Object Management Group Terms and Acronyms
This glossary collects most of the terms and acronyms that you'll encounter at OMG meetings, and in OMG documents. Each definition is only as authoritative as its cited source; this document itself is not an official reference. Technical terms are defined in our official specifications, and procedural terms are defined in our Policies and Procedures document. If our explanation here goes beyond what appears in these documents, it is our attempt to clarify and not to impose our interpretation on a topic. References are collected at the end of this document.
Terms in italics, and virtually all acronyms, have their own entry in the list. You may have to convert an italicized term to singular form to find it - for example, proxies is represented by the entry Proxy.
[A] [B] [C] [D] [E] [F] [G] [H] [I] [J] [K] [L] [M] [N] [O] [P] [Q] [R] [S] [T] [U] [V] [W] [X] [Y] [Z]
A AB: See Architecture Board.ABC: See Architecture Board Chair.
Abstraction: In MDA, the process of suppressing selected detail to establish a simplified model [MDA Guide].
Adopted Specification: A specification that has completed the OMG's Technology Adoption Process, but has not yet completed the Finalization Task Force (FTF) process, or has not yet been certified to be available in an implementation. Compare to Available Specification.
ADM: Architecture-Driven Modernization
ADM PTF: See Architecture Driven Modernization Platform Task Force
ADTF: Analysis and Design Task Force
Agent: Any entity that can - to some degree - be interactive and autonomous. Includes software systems, hardware systems, hybrid systems, agent-based modeling systems, and so on.
Agent Platform Special Interest Group: OMG subgroup chartered to identify and recommend new OMG specifications in the area of agent technology.
Alf: Action Language for fUML
ALMAS: ALert MAnagement Service in CMS Systems.
AML: Archetype Modeling Language
AMP: Agent Metamodel and Profile
Analysis and Design (A&D) Platform Task Force: OMG subgroup chartered to standardize metamodels (the MOF and CWM), modeling languages (UML), and profiles.
AO: Application Objects, one of the parts of the OMA.
API4KB: Application Programming Interface for Knowledge Bases (now API4KP)
API4KP: Application Programming Interface for Knowledge Platforms (ex-API4KB)
Application Modeling: Specifying the functionality and design of an application in a separate step using UML, before coding starts. May include a requirements-gathering step, and follow a formal methodology.
Application Objects (AO): One of the four categories of objects defined by the OMA. Interfaces for Application Objects, which have the highest level of abstraction in the architecture, are not standardized by OMG.
Architecture: A specification of the parts and connectors of the system and the rules for the interactions of the parts using the connectors [Shaw & Garlan, cited in MDA Guide].
Architecture Board (AB): One of three Plenary Bodies chartered by the OMG BoD. The AB is composed of the Architecture Board Chair and ten elected member representatives, five elected by the DTC, the other five by the PTC. The AB must certify every RFP before it may be issued, and every specification before it may be adopted; the AB also charters some SIGs and SCs, but may not charter TFs.
Architecture Board Chair: An OMG staff member. The ABC is a voting member of the AB.
Architecture Driven Modernization (ADM) Platform Task Force: OMG subgroup chartered to create specifications and promote industry consensus on modernization of existing applications.
ASTM: Abstract Syntax Tree Metamodel
Available Specification: The final stage of the OMG Technology Adoption Process. Following the Adopted Specification stage, an OMG technology must be revised by a Finalization Task Force (FTF) and at least one implementation must become available (hence the name) on the software marketplace. After these requirements have been met, the document output by the FTF becomes an Available Specification by vote of the OMG BOD.
A&D PTF: See Analysis and Design Platform Task Force.
B
BC: See Business Committee.BCQ: See Business Committee Questionnaire
BCS: Binary Compatible Standard
BEI: Business Ecology Initiative
BE: Business Ecology
BMI: Business Modeling and Integration
BMM: Business Motivation Model
Board of Directors (BoD): The OMG Board of Directors, the ultimate legal authority within the organization, is composed of 32 representatives elected from Contributing, Platform, and Domain Members. The BoD charters the three Plenary Bodies - the AB, the PTC, and the DTC - and is responsible for the direction and fiscal health of the OMG. At the end of the Technology Adoption Process, a vote of the BoD changes the status of a document from submission to official OMG specification.
BOD: See Board of Directors.
BOM: Business Object Model. Not a term officially defined by OMG in the OMA, but a commonly used acronym nevertheless.
BMI DTF: See Business Modeling & Integration Domain Task Force
BMM: Business Motivation Metamodel
BPDM: Business Process Definition Metamodel
BPEL: Business Process Execution Language
BPM: Business Process Management
BPMM: Business Process Maturity Model
BPMN™: Business Process Modeling Notation (v1) and Business Process Model and Notation (v2)
BPRI: Business Process Runtime Interfaces
Business Committee: A committee of the Board of Directors addressing IPR and implementation of proposed specifications.
Business Committee Questionnaire: A form answered by submitters which addresses IPR and implementation plans.
Business Modeling & Integration Domain Task Force: OMG subgroup chartered to develop specifications promoting inter- and intra-enterprise business integration and collaboration, by developing shared models that support business modeling and the integration and collaboration of systems, processes, and information across the enterprise, including business partners and customers. Formerly called the Business Enterprise Integration DTF.
C4I: Consultation, Command, Control, Communications, and Intelligence
Capability Maturity Model (CMM): A process improvement approach that is based on a process model developed by the Software Engineering Institute (SEI) in the mid-1980s, as well as the family of process models that followed. A process model is a structured collection of practices that describe the characteristics of effective processes; the practices included are those proven by experience to be effective.
Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI) is a process improvement approach that provides organizations with the essential elements of effective processes.The latest version of CMMI, verSION 1.2, was released in August 2006. There are 3 constellations of CMMI in the new version, namely:- CMMI Development, CMMI Services and CMMI Acquisition.
CCM: See CORBA Component Model.
CDS: Cross Domain Solutions
CF: Common Facilities. See CORBAfacilities.
CFTF: See Common Facilities Task Force.
CGI: Common Gateway Interface
CIM: See Computation Independent Model
CISQ: Consortium for Information & Software Quality
Class Diagram: A UML diagram that shows a collection of declarative (static) UML model elements such as classes and types, with their contents and relationships.
CMM: See Capability Maturity Model
CMMI: See Capability Maturity Model Integration
CMS: Combat Management Systems
COBIT: The Control Objectives for Information and related Technology is a set of best practices (framework) for information (IT) management created by the Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA), and the IT Governance Institute (ITGI) in 1992.
Code Generation: Step in MDA development when a tool generates application language code, interface definitions, configuration files, makefiles, deployment files, and other application definition files as needed from a PSM.
CORBAfacilities: One of the four categories of objects defined by the OMA. The Common Facilities is a collection of services that many applications may share, but which are not as fundamental as Object Services. There are currently four Common Facilities: Secure Time, Internationalization, Print Facility, Mobile Agent Facility.
Common Facilities Task Force (CFTF): Until disbanded in June 1997, OMG subgroup responsible for the Common Facilities. Although Common Facilities no longer has its own dedicated TF, it remains a part of the OMA.
Common Warehouse Metamodel (CWM™): Extensive OMG standard metamodel for data warehousing, data mining, data modeling, and other aspects of data storage and manipulation. CWM includes technical contribution from the Meta Data Coalition (MDC), which merged both its technology and its organization/membership into OMG as the CWM effort was getting started.
Computation Independent Model (CIM): A view of a system from the computation independent viewpoint. Sometimes called a domain model, a CIM does not show details of the structure of systems and uses a vocabulary that is familiar to the practitioners of the domain in question. (MDA Guide)
Computation Independent Viewpoint: Focuses on the on the environment of the system, and the requirements for the system; the details of the structure and processing of the system are hidden or as yet undetermined. [MDA Guide]
Consultation, Command, Control, Communications, and Intelligence (C4I) Domain Task Force: OMG subgroup chartered to develop specifications in military and civil defense logistics and crisis response.
Contributing Member: OMG membership category with full privileges: May submit technology to, and votes in, both PTC and DTC; votes in all SIGs, TFs, and SCs; and is eligible for a seat on the OMG's BoD.
CMMN: Case Management Modeling Notation
CORBA®: Common Object Request Broker Architecture - the OMG's core specification for distributed object interoperability.
CORBA 3.0: Major revision of the CORBA specification issued in June, 2002, adding the CORBA Component Model (CCM). CORBA 3.0 originally referred to a suite of specifications for integration of CORBA with Java and the internet, quality of service control, and component architecture, expected to be issued together but actually issued over some time.
CORBA Component Model (CCM): Specification added to CORBA with release 3.0, adding a component model with sophisticated resource allocation control and other advanced features. A superset of Enterprise JavaBeans, which it intentionally resembles in many respects.
CORBAservices™: Lower-level distributed services with OMG-standardized IDL interfaces. There are currently seventeen (sort of; the Notification Service is actually a Telecommunications Domain Facility) CORBAservices. Grouped by function, they are the Naming, Trader, Event, Notification, Transaction, Security, Lifecycle, Relationship, Persistent State, Externalization, Query, Properties, Concurrency, Licensing, Time, Enhanced Time, and Collection services.
CSAR: Chemical Structure and Access Representation
CSCC: Cloud Standards Customer Council
CTS2™: Common Terminology Services 2™
CWM™: See Common Warehouse Metamodel.
C4I DTF: See Consultation, Command, Control, Communications, and Intelligence Domain Task Force
D
Data Distribution Service (DDS): Real-time, data-centric, publish-subscribe OMG specification for data distribution.Data Distribution Service Platform Special Interest Group: A subgroup within the OMG chartered in order to coordinate, guide, and promote the use and evolution of Data-Distribution technology.
DDS™: See Data Distribution Service.
DDS4CCM: Data Distribution Service for the CORBA Component Model
DDSI: DDS Interoperability
DDSI-RTPS: DDS Interoperability – Real-Time Publish-Subscribe
DDS PSIG: Data Distribution Service Platform Special Interest Group
Design: The second (that is, last) stage of a UML-based analysis and design project, when the application is designed to meet the requirements determined in the first (analysis) step.
DMN™: Decision Modeling Notation
DoDAF: Department of Defense Architecture Framework
DOL: Distributed Ontology, modeling, and specification Language
Domain Member: OMG membership category which may submit technology to, and votes in, DTC but not PTC; votes in all SIGs, TFs, and SCs; and is eligible for a seat on the OMG's BOD.
Domain Special Interest Group (DSIG): Any SIG chartered by the DTC. DSIGs typically deal with Domain-specific issues. See Special Interest Group.
Domain Task Force (DTF): Any Task Force chartered by the DTC. DTFs generate RFPs for, and recommend adoption of, domain-specific (that is, vertical-market specific) technology. There are currently ten DTFs: Business Modeling and Integration, C4I, Finance, Government, Healthcare (formerly referred to as CORBAmed), Life Science Research, Manufacturing Technology and Industrial Systems (ManTIS), Robotics, Software-Based Communications, and Space.
Domain Technology Committee (DTC): One of three Plenary Bodies and one of two OMG Technology Committees, the DTC issues RFPs and recommends BOD-adoption of domain-specific technologies. The DTC charters DTFs, DSIGs, and DSCs.
DSIG: See Domain Special Interest Group.
DTC: See Domain Technology Committee.
Domain Technology Committee Chair: Domain Technology Committee Chair, an OMG staff member appointed by the OMG's Technical Director.
DRE: Distributed, Real-time and Embedded Systems
DSIG: Domain Special Interest Group
DTC: See Domain Technology Committee
DTCC: See Domain Technology Committee Chair
DTC Member: An OMG member company entitled to vote in the DTC. Contributing Members and Domain Members are DTC members.
DTC Voter: The Representative named by a DTC Member (that is, a company) to cast its vote in the DTC. DTC Voters represent OMG Contributing Members and OMG Domain Members. Only one representative of a given member may be a DTC Voter; alternates must be named as proxies.
DTF: See Domain Task Force.
DTV: Date and Time Vocabulary
E
EAI: Enterprise Application Integration.EDA: Event Driven Architecture
EDOC: See Enterprise Distributed Object Computing.
EDOC Profile: Standard OMG profile for UML supporting EDOC.
EIS: Entity Identification Service
EII: Enterprise Information Integration
Enterprise Distributed Object Computing (EDOC): Enterprise distributed computing using architecture, infrastructure, and designs that take business needs into account either formally or explicitly.
EMP: Event Metamodel and Profile
EXPRESS: EXPRESS is an Information Modeling Language standardized by ISO as part of STEP (Standard for the Exchange of Product data). OMG has standardized a reference metamodel for EXPRESS.
F
Fault-Tolerant CORBA: Specification for entity redundancy that enables a CORBA system to continue processing when part of the system fails.FIBO: Financial Industry Business Ontology
FIGI™: Financial Instruments Global Identifier
Finalization Task Force (FTF): OMG subgroup responsible for drafting the changes that turn an Adopted Specification into Available Specification. These changes are two-fold in nature: editorial and minor technical.
Finance Domain Task Force: OMG subgroup focusing on OMG standards in the Financial Services domain.
FSM4RTC: Finite State Machine for Robotic Technology Component
Fast System Switch Fault Tolerant
FTF: (1.) See Finalization Task Force. (2.) Federal Transition Framework
FTS: Fault Tolerant System
fUML™: Foundational Subset for Executable UML Models
G
GCIO: Green CIOGEMS: Ground Equipment Monitoring Service
GIOP:General Inter-ORB Protocol
GIS: Geographic Information Systems. Programs that deal with geographic data and applications, such as mapping and locations on the earth.
CISQ: The Consortium for Information & Software Quality
Government Domain Task Force: OMG subgroup serving as a Community of Interest and recommending technology specifications in the application of Model Driven Architecture and other OMG specifications to governmental organizations in civilian, defense, and intelligence sectors.
Government Member: OMG membership category available only to government agencies, carrying the same privileges as Influencing Member. Government agencies may, if they wish, join at a higher membership category (Domain, Platform, or Contributing) if they wish to submit technology for adoption, or vote in the DTC and/or PTC.
GRA: Global Reference Architecture
H
HAL4RTC: Hardware Abstraction Layer for Robotic Technology ComponentsHealthcare Domain Task Force: OMG subgroup (formerly CORBAmed) focusing on interoperability technologies throughout the global healthcare community, working closely with HL7 and the Eclipse Foundation on a set of healthcare interoperability services.
HPC: Handheld Personal Computer
HPEC: High Performance Embedded Computing
I
IDL: See Interface Definition Language (IDL™)IEDM: Information Exchange Data Model
IEF: Information Exchange Framework
IEPPV: Information Exchange Packaging Policy Vocabulary
IIC: Industrial Internet Consortium
IIOP™: See Internet Inter-ORB Protocol.
IMM: Information Management Metamodel
IMS: IP Multimedia Subsystem
Influencing Member: OMG membership category which may vote in all SIGs and TFs. Influencing Members may not submit technology for adoption, and may not vote in either the PTC or DTC, or in any SC.
Initial Submission: The first response (a proposed specification) to an RFP.
Interface Definition Language (IDL): A language-independent specification of an object's operations, input and output parameters required, and any exceptions that may be generated by these operations. This constitutes an objects "contract" with its clients.
Internet Inter-ORB Protocol (IIOP®): OMG standard protocol enabling CORBA network interoperability, introduced in the CORBA 2.0 specification. ORBs must speak IIOP in order to be considered CORBA-compliant.
Invited Guest: A category of OMG meeting attendee, defined by the P&P. There are three categories of Invited Guests: (1) a representative appointed by an external organization that has a reciprocal liaison relationship with the OMG. (2) an individual who has been invited to attend his first or second OMG meeting by an OMG staff member, typically in order to evaluate membership for his company. (3) Anyone who has been invited by representatives of two Contributing, Platform, or Domain Members. Invited guests pay the "non-member" meeting fee, and may not vote, but may attend all subgroup and plenary sessions during an OMG meeting week except those of the OMG BOD.
IMM®: Information Management Metamodel
IPMSS: Implementation Patterns Metamodel for Software Systems (now SPMS)
IPR: Intellectual Property Rights
ISO: International Organization for Standards
ITIL®: The Information Technology Infrastructure Library is a framework of best practice approaches intended to facilitate the delivery of high quality information technology (IT) services. ITIL outlines an extensive set of management procedures that are intended to support businesses in achieving both quality and value for money in IT operations. These procedures are supplier independent and have been developed to provide guidance across the breadth of IT infrastructure, development, and operations.
J
JMS: Java Message ServiceJSON: JavaScript Object Notation
K
KDM: Knowledge Discovery Metamodel
L
Letter Of Intent (LOI): The first step in a Member's response to an RFP, and a key part of the Technology Adoption Process. LOIs must be received at the OMG by the LOI deadline stated in the RFP, and must be signed by an officer of the company who is legally entitled to bind the company to the commitment that the LOI entails. In an LOI, the Member states that it intends to submit in response to the RFP, and commits to marketing a commercial implementation of the technology within a year of adoption, should its submission be adopted as the OMG specification. Every RFP contains a template that a company may use for its LOI.Liaison AB Subcommittee: OMG subgroup, which, along with OMG's Director of Liaison Programs, manages OMG's active relationships with other standards bodies and consortia.
Life Sciences Research Domain Task Force: OMG subgroup chartered to adopt specifications in the area of Life Sciences Research, encompassing biotechnology, drug discovery and synthesis, genomics, and related areas.
LOI: See Letter Of Intent.
LSR DTF: See Life Sciences Research Domain Task Force.
M
MACL: Machine-checkable Assurance Case LanguageManTIS: Manufacturing Technology and Industrial Systems
ManTIS DTF: See Manufacturing Technology and Industrial Systems Domain Task Force
Manufacturing Technology and Industrial Systems (ManTIS) Domain Task Force: (Formerly Manufacturing) OMG subgroup focusing on interoperable software components for the Manufacturing and Industrial Systems domain.
Mapping: Specification of a mechanism for transforming the elements of a model conforming to a particular metamodel into elements of another model that conforms to another (possibly the same) metamodel. Provides specifications for transformation of a PIM into a PSM for a particular platform [MDA Guide]
MARS: Middleware and Related Services
MARS PTF: See Middleware And Related Services Platform Task Force
MARTE: Modeling and Analysis of Real-time Embedded Systems
MBSE: Model-Based Systems Engineering
MDA®: Model Driven Architecture®
MDA Users AB Special Interest Group: OMG subgroup with charter to disseminate practical experiences of the use of MDA in the real world through invited speakers and discussions.
MDD: Model Driven Development
Metadata: Data that represents models. For example, a UML model; a CORBA object model expressed in IDL; and a relational database schema expressed using CWM.
Metamodel: A special kind of model that specifies the abstract syntax of a modeling language [MDA Guide]. An abstract language for some kind of metadata.
Meta Object Facility (MOF™): OMG specification standardizing a meta-meta-model and repository for metadata.
Middleware And Related Services (MARS) Platform task Force: OMG subgroup focusing on request broker technology and pervasive services. New and revised pervasive services are typically defined in the MDA for multiple target platforms.
MDMI: Model driven message interoperability
MIC PSIG: See Model Integrated Computing Platform Special Interest Group
Middleware Platform: In general, a development and run-time infrastructure for distributed applications, defining and providing all or most of a set of common services including object or service location and binding, network protocol (which may be synchronous or asynchronous - that is, loosely coupled), scalable server typically with transactional capability, directory, security, and other services. Current middleware platforms include CORBA, Enterprise JavaBeans, and .Net.
MILS: Military Standard
MMS: Multimedia Messaging Service
Model: A model represents some concrete or abstract thing of interest, with a specific purpose in mind. The model is related to the thing by an explicit or implicit isomorphism. Models in the context of the MDA Foundation Model are instances of MOF metamodels and therefore consist of model elements and links between them [MDA Guide].
Model Driven Architecture® (MDA®): OMG's standard approach to IT system specification that separates the specification of functionality from the specification of the implementation of that functionality on a specific technology platform. An approach to system development…[that]… provides a means for using models to direct the course of understanding, design, construction, deployment, operation, maintenance and modification [MDA Guide]. The MDA became the official base architecture for OMG specifications in September, 2001. An MDA specification consists of a PIM and at least one PSM, which must be instances of MOF metamodels but need not use UML [MDA Foundation Model document]. For more information on the MDA, see the references.
Model Integrated Computing Platform Special Interest Group: An OMG subgroup chartered to advocate standardization of the products of government- and industry-sponsored research and development programs for Model Integrated Computing (MIC) through the OMG process.
MOF™: See Meta Object Facility.
MODAF: Ministry of Defence Architecture Framework
MRC: Management of Regulatory Compliance
N
NIEM: National Information Exchange ModelNormative – Provisions that one must conform to in order to claim compliance with the standard. (as opposed to non-normative or informative which is explanatory material that is included in order to assist in understanding the standard and does not contain any provisions that must be conformed to in order to claim compliance).
Normative Reference – References that contain provisions that one must conform to in order to claim compliance with the standard that contains said normative reference.
O
Object and Reference Model AB Subcommittee: The OMG subgroup with the charter to facilitate better understanding of the structure, content and architecture of object-oriented technologies and systems in relation to the OMG Object and Reference Models and evolution thereof, so as to provide sound technical foundation for the work of the OMG.Object Constraint Language (OCL): Formal constraint language specified as part of UML, allowing imposition of pre-conditions and post-conditions, and specification of invariants and other conditions for an invocation.
Object Management Architecture (OMA): The OMG's formal architecture organizing standard objects that provide standard services for distributed object-oriented applications. The OMA divides objects into four categories: Object Request Broker, CORBAservices, CORBAfacilities (Horizontal and Vertical or Domain Common Facilities), and Application Objects.
Object Request Broker™ (ORB™): The core of the CORBA specification. The ORB enables objects to transparently make and receive requests and responses in a distributed environment. It is the foundation for building applications from distributed objects and for interoperability between applications in hetero- and homogeneous environments.
OCL: See Object Constraint Language. OCEB: OMG-Certified Expert in BPM
OCRES: OMG-Certified Real-time and Embedded Systems specialist
OCSMP: OMG-Certified Systems Modeling Professional
OCUP: OMG-Certified UML Professional ODM: Ontology Definition Metamodel
OOA&D: Object-Oriented Analysis & Design.
OMA: See Object Management Architecture.
OMG: bject Management Group®.
Ontology Platform Special Interest Group: An OMG subgroup chartered to enable the OMG to rapidly develop ontology-related technology by bringing together the expertise in the semantics of software with the expertise for knowledge representation, consistency checking, and knowledge-processing, in order to leverage each other’s technologies.
OntoIOp: Ontology Model and Specification Integration and Interoperability
OOA: Object Oriented Analysis.
OPC-UA: Open Process Control – Unified Architecture
ORB: See Object Request Broker.
ORBOS: Object Request Broker and Object Services Platform Task Force (rechartered in early 2002 as MARS-Middleware and Related Services), responsible during its lifetime for the core CORBA and Object Services specifications.
ORMSC: See Object and Reference Model Subcommittee
OS: Object Services. See CORBAservices.
OSM: Organization Structure Metamodel
OWL: Web Ontology Language
P
PAGE-OM: Phenotype and Genotype Object ModelParent Body: The Plenary Body that chartered a particular Subgroup. The Parent Body of a TF is always a TC, because the AB cannot charter a TF. This includes RTFs; the TF that originally recommended adoption of a particular technology has no formal responsibility for, or control over, the RTF that maintains it.
PBS: Portable Batch System
PDCA: Plan, Do, Check, Act. (Deming)
Pervasive Services: Standard services required by applications in a networked environment - naming/directory, events/notification, transaction, security, and other functions - defined in the MDA. The MDA successor to the Object Services defined in the OMA.
PIM: See Platform-Independent Model
Platform: (NOTE: OMG members are still discussing the definition of Platform; this is not the only definition under consideration.) A set of subsystems and technologies that provide a coherent set of functionality through interfaces and specified usage patterns, which any application supported by that platform can use without concern for the details of how the functionality provided by the platform is implemented [MDA Guide].
Platform Independence; Platform-Independent Model (PIM): A model of a subsystem that contains no information specific to the platform or the technology that is used to realize it. The quality that the model is independent of the features of a platform of any particular type. Like most qualities, platform independence is a matter of degree. A view of a system from the platform independent viewpoint. A PIM exhibits a specified degree of platform independence so as to be suitable for use with a number of different platforms of similar type. [MDA Guide].
Platform Independent Viewpoint: Focuses on the operation of a system while hiding the details necessary for a particular platform. A platform independent view shows that part of the complete specification that does not change from one platform to another [MDA Guide].
Platform-Specific Model: A model of a subsystem that includes information about the specific technology that is used in the realization of it on a specific platform, and hence possibly contains elements that are specific to the platform. A view of a system from the platform specific viewpoint, combining the specifications in the PIM with the details that specify how that system uses a particular type of platform [MDA Guide].
Platform-Specific Viewpoint: Combines the platform independent viewpoint with an additional focus on the detail of the use of a specific platform by a system [MDA Guide].
Platform Member: OMG membership category which may submit technology to, and votes in, PTC but not DTC; votes in all SIGs, TFs, and SCs; and is eligible for a seat on OMG's BoD.
Platform Special Interest Group (PSIG): Any SIG chartered by the PTC. PSIGs typically deal with platform and infrastructure-level issues. See Special Interest Group.
Platform Task Force (PTF): Any Task Force chartered by the PTC. PTFs generate RFPs for, and recommend adoption of, platform- or infrastructure-level technology. There are currently four PTFs: MARS (Middleware And Related Services; formerly ORBOS), AD (Analysis and Design); RTESS (Real Time, Embedded, and Specialized Systems); and the newest, ADM (Architecture-Driven Modernization) PTF.
Platform Technology Committee (PTC): One of three Plenary Bodies and one of two OMG Technology Committees, the PTC issues RFPs and recommends BOD-adoption of platform- and infrastructure-level technologies. The PTC charters PTFs, PSIGs, and PSCs.
Platform Technology Committee Chair (PTCC): An OMG staff member appointed by the OMG's Technical Director.
Pre-conditions: In OCL, conditions that must be true when an invocation must be made.
Plenary Body: Any one of the three highest-level bodies chartered by the OMG BoD and chaired by an OMG staff person. The three Plenary Bodies are the Platform Technology Committee, the Domain Technology Committee, and the Architecture Board.
PLM: Product Lifecycle Management
Post-conditions: In OCL, conditions that must be true when an invocation is completed.
Proposed Specification: Synonym for Submission. Also see Technology Adoption Process.
Proxy: (1) Voting rights in an OMG subgroup, transferred to a person who does not work for a Member, by a written directive signed by a Member's Registered Voter: "I hold a proxy for Company X and vote in favor of the motion." (2) A written directive to a subgroup or plenary chair, or to OMG staff, to cast a specific vote (for, against, or abstain) on a particular motion, or group of motions, at a particular meeting. A proxy directing a vote of abstain on all issues at a particular meeting brings that meeting closer to quorum without affecting the direction of decisions on issues that come before the meeting. (3) Proxy Holder: The individual named in writing by an OMG Member's (that is, a company's) Registered Voter to vote in place of the Registered Voter in OMG plenary bodies. The designation may be permanent until revoked ("Standing Proxy"), or for a single meeting. The term may also be used to describe any person who holds a proxy to vote at a meeting of any OMG subgroup. NOTE 1: Proxies must be signed by the Member's registered voter and submitted in writing before they may be exercised. FAX submittal is acceptable, but email is not. At the last minute during a meeting, proxies may be FAXed directly to the meeting hotel, to the attention of a suitable OMG staff person or directly to the person who will exercise the proxy, if not an OMG staffer. Responsibility for delivery of the proxy rests with the member company, and not with OMG. NOTE 2: The OMG Policies and Procedures (P&P) document contains the official definition of, and prescribes the use of, proxies at OMG meetings. This definition may be more helpful and easier to understand, but only the P&P definition is official.
PRR: Production Rule Representation
PSCS: Precise Semantics of Composite Structures
PSIG: See Platform Special Interest Group.
PSM: See Platform-Specific Model
PSSM: Precise Semantics of State Machines
PTC: See Platform Technology Committee.
PTCC: See Platform Technology Committee Chair
PTC Member: An OMG member company entitled to vote in the PTC. Contributing Members and Platform Members are PTC members.
PTC Voter: The Representative named by a PTC Member (that is, a company) to cast its vote in the PTC. PTC Voters represent OMG Contributing Members and OMG Platform Members. Only one representative of a given member may be a PTC Voter.
PTF: See Platform Task Force.
P&P: OMG Policies and Procedures
Q
QoS: Quality of ServiceQuorum: The minimum number of voters required to be present at a meeting of an OMG plenary body or subgroup for the proceedings to be valid and voting to take place. The OMG's Process Manager calculates quorum separately for each OMG group, subgroup, and closed voting list before each meeting, and distributes the quorum numbers to the chairs. The procedure for calculating quorum is prescribed by the OMG's P&P document.
QVT: MOF Query / Views / Transformation
R
RAS: Reusable Asset Specification RDCM: RIA Dynamic Component Model RDF: Resource Description Framework RDFS: RDF SchemaReal-time, Embedded, and Specialized Systems (RTESS) Platform Task Force: OMG subgroup focusing on adaptations and extensions of OMG technologies that apply across domains for real-time, embedded, and other specialized kinds of systems such as fault tolerance, high availability, high performance, and safety critical.
Registered Voter: An individual named by an OMG Member (that is, a company) to cast its vote in meetings and electronic votes where that Member is eligible to vote. Only the Member's Primary Contact may name the Registered Voter, and this must be done in writing via letter or FAX; not by email. A Member may name only one Registered Voter, but may also name any number of either temporary or standing proxies.
Regulatory Compliance Domain Special Interest Group: An OMG subgroup with the goals of development, codification and promotion of standards supporting IT best practices for regulatory processes.
Representative: An individual affiliated with an OMG Member and attending a meeting of an OMG technical plenary or subgroup.
Request For Comment (RFC): An alternative to the Technology Adoption Process allowing an OMG member to request OMG adoption of an uncontentious specification without requiring a Request for Proposals to be issued.
Request For Information (RFI): A general request to the computer industry, academia, and any other interested parties to submit information about a particular technology area to one of the OMG's TFs. Information received in response to an RFI is typically used by a TF to formulate one or more RFPs.
Request For Proposals (RFP): The requirements document for a new OMG technology specification. Issuance of an RFP starts the OMG Technology Adoption Process. RFPs are written and recommended by a TF, certified by the AB, and issued by vote of the TF's Parent Body.
Revised Submission: A proposed specification which represents responses to comments made against previous proposals (which may be the Initial Submission or a previous Revised Submission.) As there may be more than one Revised Submission, it may or may not constitute the final proposed specification.
Revision Task Force (RTF): An OMG subgroup with a closed membership of individually named representatives, in existence for a specified finite length of time, responsible for maintenance of an adopted OMG specification: that is, clarification of ambiguities and correction of errors. An RTF may not extend a specification with new functionality; this requires a new RFP.
RFC: See Request For Comment.
RFI: See Request For Information.
RFP: See Request For Proposal.
RIA: Rich Internet Applications
RLUS: Retrieve, Locate and Upgrade Service
RMI: Remote Method Invocation
RMS: Records Management Services
Robotics Domain Task Force: OMG subgroup chartered to foster the integration of robotics systems from modular components through the adoption of OMG standards.
RT: Real-time. Property of computing systems classified by the requirement that the system provides a service on a hard or soft (statistical real-time) deadline.
RTC: Robot Technology Components
RTESS PTF: See Real-time, Embedded, and Specialized Systems Platform Task Force.
RTF: See Revision Task Force.
RTPS: Real-Time Publish-Subscribe
S
SACM: Structured Assurance Case MetamodelSBC DTF: See Software-Based Communications Domain Task Force. Semantics of Business Vocabulary and Rules
SC: See Subcommittee.
SCC: Subcommittee Chair - A representative elected by an SC, responsible for leading the activities of that SC, as well as presenting SC recommendations to the parent body.
SDN: Software-Defined Networking
Service Oriented Architecture AB Special Interest Group: OMG subgroup providing a forum for discussion of SOA definition, methodologies, models, and both business and technical implications.
SIG: See Special Interest Group.
SIMF: Semantic Information Modeling for Federation
Single Transferable Vote (STV): A voting technique for filling multiple positions in one poll, used in AB elections. The procedure is described in https://www.omg.org/cgi-bin/doc?pp/96-04-03. Service Oriented Architecture
SoaML®: Service-Oriented Architecture Modeling Language (also SOAML®)
SOAP: Simple Object Access Protocol
SoC: System on a Chip
Software Assurance AB Special Interest Group: OMG subgroup with the primary mission of working with other OMG subgroups and other software industry entities and groups external to the OMG, to coordinate the establishment of a common framework for analysis and exchange of information related to software trustworthiness.
Software-Based Communications (SBC) Domain Task Force: OMG subgroup focusing on software-based communications including software-based communication devices. OMG specifications supporting JTRS are defined here.
SOPES: Shared Operational Picture Exchange Services
Space DTF: OMG subgroup focusing on software for space satellite and ground systems.
Special Interest Group (SIG): One of the three types of OMG Subgroups, a SIG may be chartered by any one of the three Plenary Bodies. Unlike TFs, SIGs may not recommend issuance of RFPs or adoption of technology to their Parent Body, nor may they issue RFIs although they may issue Surveys which serve the same function as an RFI but carry a different name. Typically, SIGs function as discussion groups. Occasionally a SIG will be disbanded and its Parent Body will charter a TF with similar name and function, typically after a period of several months to a year or more during which the SIG demonstrated that its membership could sustain the effort necessary to recommend and maintain adopted technology.
Special Interest Group Chair: A Member Representative elected by the SIG, responsible for leading the activities of that SIG, and reporting these activities of the SIG to its Parent Body.
SPEM: Software Process Engineering Metamodel, an OMG RFP.
SPMS: Structured Patterns Metamodel Standard (ex-IPMSS)
Standing Proxy: see Proxy.
STIX: Structured Threat Information eXpression. STIX™ is a collaborative community-driven effort to define and develop a standardized language to represent structured cyber threat information.
STV: See Single Transferable Vote.
SysA: System Assurance
SysEng: Systems Engineering.
SysML™: Systems Modeling Language
System: The MDA Guide presents MDA concepts in terms of some existing or planned system. That system may include anything: a program, a single computer system, some combination of parts of different systems, a federation of systems, each under separate control, people, an enterprise, a federation of enterprises… Much of the [MDA] discussion focuses on software within the system [MDA Guide].
Systems Engineering Domain Special Interest Group: OMG subgroup supporting the evolution of model based systems engineering standards to achieve the following goals: providing a standard systems modeling language to specify, design, and verify complex systems; facilitating the integration of systems and software engineering disciplines; and promoting rigor in the transfer of information between disciplines and tools for developing systems.
Subcommittee (SC): One of three types of OMG Subgroups, a SC may be chartered by any one of the three Plenary Bodies. Subcommittees typically deal with organizational issues; current SCs include the Liaison Subcommittee, the Policies and Procedures Subcommittee, and the Object and Reference Model Subcommittee. Only Contributing, Platform, and Domain Members may vote in Subcommittees.
Subgroup: An OMG body chartered by a Plenary Body. There are three types of Subgroups, each defined separately in this glossary: Task Force (TF), Subcommittee (SC), and Special Interest Group (SIG). An OMG Member (that is, a company) represented in a subgroup has a single vote in motions before that subgroup, regardless of how many representatives (that is, employees of that member company) happen to attend a particular meeting.
Submission: Synonym for Proposed Specification. A document submitted in response to an RFP. Also see Technology Adoption Process, Initial Submission and Revised Submission.
T
TacSIT: Tactical-Situation DisplayTask Force: The OMG Technology Committee subgroup responsible for issuing a RFP and evaluating submission(s)
TFC: Task Force Chair.
TC: See Technology Committee.
Technology Adoption Process: Defined by the P&P, the Technology Adoption Process has a number of steps. Check the definitions of italicized terms for details not repeated here. (1) Optionally, a TF may issue an RFI. The information gathered via an RFI may be used to generate zero, one, or more RFPs. (2) The TF writes an RFP and votes to recommend that its Parent Body issue it. (3) The AB certifies that the RFP is consistent with MDA and with all previously adopted OMG technology. (4) The Parent Body votes, which formally issues the RFP. (5) On or before the deadline specified in the RFP, submitting companies respond with LOIs. Submitting companies must be either Contributing Members (for any RFP), or Platform Members (for RFPs issued by the PTC), or Domain Members (for RFPs issued by the DTC). (6) On or before the next deadline, submitting companies submit Initial Submissions which are presented to the TF at one of its regularly scheduled meetings. (7) On or before the next deadline, submitting companies submit Revised Submissions which are presented to the TF at one of its regularly scheduled meetings. The Revised Submission deadline may be extended, and this step repeated, one or several times. (8) The TF evaluates the technology described in the submissions and, typically, recommends one to its Parent Body for adoption. (9) The AB certifies that the technology complies with the MDA and is consistent with previously adopted OMG technology. (10) The TF's parent TC votes by email or FAX to recommend adoption of the technology to the BoD. (11) The BoD Business Committee certifies, based on surveys of the submitters' plans to market commercial implementations of the technology, that an implementation will be available within a year. (12) The BoD votes to make the technology an Adopted Specification. (13) An FTF conducts the first maintenance revision of the technology. (14) The FTF report is certified by the AB and recommended by its parent TC, and at least one submitter actually makes an implementation commercially available. (15) A vote of the BoD makes the technology an Available Specification. NOTE: The RFC process provides an alternative to steps 1 through 8.
Technology Committee (TC): A body, chartered by the OMG Board of Directors, responsible for chartering Task Forces and recommending technologies for adoption to the BoD. There are two TCs in OMG: the Platform TC (PTC), that focuses on IT and modeling infrastructure related standards; and the Domain TC (DTC), that focus on domain specific standards. Sometimes used as a shorthand reference to the PTC and/or the DTC.
Telecommunications Platform Special Interest Group: An OMG subgroup chartered to communicate requirements from the Telecommunications Industry to the OMG subgroups and promote the use of OMG technologies as solutions to the needs of the Telecommunications Industry.
TestIF: Test Information Interchange Format
TF: See Task Force
Transformation: A model transformation specification determines how a set of output models results from a set of input models [MDA Foundation Document].
Trial Member: OMG membership category that may send at most one representative to an OMG meeting, and subscribe to OMG email lists, but may neither vote (as the category name indicates) nor submit technology for adoption.
U
UAF®: Unified Architecture Framework®UBL: Universal Business Language
UCM: Unified Component Model
UDDI: Universal Description, Discovery and Integration
Unified Modeling Language™ (UML®): The OMG standard language for Analysis and Design of applications, specifying the structure and behavior of systems. UML is defined as an underlying abstract syntax and an overlying graphical concrete representation.
UML4DDS: Unified Modeling Language Profile for Data Distribution Services
UML® See Unified Modeling Language.
UML Profile: A standardized set of constraints and extensions that tailor UML to a particular platform, or application environment.
University Member: OMG membership category available only to colleges and universities, carrying the same privileges as Influencing Member.
UPDM™ UML Profile for DoDAF / MODAF
UPMS: UML Metamodel and Profile for Services Top
V
VDML: Value Delivery Modeling LanguageViewpoint: The Model-Driven Architecture specifies three viewpoints on a system: a computation independent viewpoint, a platform independent viewpoint, and a platform specific viewpoint [MDA Guide].
Voting List: A closed list of OMG Members (above Trial) that will whether or not to recommend adoption of a submission to an RFP (a proposed specification) or to move RFP-related process deadlines.
VTW: Vocabulary for Terminology Work
W
WS: Web ServicesWSDL: Web Service Description Language
X
XBRL: eXtensible Business Reporting LanguaugeXML Metadata Interchange (XMI®): The OMG specification, expressed as XML DTDs and schemas plus production rules for XML DTDs and schemas, for interchange of metamodels and models as XML documents.
XMI®: See XML Metadata Interchange.
XTCE: XML Telemetric & Command Data Exchange
xUML™: Executable UML
XUSP: XTCE US Government Satellite Conformance Profile
References:
Model Driven Architecture: https://www.omg.org/mdaMDA Guide: https://www.omg.org/cgi-bin/doc.cgi?omg/03-06-01
MDA Foundation Model Document Draft: https://www.omg.org/cgi-bin/doc.cgi?ormsc/05-08-01
Object Management Architecture: OMG Hitchhiker's Guide: https://www.omg.org/cgi-bin/doc.cgi?hh
OMG Policies and Procedures: https://www.omg.org/cgi-bin/doc?pp
OMG Specifications Catalog: https://www.omg.org/spec
Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page
About this list:
This is a living document. We believe that all of the definitions are correct (albeit unofficial; only documents adopted by OMG member vote are official), but the list is incomplete. Email terms and acronyms that you'd like to see in the list to [email protected]. Written by:
Jon Siegel, Ph.D.
Vice President, Technology Transfer
Object Management Group
Version 0.94, September 7, 2005.