A semantic model for enterprise application integration in the era of data explosion and globalisation

ABSTRACT

This paper presents a model for Enterprise Application Integration (EAI) in the modern era of data explosion and globalisation. Application here refers to software, which is in essence data system, and data refers to both information and knowledge (data serves as a vehicle for information as well as knowledge). The salient features of the model are: (1) separation of business functions from applications and enterprises, (2) three-layer architecture of the model (conceptual or semantic level, external or application level, internal or realisation level), and (3) integration of structured, semi-structured and non-structured data. To our best knowledge, the existing model or solution to EAI does not hold all the three features. A case study is presented to illustrate how the model works. The model can be used by an individual enterprise or a group of enterprises that form a network, e.g., a holistic supply chain network.

KEYWORDS:

• Enterprise application integration
• structured data
• unstructured data
• semi-structured data
• virtual enterprise

Acknowledgments

Part of the work presented in this paper is based on the (unpublished) MS thesis of Ranga P. Radhakrishnan, and herewith his contribution is acknowledged.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

^1. Such a language has a tag and a content tied to the tag, and the presentation of the content is further defined by attributes, e.g., colour of the content. Each content can be further associated with an entity which could be an image or word document.

^2. Definition of uncertainty refers to the paper (Cai et al. 2017).

^3. Details will be discussed later.

^4. In the following, applications, enterprise applications, information systems, enterprise information systems are used interchangeable.