Skip to main content

A Lightweight GRL Profile for i* Modeling

  • Conference paper
Advances in Conceptual Modeling - Challenging Perspectives (ER 2009)

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNISA,volume 5833))

Included in the following conference series:

Abstract

The i* framework is a popular conceptual modeling language for capturing and analyzing socio-technical motivation and properties of complex systems in terms of actors, their intentions, and their relationships. In November 2008, the International Telecommunications Union finalized the standardization of the User Requirements Notation (URN). URN is composed of two loosely coupled yet integrated sub-languages: the Goal-oriented Requirement Language (GRL), which is an intentional modeling language based on a subset of i*, and the Use Case Map notation for representing and capturing high-level system scenarios and structures. GRL was specifically defined in a non-restrictive way to foster the development and use of different agent and/or goal modeling approaches and techniques. However, because of its permissiveness, GRL can be used in ways that deviate from conventional i* modeling guidelines. In addition, some i* concepts do not have equivalent first-class concepts in GRL. In this paper, we present a lightweight GRL profile for i* that takes advantage of GRL’s extensibility features to capture missing i* concepts. The profile presents formal constraints on the use of GRL and its extensions to restrict it to an i* style. Using GRL constrained by this profile enables GRL modeling and analysis tools to be used for i* models, and ensures that resulting i* models conform to an international standard and that they can be integrated with Use Case Maps. Variants and extensions of the original i* can also be supported in a similar way. This profile is implemented in the jUCMNav modeling tool.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 39.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  1. Abid, M.R.: UML Profile for Goal-oriented Modelling. Master of Computer Science Thesis, University of Ottawa, Canada (2008)

    Google Scholar 

  2. Amyot, D., Yan, J.B.: Flexible Verification of User-Defined Semantic Constraints in Modelling Tools. In: CASCON 2008. ACM, New York (2008)

    Google Scholar 

  3. Chung, L., Nixon, B.A., Yu, E., Mylopoulos, J.: Non-Functional Requirements in Software Engineering. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht (2000)

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  4. Grangel, R., Chalmeta, R., Campos, C., Sommar, R., Bourey, J.-P.: A Proposal for Goal Modelling Using a UML Profile. In: Enterprise Interoperability III, pp. 679–690. Springer, Heidelberg (2008)

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  5. Horkoff, J., Elahi, G., Abdulhadi, S., Yu, E.: Reflective Analysis of the Syntax and Semantics of the i* Framework. In: Song, I.-Y., Piattini, M., Chen, Y.-P.P., Hartmann, S., Grandi, F., Trujillo, J., Opdahl, A.L., Ferri, F., Grifoni, P., Caschera, M.C., Rolland, C., Woo, C., Salinesi, C., Zimányi, E., Claramunt, C., Frasincar, F., Houben, G.-J., Thiran, P. (eds.) ER Workshops 2008. LNCS, vol. 5232, pp. 249–260. Springer, Heidelberg (2008)

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  6. i* wiki, http://istar.rwth-aachen.de (accessed, May 2009)

  7. ITU-T – International Telecommunications Union: Recommendation Z.151 (11/08) User Requirements Notation (URN) – Language definition. Geneva, Switzerland (2008)

    Google Scholar 

  8. jUCMNav website. University of Ottawa, http://jucmnav.softwareengineering.ca/jucmnav/ (accessed, May 2009)

  9. OMG – Object Management Group: Object Constraint Language Specification, 2.0 (2006)

    Google Scholar 

  10. Roy, J.-F., Kealey, J., Amyot, D.: Towards Integrated Tool Support for the User Requirements Notation. In: Gotzhein, R., Reed, R. (eds.) SAM 2006. LNCS, vol. 4320, pp. 198–215. Springer, Heidelberg (2006)

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  11. Supakkul, S., Chung, L.: A UML profile for goal-oriented and use case-driven representation of NFRs and FRs. In: Dosch, W., Lee, R.Y., Wu, C. (eds.) SERA 2005. LNCS, vol. 3647, pp. 29–41. Springer, Heidelberg (2006)

    Google Scholar 

  12. Yu, E.S.K.: Modelling strategic relationships for process reengineering. Ph.D. dissertation. Dept. of Computer Science, University of Toronto, Canada (1995)

    Google Scholar 

  13. Yu, E.: Towards Modelling and Reasoning Support for Early-Phase Requirements Engineering. In: 3rd IEEE Int. Symp. on RE, Washington, USA, pp. 226–235. IEEE CS, Los Alamitos (1997)

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2009 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

About this paper

Cite this paper

Amyot, D., Horkoff, J., Gross, D., Mussbacher, G. (2009). A Lightweight GRL Profile for i* Modeling. In: Heuser, C.A., Pernul, G. (eds) Advances in Conceptual Modeling - Challenging Perspectives. ER 2009. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 5833. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-04947-7_31

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-04947-7_31

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-04946-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-04947-7

  • eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics