ISO/IEC 19763-3:2007

INTERNATIONAL ISO/IEC
STANDARD 19763-3
First edition
2007-03-01


Information technology — Metamodel
framework for interoperability (MFI) —
Part 3:
Metamodel for ontology registration
Technologies de l'information — Cadre du métamodèle pour
l'interopérabilité (MFI) —
Partie 3: Métamodèle pour l'enregistrement de l'ontologie




Reference number
ISO/IEC 19763-3:2007(E)
©
ISO/IEC 2007

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ISO/IEC 19763-3:2007(E)
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ISO/IEC 19763-3:2007(E)
Contents Page
Foreword. iv
Introduction . v
1 Scope . 1
2 Conformance. 2
2.1 General. 2
2.2 Degree of conformance. 2
2.3 Implementation Conformance Statement (ICS) . 2
3 Normative references . 3
4 Terms, definitions and abbreviated terms . 3
4.1 Terms and definitions. 3
4.2 Abbreviated terms . 4
5 Structure of MFI Ontology registration. 4
5.1 Overview of MFI Ontology registration. 4
5.2 Relationship between MFI Core and MFI Ontology registration. 5
5.3 Metamodel for ontology registration . 6
Annex A (informative) Example of MFI Ontology registration. 10
Annex B (informative) All metaclasses that inherit from Administered_Item. 16
Annex C (informative) List of Ontology_Languages . 17
Bibliography . 18
Figures
Figure 1 — Scope of MFI Ontology registration . 1
Figure 2 — Metamodel for ontology registration . 4
Figure 3 — Relationship between MFI Core and MFI Ontology registration . 5
Figure A.1 — Three examples of the sentences in RO1 . 10
Figure A.2 — Registration of RO1. 11
Figure A.3 — Two examples of the sentences in RO2. 12
Figure A.4 — Registration of RO2. 13
Figure A.5 — Three examples of the sentences in LO1. 14
Figure A.6 — Registration of LO1 . 15
Figure B.1 — All metaclasses that inherit from Administered_Item . 16
Tables
Table C.1 — List of Ontology_Language. 17
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ISO/IEC 19763-3:2007(E)
Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) and IEC (the International Electrotechnical
Commission) form the specialized system for worldwide standardization. National bodies that are members of
ISO or IEC participate in the development of International Standards through technical committees
established by the respective organization to deal with particular fields of technical activity. ISO and IEC
technical committees collaborate in fields of mutual interest. Other international organizations, governmental
and non-governmental, in liaison with ISO and IEC, also take part in the work. In the field of information
technology, ISO and IEC have established a joint technical committee, ISO/IEC JTC 1.
International Standards are drafted in accordance with the rules given in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2.
The main task of the joint technical committee is to prepare International Standards. Draft International
Standards adopted by the joint technical committee are circulated to national bodies for voting. Publication as
an International Standard requires approval by at least 75 % of the national bodies casting a vote.
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of patent
rights. ISO and IEC shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
ISO/IEC 19763-3 was prepared by Joint Technical Committee ISO/IEC JTC 1, Information technology,
Subcommittee SC 32, Data management and interchange.
ISO/IEC 19763 consists of the following parts, under the general title Information technology — Metamodel
framework for interoperability (MFI):
⎯ Part 1: Reference model
⎯ Part 2: Core model
⎯ Part 3: Metamodel for ontology registration
⎯ Part 4: Metamodel for model mapping

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ISO/IEC 19763-3:2007(E)
Introduction
Today, in E-business (EB) or E-commerce (EC) through the Internet, the effective interchange of business
transactions or other related information across countries and cultures is an important concern for people in
both the IT industry and other non-IT industries.
To follow the current trends of EB or EC, industrial consortia have engaged in the standardization of domain-
specific business objects, including business process models and software components using common
modeling facilities and interchange facilities such as UML and XML. They are very active in standardizing
domain-specific business process models and standard modeling constructs such as data elements, entity
profiles and value domains.
Moreover, interoperation among autonomous Web-based applications, such as Web services, is becoming
important. For that purpose, ontology is a key issue. Ontology is a description of a universe of discourse.
A lexicon, a taxonomy, a thesaurus and a familiar conceptual model such as a business process model in
UML are all examples of ontology. In addition, ontology includes a more complex axiomatic theory.
Several efforts to establish standards associated with ontology are under way. For example, OMG will publish
a specification called ODM, defining the metamodels of ontologies described in several languages and the
mappings among them. This part of ISO/IEC 19763 will be expanded to provide for the metadata associated
with ontologies to be specified and registered with respect to this part of ISO/IEC 19763. In addition, to
promote ontology-based interoperation, a generic framework for registering administrative information related
to ontologies is necessary.
This part of ISO/IEC 19763 intends to provide a generic framework for registering administrative information
related to ontologies, based on ISO/IEC 19763-2.
NOTE UML and OMG are the trademarks of the Object Management Group.


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INTERNATIONAL STANDARD ISO/IEC 19763-3:2007(E)

Information technology — Metamodel framework for
interoperability (MFI) —
Part 3:
Metamodel for ontology registration
1 Scope
ISO/IEC 19763 specifies a metamodel framework for interoperability. This part of ISO/IEC 19763 specifies the
metamodel that provides a facility to register administrative information related to ontologies.
The metamodel specified in this part of ISO/IEC 19763 is intended to promote interoperation among
application systems.
It does not specify the metamodels of ontologies described in specific languages and the mappings among
them. They are specified in other specifications such as the Ontology Definition Metamodel from the Object
Management Group (see bibliography item [1]).
Figure 1 shows the scope of this part of ISO/IEC 19763.
MFMFII CCoorree
SSccopope of e of MMFFII OOnntotollooggyy r reeggiissttratirationon
MMFFI OI Onntotollooggyy r reegigissttrraattiionon
...
....
....
AdAdAdAdmmmmiiiinnnn. I I I Innnnfofofofo. . . . AAAA
AAAdddmmmiiinnn. I I Innnfffooo. . . BBB
AAAdddmmmiiinnniiissstttratiratirativeveve i i innnforforformmmatiatiatiooonnn  AAAdddmmmiiinnniiissstttrrraaatititivvveee i i innnforforformmmatiatiatiooonnn
OOnnttoollooggyy regregiissttryry
ooofff on on ontoltoltolooogggyyy A A A ooofff on on ontoltoltolooogggyyy B B B
...
....
....
OOOnnntototolllooogggyyy A A A OOOnnntototolllooogggyyy B B B
StaStaStannndddaaarrrdddiiizzzeeeddd StaStaStannndddaaarrrdddiiizzzeeeddd
ononontoltoltolooogggyyy ononontoltoltolooogggyyy
fofoforrr ap ap applplpliiicccatiatiatiooonnn s s syyyssstttememem  AAA
fffooorrr  apapapplplpliiicccatatatiiiooonnn s s syyyssstttememem B B B
rererepppooosssiiitototoryryry
rererepppooosssiiitototoryryry
SSccopope ofe of ssppeecciifficicaatiotionnss s suucchh aass ODODMM
...
....
....
AApplppliicatcatiioo
InInteropteropeerraattiioonn
AAppppllicicaattioionn AAApppppplllicicicaaatttioioionnn
SSyystemstem A A
syssystteemm A A syssyssysttteeemmm B B B

Figure 1 — Scope of MFI Ontology registration
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ISO/IEC 19763-3:2007(E)
2 Conformance
2.1 General
An implementation claiming conformance with this part of ISO/IEC 19763 shall support the metamodel
specified in 5.3, depending on a degree of conformance as described below.
2.2 Degree of conformance
2.2.1 General
The distinction between “strictly conforming” and “conforming” implementations is necessary to address the
simultaneous needs for interoperability and extensions. This part of ISO/IEC 19763 describes specifications
that promote interoperability. Extensions are motivated by needs of users, vendors, institutions and industries,
but are not specified by this part of ISO/IEC 19763.
A strictly conforming implementation may be limited in usefulness but is maximally interoperable with respect
to this part of ISO/IEC 19763. A conforming implementation may be more useful, but may be less
interoperable with respect to this part of ISO/IEC 19763.
2.2.2 Strictly conforming implementation
A strictly conforming implementation
a) shall support the metamodel specified in 5.3;
b) shall not support any extensions to the metamodel specified in 5.3.
2.2.3 Conforming implementation
A conforming implementation
a) shall support the metamodel specified in 5.3;
b) may support extensions to the metamodel specified in 5.3 that are consistent with the metamodel
specified in 5.3.
2.3 Implementation Conformance Statement (ICS)
An implementation claiming conformance with this part of ISO/IEC 19763 shall include an Implementation
Conformance Statement stating
a) whether it is a strictly conforming implementation or a conforming implementation (2.2);
b) what extensions are supported if it is a conforming implementation.
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ISO/IEC 19763-3:2007(E)
3 Normative references
The following referenced documents are indispensable for the application of this document. For dated
references, only the edition cited applies. For undated references, the latest edition of the referenced
document (including any amendments) applies.
ISO/IEC 11179-3:2003, Information technology — Metadata registries (MDR) — Part 3: Registry metamodel
and basic attributes
ISO/IEC 19763-1, Information technology — Metamodel framework for interoperability (MFI) — Part 1:
Reference model
ISO/IEC 19763-2, Information technology — Metamodel framework for interoperability (MFI) — Part 2: Core
1)
model
4 Terms, definitions and abbreviated terms
4.1 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the terms and definitions given in ISO/IEC 11179-3:2003,
ISO/IEC 19763-1, ISO/IEC 19763-2 and the following apply.
4.1.1
universe of discourse
all those things of interest that are concrete or abstract and that have been, are, or ever might be
4.1.2
ontology
description of a universe of discourse in a language that a computer can process
4.1.3
reference ontology
ontology that is usable and sharable by a community of interest
4.1.4
local ontology
ontology that is specialized for defined applications and based on at least one reference ontology
4.1.5
sentence
statement that has a truth value
4.1.6
symbol
the most primitive lexical construct that composes a part of a sentence
4.1.7
logical symbol
symbol whose meaning is defined by its language
EXAMPLE In KIF, “not” and “or” are logical symbols.
4.1.8
non-logical symbol
symbol that is not a logical symbol

1) To be published.
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ISO/IEC 19763-3:2007(E)
4.2 Abbreviated terms
KIF Knowledge Interchange Format (see bibliography item [2])
MFI Core ISO/IEC 19763-2, Information technology — Metamodel framework for
interoperability (MFI) — Part 2: Core model
MFI Ontology registration ISO/IEC 19763-3, Information technology — Metamodel framework for
interoperability (MFI) — Part 3: Metamodel for ontology registration
MDR Metadata Registry
ODM Ontology Definition Metamodel (see bibliography item [1])
URI Uniform Resource Identifiers (see bibliography item [3])
5 Structure of MFI Ontology registration
5.1 Overview of MFI Ontology registration
An ontology consists of several sentences and each sentence uses several non-logical symbols. MFI
Ontology registration provides a facility to register administrative information related to ontologies, their
sentences and the symbols that they use. Figure 2 shows the metamodel for ontology registration.


NOTE Metaclasses whose names are italicized are abstract metaclasses.
Figure 2 — Metamodel for ontology registration
Ontology_Whole is an abstract metaclass that designates an ontology and contains the associated
administrative information. Ontology_Language represents a language that describes an ontology that is
designated by Ontology_Whole. Ontology_Component is an abstract metaclass that designates a sentence
contained in an ontology and contains the associate administrative information. The granularity of a sentence
is not specified but is a user’s choice. Ontology_Atomic_Construct is an abstract metaclass that designates
a non-logical symbol that is used in a sentence and contains the associated administrative information.
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ISO/IEC 19763-3:2007(E)
Reference_Ontology_Whole and Local_Ontology_Whole are subclasses of Ontology_Whole.
Reference_Ontology_Whole designates a reference ontology. Local_Ontology_Whole designates a local
ontology based on at least one reference ontology that is designated by Reference_Ontology_Whole.
Reference_Ontology_Component and Local_Ontology_Component are subclasses of
Ontology_Component. Reference_Ontology_Component designates a sentence contained in ontologies
that are designated by Reference_Ontology_Whole. A sentence that is designated by
Reference_Ontology_Component may also be contained in ontologies that are designated by
Local_Ontology_Whole. Local_Ontology_Component designates a sentence contained in one ontology
that is designated by Local_Ontology_Whole.
Reference_Ontology_Atomic_Construct and Local_Ontology_Atomic_Construct are subclasses of
Ontology_Atomic_Construct. Reference_Ontology_Atomic_Construct designates a non-logical symbol
that is used in sentences that are designated by Reference_Ontology_Component. A non-logical symbol
that is designated by Reference_Ontology_Atomic_Construct may also be used in sentences that are
designated by Local_Ontology_Component. Local_Ontology_Atomic_Construct designates a non-logical
symbol that is used in sentences that are designated by Local_Ontology_Component. A non-logical symbol
that is designated by Local_Ontology_Atomic_Construct can be used in only one ontology that is
designated by Local_Ontology_Whole.
The exact specification of each metaclass is given in 5.3.
5.2 Relationship between MFI Core and MFI Ontology registration
MFI Ontology registration inherits the basic structure from MFI Core. Figure 3 shows the relationship between
MFI Core and MFI Ontology registration.

NOTE Metaclasses whose names are italicized are abstract metaclasses.
Figure 3 — Relationship between MFI Core and MFI Ontology registration
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ISO/IEC 19763-3:2007(E)
5.3 Metamodel for ontology registration
5.3.1 Ontology_Whole
Ontology_Whole is an abstract metaclass that is a SuperClass of Reference_Ontology_Whole and
Local_Ontology_Whole.
SuperClass
Administered_Item
Attribute DataType Multiplicity Description
URI String 1.1 URI that identifies the corresponding ontology
ontologyName String 1.1 Name of the corresponding ontology
Reference Class Multiplicity Description
modelType Ontology_Language 1.1 Ontology_Language that describes th
...