Databases Reference
In-Depth Information
Nonetheless, initiatives for the construction and
publication of such semantic patterns are rare. We will give
the three most obvious: Martin Fowler, Len Silverston, and
the MDM Alliance Group.
8.5.3.1.
Martin Fowler
Martin Fowler was one of the first to work on the idea of
the analysis pattern, by proposing reusable UML models to
describe organizations, charts of accounts, concepts related
to time management, etc., in a standardized manner. His
topic
Analysis Patterns: Reusable Object Models
[FOW 96],
published more than ten years ago, is still remarkably
relevant.
However, it seems that the Fowler's work is more oriented
towards the domain of software engineering: maintaining a
full quality business model level is abandoned whereas it is
mandatory to counter the blank page effect at the start of
semantic modeling.
8.5.3.2.
Len Silverston
Len Silverston has written several topics dedicated to the
presentation of reusable data models, the vocation of which
is universal, beyond a particular industrial sector. His topic,
“
The Data Model Resource Book - Volume 1
” [SIL 01] is a
mine of information that presents, in a progressive manner,
a great many business domains (justifying modeling choices,
benefits and constraints) such as “person”, “organization”,
“product”, “order”, “delivery”, “billing”, “human resources”,
etc.
However, the Silverston's models are provided in terms
comprehensible only by IT practitioners. It is close to the
logical data model, which takes us away from semantic
modeling. In particular, join tables are apparent, the
lifecycles on the business objects do not exist and the
