Dealing with the diversity of interoperability type: a conceptual model.

Abstract

Interoperability is the ability of heterogeneous systems to interact and exchange information efficiently and effectively through a planned process. Thus, interoperability has many faces, and generally, the syntactic type of interoperability is noted as the most basic for maintaining the interoperability of software systems. There are many types of interoperability, but interoperability models and frameworks cannot cover all the current types. In addition, various other interoperability types, such as semantic, pragmatic, and organizational, have been treated as critical non-functional requirements for information systems. Still, without consensus, various terms are being used to characterize interoperability. In this way, confusion and ambiguity can be brought about by using these terms, preventing a comprehensive view of related or similar interoperability proposals. This master's thesis aims to specify and evaluate a conceptual model to support developers in identifying the interoperability types that are required in a given collaboration between systems. For this purpose, a tertiary study was initially carried out to identify the interoperability types in the literature. Subsequently, a detailed process was followed to identify the characteristics of these existing types. A conceptual model was created based on the diagrams describing and classifying these types. This model aimed to elucidate and categorize the types of interoperability reported in the scientific literature. Literature. At the end of the process, this model was evaluated through an exploratory study with 33 participants. Through this evaluation, the professionals involved in the study had a positive experience using the model and successfully navigated the procedures presented in the exploratory study. In addition, participant feedback indicates their intention to use this model in future projects. Long-term evaluation of the conceptual model through longitudinal studies is expected to provide information on interoperability approaches' lasting impact and sustainability. In future work, more professionals will likely conduct exploratory research to collect new data, which is intended to validate the acceptance of this conceptual model in real projects.