Getting Started with Information Framework:

(in the suggested reading order):

1. Information Framework (SID) GB922 Primer R9.5
2. Information Framework (SID) GB922 Concepts and Principles R15.0.0
3. Using the Information Framework (SID) - GB922 User’s Guide R15.0.0

The Getting Started with Information Framework set helps anyone interested in the framework to get started.  If you are not familiar with information modeling the Primer is a key document for you to read.  The Concepts and Principles guide book (GB for guide book, 922 for this framework’s series of guide books) contains definitions of key concepts, the complete Level 1 structure with definitions of each domain and Level 1 ABE, as well as mappings to the Business Process Framework. The User Guidelines guide book contains much of the content of this module as well as descriptions of the patterns we saw in the previous module. It is recommended that the documents in this set should be read in the sequence shown here; the first one is optional for those of you familiar with information modeling.

Addenda

Addendum 1 – Common Business Entities (a series of addenda, one for each ABE)

Addendum 2 – Customer

Addendum 3 – Product

Addendum 4 – Service (two addenda)

Addendum 5 – Resource (two addenda)

Addendum 6 – Market/Sales

Addendum 7 – Enterprise (three addenda, Revenue Assurance, Workforce, and Security)

Addendum 8 – Supplier/Partner

Addendum 9 – Engaged Party (Preliminary)

The addenda in the second set are organized by domain to be consistent with the structure of the framework.  With the exception of the Common, Service, and Resource domains, there is a single addendum for each domain.  Each ABE in the Common Business Entities domain has its own addendum.  The Service domain has a Quality of Service addendum as well as an overall Service domain addendum.  The Resource domain has an addendum for Logical Resources and one for Physical Resources.  There is also an annex of the Logical Resource addendum that describes the Computing and Software Level 3 ABE within the Logical Resource Level 2 ABE.  There is also a preliminary guide book for the new Engaged Party domain.

You may wonder why the word addendum is used.  The reason is that these documents can be viewed as additional information about the model which resides in a UML tool.

Inside an Addendum

Design Approach, Rationale, and Examples

•  Each addendum begins with an overview of the domain followed by text, examples, and UML class diagrams for each ABE.  One aspect of the model that has begun to be added to each addendum is the rationale behind a chosen modeling option; when more than one option exists the other options are presented.  The design approach, rationale, and examples enable the model to be better understood and extended to model project-specific entities. 

References

• More information about key concepts

Data Dictionary

• Consistent business definition for all entities and attributes in the model
• Contains aliases and cross-references to other industry models and concepts

Shown here is the content of each domain-specific addendum.  Starting from the bottom up, each addendum contains a data dictionary as described, preceded by a table containing references that list sources of the addendum’s content and additional reading.  

Note that the data dictionary, currently included in each addendum, is gradually being removed to eliminate the duplication of what is contained within the model.  So you may see some addenda with data dictionaries and others without.

Model Formats

UML – Information Framework UML model

HTML – web browse-able UML model – figures in .gif or .png format

XMI – interchange format used as import to other tools

UML2 – another format that can be used as import to other tools

Excel – domains, ABEs, entities, attributes 

The Information Framework model is provided in a number of formats and can be downloaded from an Information Framework web page.

For those that don’t have a UML modeling tool, the model is available in two HTML formats.

To support the use of the framework in other tools, XMI and UML2 formats are available.  Most UML tools support these formats for import. 

There is also an Excel format that you can download.

In releases prior to 13.5 there was also an XSD format of the model available.  This was discontinued for a number of reasons, including little use of them by members and that most UML tools contain functionality to generate XSDs from the model.  Some of the TM Forum interfaces do provide XSDs for the ABEs within the scope of the interface.