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Ontolog invited Speaker Presentation - Conrad Bock - Thu 2005-01-27

Conference Call Details

  • Subject: [ontolog] Invited Speaker Presentation - Conrad Bock - Thu 2005-01-27
  • Agenda: Mr. Conrad Bock will be giving a talk entitled: "PSL and Flow Models"
  • Date: Thursday, Jan. 27, 2005
  • Start Time: 10:30 AM Pacific Standard Time / 1:30 PM Eastern Standard Time (see world clock for other time zones)
    • Duration: 1.5 to 2 hours
  • Dial-in Number: 1-702-851-3330 (Las Vegas, Nevada)
    • Participant Access Code: "686564#"
  • Shared-screen support (VNC session) will be started 5 minutes before the call at: http://vnc2.cim3.net:5800/
    • view-only password: "ontolog"
    • if you plan to be logging into this shared-screen option (which the speaker may be navigating), and you are not familiar with the process, please try to call in 5 minutes before the start of the session so that we can work out the connection logistics. Help on this will generally not be available once the presentation starts.
    • people behind corporate firewalls may have difficulty accessing this. If that is the case, please download the slides below and runing them locally. The speaker will prompt you to advance the slides during the talk.
  • RSVP to peter.yim@cim3.com appreciated, to allow us to prepare enough conferencing resources.

Attendees

Agenda & Proceedings

  • Mr. Conrad Bock from the US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) will be giving a talk entitled: "PSL and Flow Models"
ConradBock_20050127.png [Mr. Conrad Bock]
Abstract:
This presentation compares the way processes are described in the Process Specification Language (PSL) versus flow models, which are the most common technique in industry. It focuses on the fundamental differences in approach, and gives a short introduction to the way PSL works, with the advantages and disadvantages of each technique. It describes an application of PSL that is not possible in flow models: behavior classification. It illustrates that PSL makes some process descriptions simpler by allowing the designer to represent as little as necessary to reflect their intent. It also highlights the way ambiguity is easily mistaken for abstraction.
  • Session Format: this will be virtual session over a phone conference setting, augmented by shared computer screen support
    • The session will start with a brief introduction of the online attendees (~15 min.)
    • Presentation by Mr. Conrad Bock (~45 min.)
    • Open discussion (~30 min.)
  • A brief Bio of Mr. Conrad Bock:
Trained at Stanford, Mr. Bock began his career developing parts of a best-of-breed expert system shell, and applying it to the domains of gene-splicing, nuclear power, and truck configuration. While one of these applications was spun off in a separate company, he invented new techniques in software development tools, which were included in commercial products. Based on these products, he led a group producing a tool for a major process and object-oriented method. This attracted investment from SAP, and he joined methodologists from SAP and Microsoft in developing unified business process models.
Mr. Bock is at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, in the Manufacturing Systems Integration Division. He:
    • is one of the primary contributors to the Unified Modeling Language at the Object Management Group. He is workgroup lead for process models in UML 2, for driving business process and enterprise/network integration systems. He is also the workgroup lead for UML 2/UML 1.5 actions, for modeling the coded parts of a system, and enabling UML to completely describe an executable system and support retargetable compilation (MDA).
    • contributes to the development of a systems engineering extension to UML ([[SysML]]), for requirements-based design of hardware, software, and human systems. He is responsible for the process modeling extension, and contributes the requirments and allocation models.
    • develops ontologies for reasoning about processes, based on the Process Specification Language (PSL). It provides first-order logic axioms for describing processes, and supports automated proof of process properties.
  • If you have questions for the presenter, we appreciate your posting them here: (please identify yourself)
    • Question for Conrad: from various sources, we've seen that various people from Michael Grüninger, yourself (ConradBock) to Chris Menzel, Steve Ray, ... etc. were involved. Can you tell us a little about the history of PSL, please. (--PeterYim)
      • Bock: PSL is rooted in the John McCarthy and Patrick Hayes' paper on situational calculus (ref: their 1969 seminal work).
    • Conrad, can you tell us something about your work at the HL7 Clinical Decision Support TC? (--PeterYim)
      • Bock: I'm only tracking HL7's RIM (Reference Information Model). ...
    • As you know, Conrad, we are recommending in our NHIN-RFI response, their adoption of an ontological engineering approach, and to achieve it collaboratively, with open technologies, through communities of practice. In your personal opinion, what are the few most crucial things that needs to happen before such approach can be put in place? (--PeterYim)
    • PSL & OWL: The PSL axioms are in KIF which Conrad says is more expressive than OWL. In practice, a user of PSL would only use the PSL concepts, relations, etc... as specification "primitives", the user would not likely use the axiomatic definition of these specification constructs. In this context, would it make sense to build a process specification in OWL where the PSL specification constructs are turned into OWL primitive concepts, relations, etc.. and then to "export" the OWL -constructed PSL specification into KIF form so that a theorem prover could use the KIF statements for the specification itself + the KIF axioms of PSL itself for reasoning? (--NicolasRouquette)
    • ... (post you questions here, Conrad will be fielding them during the open discussion session) ...
    • For those who have further questions for Conrad, please e-mail him, or better still, post them to the ontolog forum so that we can all benefit from the discourse.
  • Session ended 2005.01.27 12:08 pm PST

Session Recording of the Conrad Bock Talk

(Thanks to Kurt Conrad and Bob Smith for their help with getting the session recorded. -ppy)

  • To download the audio recording of the presentation, click here
    • the playback of the audio files require the proper setup, and an MP3 compatible player on your computer.
  • Conference Date and Time: Jan. 27, 2005 10:40~12:08 PM Pacific Std Time
  • Duration of Recording: 1 Hour 27 Minutes 24 seconds
  • Recording File Size: 30.7 MB (in mp3 format)
  • Telephone Playback Expiration Date: February 06, 2005 11:26 AM Pacific Std Time
    • Prior to the above Expiration Date, one can call-in and hear the telephone playback of the session.
    • Playback Dial-in Number: 1-805-620-4002 (Ventura, CA)
    • Playback Access Code: 717326#
    • suggestion: best that you listen to the session while having the presentation opened in front of you. You'll be prompted to advance slides by the speaker.



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