Interoperability Frameworks for Distributed Systems
José C. Delgado · Advances in computer and electrical engineering book series · 2018
One of the fundamental problems to tackle when interconnecting distributed systems is to entail the minimum coupling possible while ensuring the minimum interoperability requirements. This chapter presents a solution to the coupling problem based on the concepts of compliance and conformance, in which compatibility between interacting services does not rely on a shared schema, but rather on the features that are actually used. To help systematizing the various aspects relevant to interoperability, this chapter proposes a multidimensional interoperability framework, which includes the following dimensions: Lifecycle (with typical development stages), interoperability (based on compliance and conformance, with various layers of abstraction), and concerns (to deal with non-functional aspects such as security, quality of service, and social and legal issues).