Common Information Models for an Open, Analytical, and Agile World

Common Information Models for an Open, Analytical, and Agile World

by Mandy Chessell, Gandhi Sivakumar, Dan Wolfson, Kerard Hogg, Ray Harishankar
Released May 2015
Publisher(s): IBM Press
ISBN: 9780133366358

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Book description

Maximize the Value of Your Information Throughout Even the Most Complex IT Project

Foreword by Tim Vincent, IBM Fellow and Vice President, CTO for IBM Analytics Group

To drive maximum value from complex IT projects, IT professionals need a deep understanding of the information their projects will use. Too often, however, IT treats information as an afterthought: the “poor stepchild” behind applications and infrastructure. That needs to change. This book will help you change it.

Five senior IBM architects show you how to use information-centric views to give data a central role in project design and delivery. Using Common Information Models (CIM), you learn how to standardize the way you represent information, making it easier to design, deploy, and evolve even the most complex systems.

Using a complete case study, the authors explain what CIMs are, how to build them, and how to maintain them. You learn how to clarify the structure, meaning, and intent of any information you may exchange, and then use your CIM to improve integration, collaboration, and agility.

In today’s mobile, cloud, and analytics environments, your information is more valuable than ever. To build systems that make the most of it, start right here.

Coverage Includes

  • Mastering best practices for building and maintaining a CIM

  • Understanding CIM components and artifacts: scope, perspectives, and depth of detail

  • Choosing the right patterns for structuring your CIM

  • Integrating a CIM into broader governance

  • Using tools to manage your CIM more effectively

  • Recognizing the importance of non-functional characteristics, such as availability, performance, and security, in system design

  • Growing CIM value by expanding their scope and usage

  • Previewing the future of CIMs

    •

    Table of contents

    1. About This eBook
    2. Title Page
    3. Copyright Page
    4. Dedication Page
    5. Contents at a Glance
    6. Contents
    7. Foreword by Tim Vincent
    8. Preface
      1. About This Book
      2. Intended Audience
      3. Structure of the Book
        1. Chapter 1, “Introduction”
        2. Chapter 2, “Inside the Common Information Model”
        3. Chapter 3, “Structural Patterns for the Common Information Model”
        4. Chapter 4, “Modeling Best Practices”
        5. Chapter 5, “Governance”
        6. Chapter 6, “Moving Beyond the Hammer”
        7. Chapter 7, “System Characteristics”
        8. Chapter 8, “Building Business Value”
        9. Chapter 9, “Real-World Deployment Study”
        10. Chapter 10, “Looking Forward”
        11. Appendixes
      4. What Is Not Covered
    9. Acknowledgments
    10. About the Authors
      1. Mandy Chessell CBE FREng CEng FBCS
      2. Gandhi Sivakumar
      3. Dan Wolfson
      4. Kerard Hogg
      5. Ray Harishankar
    11. Chapter 1. Introduction
      1. The Agile and Open World
      2. GKDMR Travel
      3. Adding Mobile Applications to the Enterprise
      4. Social Computing
      5. Insight Applications
      6. Using Cloud Platforms
      7. Security of Data
      8. Summary
    12. Chapter 2. Inside the Common Information Model
      1. Introduction
      2. Scope
      3. Perspectives
      4. Information Supply Chains
      5. Model Types
      6. Depth of Detail
      7. A Comprehensive Common Information Model
      8. Developing a Strategy
      9. Summary
    13. Chapter 3. Structural Patterns for the Common Information Model
      1. Introduction
      2. Common Information Model
        1. Context
        2. Problem
        3. Example
        4. Forces
        5. Solution
        6. Consequences
        7. Example Resolved
        8. Known Uses
        9. Related Patterns
      3. Concept Beads
        1. Context
        2. Problem
        3. Example
        4. Forces
        5. Solution
        6. Consequences
        7. Example Resolved
        8. Known Uses
        9. Related Patterns
      4. Continuous Fabric
        1. Context
        2. Problem
        3. Example
        4. Forces
        5. Solution
        6. Consequences
        7. Example Resolved
        8. Known Uses
        9. Related Patterns
      5. Encapsulated Views
        1. Context
        2. Problem
        3. Example
        4. Forces
        5. Solution
        6. Consequences
        7. Example Resolved
        8. Known Uses
        9. Related Patterns
      6. Unifying Context
        1. Context
        2. Problem
        3. Example
        4. Forces
        5. Solution
        6. Consequences
        7. Example Resolved
        8. Known Uses
        9. Related Patterns
      7. Combining the Patterns
      8. Summary
    14. Chapter 4. Modeling Best Practices
      1. What Should Be in a Model?
      2. Deciding on the Scope of a Model
      3. Adopting Existing Models
      4. Basic Modeling Skills
        1. Leveling the Content
        2. Standardizing Basic Types
        3. Dealing with Variation
        4. Dependent and Independent Behaviors
        5. When to Use Inheritance
        6. The Role Pattern
        7. Designing for Consistency
        8. Designing for Reuse
        9. Designing for Extensibility
        10. Linking Subject Areas
      5. Tips for Modeling Interfaces
        1. Specialized Definitions of the Same Concept
        2. Context of a Request
        3. Versioning of Interfaces
      6. Tips on Modeling for a Repository
        1. Removing Duplication—How Far Do You Go?
        2. Storing Historical Information
        3. Effectivity Dating
        4. Modeling Unstructured Data
        5. Physical Implementation Details
      7. Summary
    15. Chapter 5. Governance
      1. Introduction
      2. Governance Definitions
        1. Governance Principles
        2. Governance Policies
        3. Governance Classification Schemes
        4. Governance Standards
        5. Governance Rules, Guidelines, and Patterns
        6. Governance Process Definitions
        7. Governance Metrics
      3. Managing Change
      4. Lifecycles of Governance
      5. Governance Leadership
      6. Governance Processes
      7. Governance Roles
      8. Everyday Decision Making
      9. Measurement and Audit
      10. Summary
    16. Chapter 6. Moving Beyond the Hammer
      1. Structuring and Maintaining Models
      2. Configuration Management
        1. Top-Down Configuration Management
        2. Bottom-Up Configuration Management
        3. Combining Approaches
      3. Consuming Models and Related Artifacts
      4. Managing Information Values
        1. Quality Management
        2. Reference Data Management
      5. Summary
    17. Chapter 7. System Characteristics
      1. Introduction
      2. Non-Functional Characteristics
      3. Reviewing GKDMR Travel
      4. Systems of Record
        1. SoR Non-Functional Characteristics
        2. CIM Implications for Systems of Record
      5. Systems of Engagement
        1. SoE Non-Functional Characteristics
        2. CIM Implications for Systems of Engagement
      6. Systems of Insight
        1. SoI Non-Functional Characteristics
        2. CIM Implications for Systems of Insight
      7. Integration
        1. Integration Requirements
        2. CIM Implications for Integration
      8. Summary
    18. Chapter 8. Building Business Value
      1. Complex Organizations
      2. Points of View at GKDMR Travel
      3. Adoption Maturity Model
        1. Repeatable Adoption Level
        2. Defined Adoption Level
        3. Managed Adoption Level
        4. Investing in the Common Information Model
        5. Optimizing Adoption Level
      4. APIs from Business Partners
      5. Unstructured Data Feeds
      6. Summary
    19. Chapter 9. Real-World Deployment Study
      1. The Background and the Industry
      2. Project Hydra
      3. The Common Information Model
      4. Refining the TMF-SID into Services
        1. Carving Up the TMF-SID
        2. Validating Consistency
        3. Extending the TMF-SID objects
        4. Pruning the Service Structures
      5. Implementing the Integration Layer
      6. Tools and Governance
      7. Results
    20. Chapter 10. Looking Forward
      1. Where We Have Come From
      2. Common Information Models Today
      3. Thoughts for the Future
      4. Concluding Remarks from the Authors
    21. Appendix A. Industry Standards
      1. Telecommunications Models
      2. Finance Models
      3. Utilities Industry
    22. Appendix B. Non-Functional Behavior
      1. Reliability and Availability
      2. Performance Efficiency: Time Behavior Requirement
      3. Performance Efficiency: Resource Utilization, Capacity Requirement
      4. Compatibility Requirement
      5. Maintainability Requirement
      6. Security Requirement
      7. Summary
    23. Further Reading
    24. Glossary
    25. Index

    Product information

    • Title: Common Information Models for an Open, Analytical, and Agile World
    • Author(s): Mandy Chessell, Gandhi Sivakumar, Dan Wolfson, Kerard Hogg, Ray Harishankar
    • Release date: May 2015
    • Publisher(s): IBM Press
    • ISBN: 9780133366358