Matching Metamodels with Semantic Systems

The integration of modeling languages is an absolute must in the technical space of the ModelWare. However, there are no automatic matching techniques available and therefore, the integration task is currently performed manually. Before implementing new methods for metamodel matching, which we see as a special kind of schema or ontology matching, we want to explore the already existing matching techniques of the OntoWare technical space. Thus, we propose a metamodel matching framework which is based on a transition from ModelWare to OntoWare by means of transforming Ecore-based [BSM+03] metamodels into OWL-based ontologies. After achieving this transition, we can use ontology and schema matching techniques for automatically exploring semantic correspondences between metamodels, which are currently the modeling language definitions of choice.

After performing the matching task, we translate the ontology mapping into a weaving model (Integration Model). From this weaving model, we are able to derive the actually needed transformation rules to transform models conforming to the metamodel A into models conforming to the metamodel B. Note that the OntoWare layer is completely transparent to the user who can simply focus on the ModelWare. Detailed information on the lifting process can be found in [KKK+06] .
The main focus of this work is on reporting preliminary results and lessons learned by evaluating currently available ontology matching tools for their metamodel matching potential. The results of this evaluation are published in the paper [KKK+07] .

[KKK+07]   Gerti Kappel, Horst Kargl, Gerhard Kramler, Andrea Schauerhuber, Martina Seidl, Michael Strommer and Manuel Wimmer,
Matching Metamodels with Semantic Systems - An Experience Report, BTW 2007 Workshop Model Management und Metadaten-Verwaltung, Aachen; 05.03.2007 - 09.03.2007 (2007).

[KKK+06]   Gerti Kappel, Elisabeth Kapsammer, Horst Kargl, Gerhard Kramler, Thomas Reiter, Werner Retschitzegger, Wieland Schwinger, and Manuel Wimmer,
Lifting metamodels to ontologies - a step to the semantic integration of modeling languages to be presented at the ACM/IEEE 9th International Conference on Model Driven Engineering Languages and Systems, Genova, Italy, 2006