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20010313 Different views of the Semantic Web architecture

As in software engineering, it is often possible to have multiple architectural views of the thing under consideration. Regarding software development, different views are produced to describe the architecture to different stakeholders [Some book in my bookshelf]. In the context of SW there are a few possible architectural views that one could use:

1. An architectural view of the chosen technologies.This is a view that depicts the different technology pieces that together enables the SW. Since the SW is currently under development this view is impossible or very hesitant. This is mainly because that there are so many things that are unsure. Currently, this view of the SW is well defined at lower layers but tend get more abstract in higher layers, and thus does not describe the technology. This view will become more important as time goes by and when pieces start to fit together.
2. An informational view of the architecture. By this I mean that one consider the type and properties of the information that are present in the different architectural layers. This view does not consider the technology that support or enables the different states of the information. Basically this type of architectural view often starts at some low-level data model and then creates abstractions that form higher-level data models. Naturally, this view is important in systems that are informational centric. It often presides the first (above) view since it often is technology independent but might call for certain technologies.
3. A functional view of the architecture.These types of views describe the different functions that the individual pieces offer to other and the functions that the pieces depend on. This could for instance be depicted as a set of layers. A layer n uses functions provided by the layer at level n-1 and provides functions for the layer at level n+1.
4. Is there a fourth view?

These views all depict different but important aspects of the architecture of the SW. They are all needed in order fully understand the SW. At this point in the development of the SW, it is important to not only try to describe the SW by using the first view (above). In this thesis I will concentrate on the second and third view, but also try to explain the first view.

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