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[stp-pmc] Eclipse Project Proposal: Mangrove - SOA Modeling Framework 
Dear Eclipse STP PMC and EMO,

After several rounds of consultation with the Eclipse community during Eclipse Summit and on the STP-DEV mailing list, we have finalized the proposal for the Mangrove - SOA Modeling Framework sub-project. This is a direct evolution of the existing STP Intermediate Model component which has an expanded scope in order to fit with the upcoming Eclipse SOA TLP. The proposal is attached as an HTML file.

Please let me know if there is anything else I need to do to complete the submission process for the subproject.

Best regards,
Adrian.

Introduction

Mangrove - SOA Modeling Framework is a proposed sub-project under the top-level project Eclipse SOA Tools Platform (STP). This proposal is in the Project Proposal Phase (as defined in the Eclipse Development Process document) and is written to declare the intent and scope of the Mangrove - SOA Modeling Framework sub-project. This proposal is written to solicit additional participation and input from the Eclipse community. You are invited to comment on and join the project. Please send all feedback to the Eclipse STP forum until a proper newsgroup is established.

 

Note that in this proposal, the long name “Mangrove - SOA Modeling Framework” is sometimes used in a shorter form (“Mangrove” or “SOA Modeling Framework”).

 

Background

The Eclipse SOA Tools Platform project contains tools for designing, building, configuring and deploying SOA applications. The current STP Intermediate Model component bridges different existing Eclipse STP editors (such as BPMN and SCA) through a common SOA metamodel. Users can transport SOA artifacts between editors by invoking transformations to and from the Intermediate Model instance. This ensures that elements such as services and processes are shared across the different perspectives of various SOA stakeholders, thus minimizing duplication and the risk for errors when building complex SOA systems.

The aim of this proposal is to extend the scope of the existing STP-IM component to better editor coverage while at the same time ensuring a seamless experience by reducing the need for manual transformations. In addition the proposal aims at providing functionality for connecting SOA editors to runtime projects and components in order to bridge the gap between SOA design and runtime.

 

Description

The purpose of the SOA Modeling Framework proposal is to create a project that can serve as a central Eclipse SOA modeling container useful for a wide variety of existing and upcoming SOA editors, runtime and platforms. By employing a simple and easily extendable SOA metamodel as its core, Mangrove will provide a consistent, always-in-sync representation of common SOA artifacts in an Eclipse workspace.

Additionally, by providing connectivity to runtime projects and SOA repositories, the Mangrove instance will be kept in sync with evolutions of these artifacts at runtime, updating properties such as QoS parameters in its model.

The following are a simplified list of the envisaged functionalities:

  • Transformations between different Eclipse Editors
  • Keeping a synchronized version of SOA artifacts within a SOA-oriented workspace using a builder-type approach
  • Updating model information in SOA editors with runtime data (from monitoring)
  • Feeding model information to deployment tools (potentially using SCA as format) and runtime tools (useful for interpreting monitoring data).
  • Obtaining information from SOA repositories (such as lists of services or governance information)

 

Project Scope

The Mangrove - SOA Modeling Framework project will focus on integrating existing and upcoming Eclipse projects related to SOA editors, runtime and deployment tools. In addition, Mangrove will add support for integration with monitoring projects (in particular the upcoming eBAM proposed project) and repositories (in particular the upcoming repository project proposal). It primarily targets the scope of the existing Eclipse STP project and the upcoming Eclipse SOA TLP.

 

Out of Scope

The proposal does not aim at providing a runtime project (Swordfish is the main runtime envisaged by the SOA TLP), or a runtime monitoring tool (the new eBAM proposal seems an excellent candidate for this), however it will transport information to and from such projects. Mangrove does not envisage the creation of live views of SOA systems but rather the enablement of efficient utilization of a large variety of tools and editors for building SOA systems.

 

Proposed Components

The following initial components will comprise the SOA Modeling Framework.

  • Core - the Core Metamodel and API (initial existing code in STP-IM): contains the SOA elements and their inter-relations, enabling the storing of distilled SOA elements used by different editors and tools.
  • Branches - the Transformation Plug-ins (initial existing code in STP-IM): contain the logic required to move and convert information between editors, tools and the core metamodel instance.
  • Phloem - the Builder (tentative initial contribution in STP-IM bugzilla) ensures the constant updating of SOA artifacts in the core as well as in the corresponding editors and tools (e.g. when saving a diagram, update the appropriate artifacts in the core while also enabling the update of the corresponding artifact in related editors or tools).
  • Leaves - the Editor Extensions (initial existing code in STP-IM), extensions and improvements to editors and tools for adding Mangrove-specific functionality at design time (e.g. views allowing the enrichment of certain SOA elements in the core or configuration menus for customizing the amount of information to be moved to/from the core).
  • Roots - the Runtime Connections: for moving information to and from runtime tools and repositories when needed in order to have a “living” core, providing a good reality snapshot. This can be useful when diagrams are out of sync or when aggregated monitoring information is required to update graphical elements. Also for generating deployment information in a common format.

 

Relationship with other Eclipse projects

The SOA Modeling Framework sub-project will be build on top of the Eclipse Platform and will have relationships with other Eclipse projects.

  • Eclipse SOA Tools Project
  • BPMN Modeler Project and the related MDT/BPMN2 Proposal
  • SCA Tools Project
  • Eclipse BPEL Project
  • Java Workflow Tooling Project
  • Swordfish
  • The upcoming EBAM monitoring proposal
  • The upcoming Repository proposal
  • The upcoming BPM project proposal
  • Other runtime projects
  • SOA Industrial Working Group to provide useful feedback and requirements throughout the project’s evolution.

 

Organization

We propose that this sub-project will take place under the new top level project SOA TLP.

 

Proposed initial committers

  • Adrian Mos, INRIA (lead) - STP-IM component committer
  • Andrea Zoppello, Engineering - STP-IM component committer
  • Gianfranco Boccalon, Engineering
  • Luca Rossato, Engineering
  • Luca Barozzi, Engineering
  • Fy Ravoajanahary, INRIA
  • Juan Cadavid, INRIA

 

Initial Code Contributions

The initial code contribution will be the currently existing STP Intermediate Model component.

 

Interested Parties

·  Stéphane Drapeau, Obeo

·  Oisín Hurley, Progress Software

·  Oliver Wolf, SOPERA

·  Vincent Zurczak, EBM WebSourcing

·  Antoine Toulmé, Intalio

·  Marc Dutoo, OpenWide

·  Paul Brebner, NICTA

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