OMG's MetaObject Facility
|
|
The MetaObject Facility Specification is the foundation of OMG's
industry-standard environment
where models can be exported from one application, imported into another, transported across a network,
stored in a repository and then retrieved,
rendered into different formats (including XMI, OMG's XML-based standard
format for model transmission and storage), transformed, and used to generate application code. These
functions are not restricted to structural models, or even to models
defined in UML - behavioral models and data models also participate in
this environment, and non-UML modeling languages can partake also, as long
as they are MOF-based. We'll explain what this means in a
moment.
OMG is a not-for-profit,
open-membership computer industry specifications consortium; our members define and maintain the
MOF specification which we publish in the documents linked on this page for your free download. Software providers of every kind build
modeling tools that manipulate models in MOF-compliant format - export,
import, store, transform, generate code, and so on. OMG doesn't provide
any of the software - we provide only the specifications that make
software products interoperate.
If you're responsible for your company's modeling and development
environment (CIO, Chief Architect, or report to these positions) you
need to be aware of all of the benefits that result when your tools
produce MOF-compliant models. It will help if you know the basics of how
things work, but you do not need to know any details and certainly don't
need to read the MOF specification itself. You'll use this knowledge
to ensure that every tool in your development chain from model-building in
analysis and design all the way to application development and maintenance
is MOF-compliant, integrating your modeling activity with your downstream
IT.
If your company produces and markets tools that produce or manipulate models (such
as a modeling tool, repository, transformation engine, code generator,
analyzer, test generator, or anything else in this category) then the MOF specification
was written for you. Download
the specification (it's free!), read through it, and have your tool
create, manipulate, and store its models in a MOF-compliant way. We
recommend exporting and importing in our standard XMI
format, which is MOF-based.
The MOF and OMG's Model Driven Architecture (MDA)
OMG's
MDA is our industry-standard architecture. Based on
MOF-enabled transformations, the MDA unifies every step of the
development of an application or integrated suite from its start as
a Platform- Independent Model (PIM) of the application's business
functionality and behavior, through one or more Platform-Specific
Models (PSMs), to generated code and a deployable application. The
PIM remains stable as technology evolves, extending and thereby maximizing software
ROI. Portability and interoperability are built into the architecture.
MDA relies on the MOF to integrate the modeling steps that start
a development or integration project with the coding that follows.
You can read about the details on our MDA
Specifications Page, which starts by describing the importance
of MOF to MDA and continues with references to the additional OMG
standards that complete the set.
Model portability is so natural that many MDA code generators do
not include their own modeling capability - they require users to
use their preferred modeler out of a list of compatible candidates!
The Current MOF Specification
The current version of the MOF may always
be downloaded here. It is based on the UML Infrastructure, which may
be downloaded here. Archived past versions are also available at
those links. |
|
Last updated on
02/27/2014
|