Implementing service oriented architecture industry model repository using semantic web technologies

Abstract

A plurality of topic maps are stored in one or more storage devices. Each of the topic maps represents information using topics, associations, and occurrences. Each of the topic maps provides meta data for assets stored in an asset repository. A computer provides one or more services over a network. At least one of the one or more services enables functionality of one or more user interfaces. The one or more services provide semantic search functionality for the assets of the asset repository. The semantic search functionality utilizes the topics, associations, and occurrences of one or more of the topic maps to find one of more of the assets of the asset repository that satisfies conditions input via one of the one or more user interfaces.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 storing a plurality of topic maps in one or more storage devices, wherein each of the topic maps represents information using topics, associations, and occurrences, wherein each of the topic maps provides meta data for assets stored in an asset repository; and   a computer providing one or more services over a network, at least one of the one or more services enabling functionality of one or more user interfaces, wherein the one or more services provide semantic search functionality for the assets of the asset repository, said semantic search functionality utilizing the topics, associations, and occurrences of one or more of the topic maps to find one of more of the assets of the asset repository that satisfies conditions input via one of the one or more user interfaces.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 the computer creating uniform resource identifiers for the topics of at least one of the topic maps; and   the computer creating topic resource description framework triples for each topic of at least one of the topic maps.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 the computer creating topic occurrence resource description framework triples for each occurrence of an element or index item in at least one of the topic maps.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein each of the topics, associations, and occurrences are data structures for a related type of information of the topic maps. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the represented information of the topic maps is necessary for enabling search functionalities dependent upon hypergraph relationships between topics that are represented by data structures of the topic maps of the associations. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein each of the topic maps conform to International Organization for Standardization (ISO)/International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) standard 13250-1 or a standard based upon or derivative from ISO/IEC standard 13250-1. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of topic maps comprises data for a particular topic or industry vertical. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of topic maps comprises data for a different industry vertical of a company owning the assets of the asset repository. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of topic maps comprises data for a different topic for an industry to which the assets of the asset repository relate, each different topic representing a conceptual space of meaning. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 the computer utilizing a meta model search service implemented within an abstraction layer of a system architecture where the topic maps are stored to interface with the asset repository, which asset repository is maintained in a separate layer of abstraction of the system architecture.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 the computer converting topics of stored topic maps into Resource Description Framework (RDF) triples, which RDF triples are persisted in an RDF repository, wherein the one or more services utilize the RDF triples for the semantic Web search functionality.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the assets of the asset repository comprise at least three of: industry models, business models, unified modeling language (UML) design applications, data models, business services, service components, and technical services for a specific organization. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the asset repository comprises a plurality of different types of repositories, each storing a subset of the assets. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 the computer implementing the one or more services in an application and services layer of abstraction of a system architecture;   the computer implementing the one or more services in a service oriented architecture (SOA) industry model repository (IMR) component layer of abstraction of the system architecture; and   the computer implementing the asset repository in a federated physical assets layer of abstraction of the system architecture, wherein communications between the application and services layer and the federated physical assets layer must occur through the service oriented architecture (SOA) industry model repository (IMR) component layer.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more services are Web services, wherein the assets are distributed across a plurality of different physical storage devices, which storage devices store the assets in a heterogeneous manner, wherein said assets are federated into a single logical repository referred to as the asset repository. 
     
     
         16 . A computer system comprising:
 one or more processors, one or more computer-readable memories and one or more computer-readable tangible storage devices;   program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, to store a plurality of topic maps in one or more storage devices, wherein each of the topic maps represents information using topics, associations, and occurrences, wherein each of the topic maps provides meta data for assets stored in an asset repository; and   program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, to provide one or more services over a network, at least one of the one or more services enabling functionality of one or more user interfaces, wherein the one or more services provide semantic search functionality for the assets of the asset repository, said semantic search functionality utilizing the topics, associations, and occurrences of one or more of the topic maps to find one of more of the assets of the asset repository that satisfies conditions input via one of the one or more user interfaces.   
     
     
         17 . The computer system of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, to implement the one or more services in an application and services layer of abstraction of a system architecture;   program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, to implement the one or more services in a service oriented architecture (SOA) industry model repository (IMR) component layer of abstraction of the system architecture; and   program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, to implement the asset repository in a federated physical assets layer of abstraction of the system architecture, wherein communications between the application and services layer and the federated physical assets layer must occur through the service oriented architecture (SOA) industry model repository (IMR) component layer.   
     
     
         18 . The computer system of  claim 16 , wherein the one or more services are Web services, wherein the assets are distributed across a plurality of different physical storage devices, which store the assets in a heterogeneous manner, wherein said assets are federated into a single logical repository referred to as the asset repository. 
     
     
         19 . A computer program product comprising:
 one or more computer-readable tangible storage devices;   program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to store a plurality of topic maps in one or more storage devices, wherein each of the topic maps represents information using topics, associations, and occurrences, wherein each of the topic maps provides meta data for assets stored in an asset repository; and   program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to provide one or more services over a network, at least one of the one or more services enabling functionality of one or more user interfaces, wherein the one or more services provide semantic search functionality for the assets of the asset repository, said semantic search functionality utilizing the topics, associations, and occurrences of one or more of the topic maps to find one of more of the assets of the asset repository that satisfies conditions input via one of the one or more user interfaces.   
     
     
         20 . The computer program product of  claim 19 , further comprising:
 program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to implement the one or more services in an application and services layer of abstraction of a system architecture;   program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to implement the one or more services in a service oriented architecture (SOA) industry model repository (IMR) component layer of abstraction of the system architecture; and   program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to implement the asset repository in a federated physical assets layer of abstraction of the system architecture, wherein communications between the application and services layer and the federated physical assets layer must occur through the service oriented architecture (SOA) industry model repository (IMR) component layer.