v 0.2 2010/05/20 14:15:58 kenb/mgurmendez
OOR Use Case Descriptions
Open Ontology Repository
Ken Baclawski
Máximo Gurméndez
The OOR as a participant in use cases. All communication between any user
and the OOR is assumed to occur on an authenticated and secure
channel. Activities such as login are therefore not included in any of
the use cases. The term item is used generically for any entity that is
administered by the OOR with versioning and annotations such as
provenance information. This includes ontology modules, mappings,
configurations, compositions, process definitions and policies.
Configuration is itself a generic term that includes contexts, frameworks
and situations.
0.2
Northeastern University
OOR Initiative
May 20, 2010
Query Administered Item
Máximo Gurméndez
A user queries the system to find an administered item. Items include
ontology modules, mappings and contexts. Process and policy definitions
have their own use case.
March 14, 2010
The user submits a combination subset of query component
values. These can include title, release date and status. The user
also specifies how to sort the results, and a desired rank range of
results. For example: the user might search for "Virus Infection",
released before 01/10/2009, with STANDARD status, sorted by release
date, and returning the ranked list that goes from entry 20 to 30.
Optionally, the specific version can also be included in the query.
The system returns a list of administered items that match the user
query and satisfy any access constraints.
Navigate Administered Item
Ken Baclawski
An elementary step during browsing. Unlike a query, the user has the item
identifier rather than some search criteria. The result of the
navigation is a set of attributes of the item that provide a minimal
description of it as well as the item identifiers of related items.
May 20, 2010
The user submits an item identifier.
The system returns a list of attributes of the item if the user has
the right to access the list of attributes of the item.
Retrieve Administered Item
Ken Baclawski
Retrieve the entire administered item. Some ontology modules, mappings or
contexts are very large, so this should not be a common operation. Note
that there is no requirement that the administered item be physically
stored by the OOR instance. However, it should be able to retrieve items
from wherever they are stored when requested.
May 20, 2010
The user submits an item identifier.
The system returns the entire administered item if the user has the
right to access the item.
Extract Administered Item Part
Ken Baclawski
Retrieve part of an administered item. Some ontology module, mappings and
contexts are very large, so partial retrieval may be necessary. This is
the preferred use case for internal browsing of an ontology module or
mapping.
May 20, 2010
The user submits an item identifier and specification of a part of an
item to be retrieved.
The system returns the request part of the administered item if the
user has the right to access the item.
Advertise Administered Items
Máximo Gurméndez
The user retrieves a list of some of the administered items that are to
specially advertised. This differs from a query because the query is OOR
generated rather than user generated.
March 14, 2010
The user submits a request to see the advertised administered item
(e.g., when opening the home page of the system).
The system returns the advertised administered item using some OOR
instance-specific criteria (e.g., the items which have a STANDARD
status and a high rating).
Accredit Registration Authority
Ken Baclawski
The accreditation authority decides whether to include a registration
authority.
March 14, 2010
A user requests that a new registration authority be admitted.
The system queues the request and informs the Accreditor.
The Accreditor accredits the new registration authority and grants
the registrar role to the requesting user.
The system notifies the user that the request was accepted.
The user receives the notification.
Steward Registration
Máximo Gurméndez
A user wants to become a Steward for a registration authority.
March 14, 2010
The user places the request to be a steward to a particular
registrar.
The system notifies the registrar that a request has been made for a
user to become a steward.
The registrar approves the request.
The system notifies the user.
Submitter Registration
Máximo Gurméndez
A user wants to become a content submitter for a registration authority.
March 14, 2010
The user places the request to become a content submitter for a
particular steward.
The system notifies the steward that a request has been made for the
user to become a submitter.
The steward approves the request.
The system notifies the user that the request has been accepted.
Retire Process Participant
Máximo Gurméndez
A process participant desires to retire from their system
responsibilities.
March 14, 2010
The process participant submits a request to retire from the system.
The system responds with a confirmation message.
Reassign Process Participant
Máximo Gurméndez
A process participant has retired and any responsibility must be taken
over by some other process participant.
March 14, 2010
The user is a process participant.
The system sends a request to other process participants (i.e.,
registrars, stewards and submitters) in the same registration
authority and at the same level (i.e., steward, registrar or
submitter). The request is to take over the responsibility of the
process participant that has retired, with a request number.
A user sends the petition number and an acknowledgement that is
willing to accept the petition. We will call this user the candidate.
The system informs the immediate superior that a candidate exists for
a user to accept the petition.
The immediate superior accepts the candidate.
The system informs the candidate, that it has now inherited the
responsibilities of the retired user.
Query the registration authorities
Máximo Gurméndez
A user queries the system to obtain information on relevant registration
authorities, including the accreditor, registrars and stewards. This will
only retrieve publicly released information about the authorities.
March 14, 2010
A user requests information on registration authorities that satisfy
some specified criteria.
The system returns the information about all relevant registration
authorities, including all registrars and stewards associated with
each registration authority.
Query Contact Information
Máximo Gurméndez
The user wants to retrieve contact information for users. This
information is normally confidential so access constraints will be
enforced.
March 14, 2010
The user submits a request for the contact information of users
satisfying search criteria.
The system returns contact information relevant to the query and
satisfying access constraints.
Update Contact Information
Máximo Gurméndez
A user changes contact information. This can include retiring from the
OOR.
March 14, 2010
The user submits new contact information (i.e., email address, name
or surname).
The system returns a confirmation message.
Upload Administered Item Map
Ken Baclawski
A submitter registers a mapping from one item to another item.
May 20, 2010
The steward selects two administered items for the mapping.
A template for the mapping is given to the submitter. A GUI may
present this using a wizard.
The submitter modifies values of the mapping annotations and uploads
a mapping from one item to the other item.
The system confirms that the mapping has been uploaded.
Compose Administered Items
Ken Baclawski
A submitter composes a number of ontology modules or contexts and
registers the composition. One would expect that an application will use
more than one ontology. In many cases one can define the composition by
importing ontologies and adding additional axioms (such as sameAs
relationships). However, there are cases where this is not possible, so
a use case is available for more complex compositions.
May 20, 2010
The user selects administered items, usually ontology modules,
contexts and mappings.
A template for the composition is given to the user. A GUI may
present this using a suitable graphical editor.
The user defines the compositional diagram.
The system stores the compositional diagram and returns a composition
identifier.
Use Administered Item
Ken Baclawski
Register that the administered item is being used. This can be the basis
for maintaining usage statistics.
May 20, 2010
The user submits an item identifier.
The system confirms the usage of the item.
Register Item
Máximo Gurméndez
A submitter registers an administered item. This is a new item, not a
version of an existing item. Items include ontology modules, mappings and
contexts. Process and policy definitions are administered items, but they
have their own separate use case, and the participant is process manager
rather than a submitter. Submission of a item is the first step in a
process whereby an item progresses through a series of levels. The
default process is very simple. Many communities will have more complex
processes.
March 14, 2010
The submitter uploads an administered item.
The system returns a confirmation message and a version number for
the newly created administered item.
The system enqueues a task for validating the uploaded item using the
appropriate policies.
Update Administered Item
Máximo Gurméndez
A submitter or steward updates annotations associated with an
administered item. The item itself is not updated. Item update is handled
by versioning.
March 14, 2010
The steward selects an administered item for updating its
annotation.
A template for administered item annotations with known values filled
in is given to the steward. A GUI may present this using a wizard.
The steward modifies values of the administered item annotations.
The system returns a confirmation message and a new version number
for the administered item annotations.
Validate Item
Ken Baclawski
Validation tasks can be time-consuming so they are enqueued for
asynchronous processing.
May 20, 2010
The system performs a validation task in the queue according to the
current policies for items belonging to the registration authority
and steward.
The system notifies the original submitter of the result of the
validation task.
The system notifies the steward of the result of the validation task.
Notify Registrar
Ken Baclawski
The registrar is notified of the result of a validation task.
May 20, 2010
The validation task is relevant to the registrar as specified in the
relevant policies.
The system notifies the registrar of the result of a validation task.
Upload Administered Item Version
Ken Baclawski
A submitter or steward creates a new version of an existing item.
May 20, 2010
The submitter selects an administered item as the previous version of
the item.
The submitter uploads an administered item.
The system returns a confirmation message and a new version number
for the administered item.
Map Administered Item Version
Ken Baclawski
A mapping is defined for a new version of an administered item.
May 20, 2010
The new version of the administered item is backwardly compatible with the previous version.
The submitter uploads a mapping from the previous version to the new version.
The system confirms that the mapping has been uploaded.
Upload Process or Policy Definition
Máximo Gurméndez
Upload a process or policy definition to the system. This may be a
version of an existing process or policy. Such definitions are
administered items, so this is a special case of item update in general,
but such updates are performed by following a process. Modifying the
process that one is using to modify the process could be result in an
anomolous situation, so a separate use case was introduced.
March 14, 2010
The process manager requests the process and policy definition schemas.
The system returns the schemas and explanations for instantiating
process and policy definitions. A GUI would normally present the
schema using a wizard.
The process manager uploads the process or policy definition to the
system.
The system notifies the process manager that the process or policy
definition has been uploaded successfully.
Process Instance Form Completion
Máximo Gurméndez
A user needs to input some information as required by one step in a
process definition.
March 14, 2010
The system notifies a process participant that some information needs
to be provided for a process associated with an administered item.
The user queries the system for the list of tasks to be completed.
The system returns all the pending tasks for the user.
The user select one of the pending tasks.
A template for the information required by the task is given to the
user. A GUI can present this to the user using a wizard.
The user submits the information required for the task.
The system returns a confirmation message.
Query procedures
Máximo Gurméndez
The user wants to retrieve the procedures regarding the standardization
process. This is only relevant for users who might participate in a
process.
March 14, 2010
The user submits a request to see the procedures that satisfy
specified criteria.
The system returns all the procedures that satisfy the criteria.
Review an administered item
Máximo Gurméndez
A user informally reviews the administered item, for example, by
providing comments and number rating. Formal reviews and evaluations are
performed as part of a process. This use case is only concerned with ad
hoc informal reviews.
March 14, 2010
The user selects an item and submits a comment and/or a rating for a
particular version of an administered item.
The system records the information and sends the user a confirmation
message.
Query reviews
Ken Baclawski
The user wants to see reviews and evaluations for an item. This use
case deals only with informal reviews. Formal reviews are part of a
process and are normally confidential.
May 20, 2010
The user selects an administered item and specifies which reviews or
evaluations are to be returned.
The system returns the requested reviews or evaluations.
Query metrics
Ken Baclawski
Natasha Noy
The user wants to see metrics about an administered item. Examples include:
- number of statements (terms, relationships) in an item
- number of statements referencing a given URI
- number of revisions to a given context or statement
- number of users/organizations using the item
- number of contexts/terms accessed (served)
- number of times a given context or term has been accessed
May 20, 2010
The user selects an administered item and requests its metrics.
The system returns the metrics for the item.
Accreditation Authority
The singular authority that manages the registration authorities of the
OOR. One important responsibility of the accreditor is the allocation of
top-level names. Consequently, the accreditor is analogous to a domain
name registrar. The primary difference is that domain names can be bought
and sold, while the names allocated by the accreditor must be permanent
and in the public domain.
Registration Authority
A top-level registration authority. It has a top-level name assigned by
the accreditor. Standards bodies, professional societies and publishers
are examples of registration authorities. Although a registrar is an
organization, the organizational structure is not represented in the OOR.
Consequently, a registrar is a kind of user with specific capabilities
and responsibilities that are not common to all users. One can think of a
registrar as a user that represents the registration authority during
interactions with the OOR.
Community Steward
A domain-specific community within the context of a registration
authority. Examples include a working group of a standards body, a
special interest group of a professional society, and a journal produced
by a publisher. Although a community is a collection of individuals, its
internal structure is not represented in the OOR. Consequently, a steward
is a kind of user with specific capabilities and responsibilities that
are not common to all users. One can think of a steward as a user that
represents the community during interactions with the OOR.
Content Submitter
An individual that submits new materials or changes to existing materials
that are managed by a specific steward. Depending on the steward, there
may be no restrictions on who can be a submitter or there may be only a
fixed set of submitters.
Process Manager
The common generalization of accreditors, registrars and stewards. They
share the capability of creating and managing process and policy
definitions.
Process Participant
A user that participates in an OOR process. Since processes are
associated with registrars and stewards, a user that participates in an
OOR process is implicitly also associated with that registrar or
steward. For example, a user could contribute to the OOR by providing
usage information and informal evaluations.
General User
A user of the OOR. This includes process managers and participants as
well as individuals who are searching the OOR or retrieving from it in an
ad hoc manner. Unlike process managers and participants, users in general
need not be associated with a registrar or steward.