1) The document proposes a framework for using web services and semantic web technologies to improve collaboration and interoperation among engineering software from different groups. 2) Under the framework, software components would be accessible as web services using standards like SOAP and XML. Semantic annotations would allow services to communicate more effectively by reducing errors. 3) An example case study demonstrates using the framework to locate the maximum stress point in a steel plate by linking various analysis services like meshing, solving, and result reporting through the semantic web. This could improve collaboration among computational mechanics researchers.

1. Dr. Thiti Vacharasintopchai
SIMDISASTER 2008
Asian Institute of Technology
January 30, 2008
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2. Background
Web Services & Semantic Web
Semantic Web Services Framework for
Computational Mechanics
Example
Conclusions
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3. Background
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4. CAE analyses need close guidance by people
Computers performing structural analysis using
numerical methods
Software Reuse
Sharing & Finding of modules / subroutines
Modeling
Design codes
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5. CAE analyses need close guidance by people
Computers performing structural analysis using
numerical methods
Data consistency
Interoperation among different software packages / modules
SI units – Meter, Newton, Pascal
English units – Foot, Pound, psi
Example: Loss of NASA Mars Vehicle
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6. To facilitate
the interoperation and sharing of computing
tools and computing resources
which improve the collaboration between
research engineers
such that computers operate more effectively and
accurately with least human intervention
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8. An Internet paradigm of distributed computing
Why is it interesting?
Build computer software by RPCs to shared
subroutines
Ex. Subroutines: Equation solver vs. Whole FEM analysis
Uses the Internet as communication medium
Relies on W3C standards
HTTP & XML (SOAP)
Platform-neutral
Java, .NET, C , Fortran, etc.
Windows, Mac, Linux, etc.
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9. Web Services therefore could be an enabling
framework to allow software
developed by different group of people and
deployed on various computing platform
(workstation, clusters, supercomputers)
to interoperate
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11. The Semantic Web is a vision for the next generation of
the Web on which information will be useful and
meaningful not only for people but also for computers
Computers will be able to understand pieces of
information on Web pages rather than merely
presenting them to users, and would be able to
autonomously assist users in manipulating such
information
XML SOAP messages between computers will also be
better understood
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12. Semantic Web could be an
enabling framework to allow Web Services
deployed on the Internet to
communicate more effectively and
reduce the chance of mishandlings of
instructions and data
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13. Documents (information) on the present Web can
be transformed into the semantic one by
augmenting them with metadata aimed at
computers
Metadata—data about other data—enable
computers to determine the meaning of
information communicated by following hyperlinks
to definitions of key terms and rules for reasoning
about them logically
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14. Augmenting
“analysis command”
with metadata
Sample XML
“Request”
Let’s have a look
at these
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15. Sample Definition
What is ASTM A36?
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16. Sample Definition
Support Condition:
Cantilever All nodes
on Plane X = 0
are pinned
What is a
Pinned node like?
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17. Proposed Computational Interoperability Solution
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21. Parallel Linux
Cluster
PDA Windows
(ANSYS)
Windows
(ANSYS)
Windows
(Java) Windows
(Java)
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22. Stress Anl Grounding
SOAP OWL-S ParEFG SOAP
& SOAP
Request Template OWL-S Output
Input
Profile
Structural Analysis Structural Analysis ParEFG Service Structural Analysis
Service Registry Agent
Agent Agent
Broker
Mesher Mesher Grounding Max Stress
Windows OWL-S OWL-S & SOAP SOAP
OWL-S
User Template Profile Input Output ParEFG Template
Interface Analysis Engine
(.NET) (Linux Cluster)
SOAP
Response Structural Analysis Mesher (ANSYS)
Service Registry
Agent
Broker
Max Stress
OWL-S
Grounding Profile
SOAP
Output & SOAP
Service Registry
Input
Broker
Structural Analysis Max Stress Locator Structural Analysis Mesher
Case Study Agent Agent (Connector to
ANSYS)
(200603)
WS Matcher
Find tthe m
Find he maximum service stress in an ASTM A36 steel
axim ser vice st r ess in
um ASTM A36 st eel & Registry
(200409)
ParEFG w/
Job Scheduler
pl at ewith dimensions of 100-m wide by 200-cm long
plate wit h dim ensions of 1 .00-m wide by 200-cm l ong Concepts Composite (200004,
XML Tags
wit h aaquar t er inch thickness, simply supported on all l
with quarter inch t hickness, sim y suppor t ed on al
pl Matcher
OWL-S Process
Execution Engine
Matcher
(200503)
200512,
200602)
(200407)
edges, and subjected to o t he r esident ial f l live load
edges, and subj ect ed t the residential floor oor l ive
(200409)
Structural Engr Job Manager
l oadspecified in the latestest ver sion of UBC UBC code.
specif ied in t he l at version of the t he code
PhyQty Preprocessor
Ontologies put Input File into
(De)serializer (200501 FEM,
Processing ParEFG Queue
(200409) 200603 ParEFG)
(200411) (200602)
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23. The User Interface
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24. Generated ANSYS
Mesh
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25. ParEFG (w/ Job Manager)
ready for Web Service interface
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27. Web Services can an enabling framework to
allow software
developed by different group of people and
deployed on various computing platform to
interoperate
Semantic Web can be an enabling framework to
allow these Web Services to
communicate more effectively and
reduce the chance of instructions and data
mishandling
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28. A framework for the application of Web Services
and the Semantic Web in engineering software has
been proposed and an illustrative case study has
been presented
This framework will be particularly useful to
improve the collaboration among researches in
High-performance Computing and Numerical
Simulations
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