Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
The Technical Implementation Through an Integrated
Modelling Framework (SeamFrame)
FSSIM is a collection of models, which are integrated into the modelling
framework SeamFrame (Chapter 9, this Volume), have consistent inputs and
outputs through an ontology and implement the OpenMI-standard to exchange
data at runtime as components. SeamFrame is the software framework developed
within the SEAMLESS project. The models of FSSIM are developed in different
programming languages (e.g. C#, Java and GAMS), while data are stored in
relational databases.
The architecture of SeamFrame is shown in Fig. 5.
4
. SeamFrame links the
models to the data in the database and requires that models adhere to the ontology.
The models are left in their original programming language and wrappers translate
between the programming languages of the different models, the framework and
the database (Fig. 5.
4
). A model wrapper provides the four functionalities. First, it
wraps the model to a processing environment compliant interface and defines the
exchange items (model inputs and outputs). Second, it initializes the model as
component right after the start of the execution of the workflow. Third, it prepares
for
each
run of the model dynamically the meta-models describing the model speci-
fications (e.g. modules and equations to be used, sets definitions, how selected
modules are structured, etc.). Fourth, it prepares the model input data in an exact
format the model needs for each run of the model and retrieves model outputs of
each run to be stored or communicated with other linkable model components.
Although the architecture leaves the models relatively untouched, the models lose
their direct link to the database or data-source. The development of the wrappers is a
tedious, difficult and time-consuming task. Each wrapper is specific to a model and
MODELLING FRAMEWORK
OpenMI-
Component
Integrated
database
WRAPPER 1
WRAPPER 2
MODEL 1
MODEL 2
Fig. 5.4
The modelling framework SeamFrame with the wrapped models referring to a common
ontology and database schema
