b) Modeller caset beskrevet i Appendiks A i ArchiMate. Hovedhensikten med modellen skal være å kommunisere selskapets forretningside til ulike interessenter (både ansatte og mulige kunder og samarbeidspartnere). De sentrale konseptene i Archimate er illustrert i Appendiks B. (15 %) c) Hvordan kan ulike deler av ArchiMate støtte ulike faser i TOGAF-ADMprosessen? (5%) Spørsmål 4 AKM - Active Knowledge Modeling a) Hva er en aktiv modell? (2%) b) Hva er de 4 ulike kunnskapsrommene (Enterprise Knowledge Spaces) beskrevet i AKM? (4%) c) I hvilket kunnskapsrom befinner modellen du lagde under 3b seg? Begrunn svaret (5%) Page 7 of 10

8 Nynorsk versjon Spørsmål 1 Modelleringsperspektiv a) I kurset har vi skilt mellom ulike modelleringsperspektiv. Kva kjenneteiknar eit modelleringsperspektiv? (3%) b) Beskriv kort dei 8 perspektiva til modellering beskrivne i kapittel 3 av Krogstie - Model Based Development and Evolution of Information System. (4%) c) Eit av modelleringsspråka vi har beskrive i kurset er i*. Kva er det primære perspektivet til i*? (2%) Spørsmål 2 - Verksemdsmodellering a) Definer verksemdsmodellering (4%) b) SeeMe er et prosessorientert språk for verksemdsmodellering. Gi ein kort beskriving av SeeMe, med fokus på moglegheiter i språket som ikkje finnes i modelleringsspråk som UML og BPMN. Du kan gjerne illustrere svaret med ein liten SeeMe-modell. (6%) c) Beskriv dei viktigaste stega i ein metode for deltakande (participative) verksemdsmodellering. (10%) Spørsmål 3 - Modellering av verksemdsarkitektur a) ArchiMate er eit språk for modellering av verksemdsarkitektur. Gi ein oversikt over lag (layers) og aspekt (aspects) i ArchiMate (5%) b) Modeller caset beskrive i Appendiks A i ArchiMate. Hovedmålet med modellen skal vere å kommunisere selskapets forretningside til ulike interessentar (både medarbeidarar og moglege kundar og samarbeidspartnarar). Dei sentrale konsepta i Archimate er illustrert i Appendiks B. (15 %) c) Korleis kan ulike deler av ArchiMate støtte ulike fasar i TOGAF-ADM -prosessen? (5%) Spørsmål 4 AKM - Active Knowledge Modeling a) Kva er ein aktiv modell? (2%) b) Kva er dei 4 ulike kunnskapsromma (Enterprise Knowledge Spaces) beskrive i AKM? (4%) c) I kva kunnskapsrom finnast modellen du laga under oppgåve 3b? Grunngje svaret (5%) Page 8 of 10

9 Appendix A - Case Description DigApp AS is an IT company started two years ago which focus on product development, in particular the development of mobile apps for businesses. The vision of the company is to be the best at developing mobile apps that gather data and visualise this on joint screens. DigApp is developing their new SaaS (Software as a service) mobile application VisuSale. The application is to support the mobile sales force in an organization to immediately report sales to be visualized for the others in the sales team and the total organization including the sales manager and the CIO. The visualization is to be available both on mobile and large displays. Customers pay per use of the service. Many organizations let their employees use their own device. Developing apps in such settings rely on supporting at least an app for both ios and Android, and to be open for new platforms as they become popular. DigApp has chosen web technology for app development. As a start-up DigApp has realized that it is important to utilize the limited resources as efficiently as possible. Conventional native development is impossible because it demands too many resources, while web technology opens for greater competiveness through less development time. The app is developed using Apache Cordova with the JQuery Mobile Javascript Library. In addition to support the development of VisuSale it is meant to give DigApp a better basis for creating applications in the future using this library and web technology. Page 9 of 10

10 Appendix B Archimate Core Concepts Page 10 of 10