14.1 Introduction
In any system that processes data and reference metadata the system itself is a series of processes and in each of these processes the data or reference metadata may undergo a series of transitions. This is particularly true of its path from raw data to published data and reference metadata. The process model presented here is a generic model that can capture key information about these stages in both a textual way and also in a more formalised way by linking to specific identifiable objects, and by identifying software components that are used.
14.2 Model – Inheritance and Relationship view
14.2.1 Class Diagram
Figure 46: Inheritance and Relationship class diagram of Process and Transitions
14.2.2 Explanation of the Diagram
14.2.2.1 Narrative
The Process is a set of hierarchical ProcessSteps. Each ProcessStep can take zero or more IdentifiableArtefacts as input and output. Each of the associations to the input and output IdentifiableArtefacts (ProcessArtefact) can be assigned a localID.
The computation performed by a ProcessStep is optionally described by a Computation, which can identify the software used by the ProcessStep and can also be described in textual form (+description) in multiple language variants. The Transition describes the execution of ProcessSteps from +source ProcessStep to +target ProcessStep based on the outcome of a +condition that can be described in multiple language variants.
14.2.2.2 Definitions
| Class | Feature | Description |
| Process | Inherits from | A scheme which defines or documents the operations performed on data or metadata in order to validate data or metadata to derive new information according to a given set of rules. |
| +step | Associates the Process Steps. | |
| ProcessStep | Inherits from | A specific operation, performed on data or metadata in order to validate or to derive new information according to a given set of rules. |
| +input | Association to the Process Artefact that identifies the objects which are input to the Process Step. | |
| +output | Association to the Process Artefact that identifies the objects which are output from the Process Step. | |
| +child | Association to child Processes that combine to form a part of this Process. | |
| +computation | Association to one or more Computations. | |
| +transition | Association to one or more Transitions. | |
| Computation | Describes in textual form the computations involved in the process. | |
| localId | Distinguishes between Computations in the same Process. | |
| softwarePackage softwareLanguage softwareVersion | Information about the software that is used to perform the computation. | |
| +description | Text describing or giving additional information about the computation. This can be in multiple language variants. | |
| Transition | Inherits from | An expression in a textual or formalised way of the transformation of data between two specific operations (Processes) performed on the data. |
| +target | Associates the Process Step that is the target of the Transition. | |
| +condition | Associates a textual description of the Transition. | |
| ProcessArtefact | Identification of an object that is an input to or an output from a Process Step. |
| +artefact | Association to an Identifiable Artefact that is the input to or the output from the Process Step. |