Systems architecture

About: Systems architecture is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 17612 publications have been published within this topic receiving 283719 citations. The topic is also known as: system architecture.

A reference architecture for workflow management systems

Abstract: In the workflow management field, fast developments are taking place. A growing number of systems is currently under development, both in academic and commercial environments. Consequently, a wide variety of ad hoc architectures has come into existence. Reference models are necessary, however, to allow for the construction of cooperative systems, modular configuration of heterogeneous systems, and assessment of existing systems. Current standardization efforts offer limited help towards detailed software architectures. In this paper, we address this problem with a reference architecture for a full-fledged workflow management system, designed to comply with a broad set of aspects, such as heterogeneous environments, extensible functionality, and mobile workflow clients. The architecture goes into deeper detail and is more complete than existing proposals. It provides an elaborate software engineering framework for structuring systems under development and a functional framework for assessing existing systems.

Adaptive Learning Environment for Teaching and Learning in WINDS

Abstract: This paper introduces one approach to e-Learning describing the Adaptive Learning Environment (ALE). The system provides a new methodological approach to design education on the web. ALE will be used to build a large knowledge base supporting Architecture and Civil Engineering Design Courses and to experiment a comprehensive Virtual University of Architecture and Engineering Design in the project WINDS. Here we outline the system architecture and present its learning environment. The system combines classical structuring of learning materials based on reusable learning objects with an alternative structure - the course index.

A cooperative problem solving system for user interface design

Abstract: Designing a user interface is an ill-defined problem making cooperative problem solving systems a promising approach to support user interface designers. Cooperative problem solving systems are modular systems that support the human designer with multiple, independent system components. We present a system architecture and an implemented system, FRAMER, that demonstrate the cooperative problem solving approach. FRAMER represents design knowledge in formal, machine-interpretable knowledge sources such as critics and dynamic specification sheets, and in semi-formal knowledge sources such as a palette of user interface building blocks and a checklist. Each of these components contributes significantly to the overall usefulness of the system while requiring only limited resources to be designed and implemented.

Decision support for traffic management based on organisational and communicative multiagent abstractions

Abstract: Modern decision support systems (DSS) not only store large amounts of decision-relevant data, but also aim at assisting decision-makers to explore the meaning of that data, and to take decisions based on understanding. In transportation domains, a multiagent approach to the construction of DSS is becoming increasingly popular, because it does not only reduce design complexity, but it also adequately supports a dialogue-based stance on decision support interactions. However, despite recent advances in the field of agent-oriented software engineering, a principled approach to the design of multiagent systems for decision support is still to come. In this paper, we outline a design method for the construction of agent-based DSS. Setting out from an organisational and communicative model of decision support environments, we present an abstract architecture for multiagent DSS. We then show how this architecture is instantiated for real-world problems by means of two prototypes for transportation management.