Semantic and Domain-based Interoperability (Interoperabilite Semantique et Interoperabilite basee sur un domaine).

摘要

Information superiority is one of the primary issues for military dominance. To achieve situational awareness in a joint/combined coalition, the meaning of the exchanged information and the purpose of the information exchange must be understood identically everywhere and at all times. Recent research and development trends suggest that NATO Network Enabled Capability (NNEC) will provide a means for establishing the desired information superiority. The NNEC builds on the idea of a common information space where all participating elements and organizations have the opportunity to supply and retrieve information according to their particular roles in the operation. Information must be conveyed in a secure and trusted way. This includes the idea that the meaning of the information and the purpose of the information exchange are understood identically everywhere and at all times. This level of understanding between all elements participating in joint/combined operations requires a broad attention to the context of information and the concepts contained within the information. True understanding of the concepts within the information can be equated to understanding the semantics of the information. Several major attempts in the area of syntactic/semantic interoperability were undertaken that can be comprised into two major tracks: one track focuses on knowledge-based means that analyze and convert information by using ontologies. Relevant projects were conducted by e.g. IST-094 'Framework for Semantic Interoperability' and NC3A's 'SI Factory'. For the second track, concentrating on the modeling aspects of information domains, relevant representatives are 'Multilateral Interoperability Programme' and IST-084 'Domain-based Interoperability'. Of course there are more approaches that aim on interoperability between heterogeneous organizations. They mostly concentrate on non-technical criteria like for instance social, cultural interoperability or ergonomics.