Service-oriented Design of Metamodel Components

Abstract

Integration of models is an important aspect of Model-Driven Engineering. Current approaches of model integration rely on model weaving and model transformations. In particular, weaving of metamodels allows extending a metamodel with additional concepts, and thereby supporting a larger problem space. Unfortunately, weaving of metamodels is not trivial and requires in-depth knowledge both of the problem domains of the constituent metamodels and the modelling environment. In addition, name conflicts have to be resolved in an intrusive manner. Another disadvantage of many model weaving approaches is that concepts describing different concerns are mixed together without the possibility for semantically tracing the origin of the concepts. In this paper, we propose a new approach for combining metamodels by defining these as reusable services at a conceptual level. We will show that this approach both addresses the issues that arise when models are woven, and illustrate how metamodel components simplify modelling.