Modeling of tool integration resources with OSLC support

This paper discusses a class modeling approach for managing tool integration. Model concepts like Artifact and Role are introduced as integration backbones. Artifacts represent real artifacts like model elements that are maintained by tools. Different kinds of tools require different kinds of Artifact classes. The Role classes capture integration scenario-specific properties for Artifacts. As the same Artifact may be involved in different scenarios, and as integration scenarios may come and go, Roles can be dynamically attached to Artifacts. It is also demonstrated the possibility to model with Artifacts and Roles alone, without any real model elements. OSLC Web services (and as part of that, OSLC resources) are generated from these class models, and it is demonstrated that class modeling of Artifacts are superior to plain OSLC specification of resources.