Using visualisation to elicit domain information as part of the Model Driven Architecture approach

Model Driven Architecture adopts a visual approach to software development. The main development activities are the construction of visual (typically Unified Modelling Language (UML)) models and the transformation of source models into target models, including application code generation. The use of visual models to produce application code often starts at the design (Platform Independent Model) level, and whereas business processes (Computation Independent Models (CIM)) have lately been considered, they are not used in MDA to either derive design models or application code. This paper enhances the MDA process by considering the early stages of software development that pertain to problem domain analysis. We argue that problem domain analysis and modelling can form valuable input to the more formal MDA phases at the CIM and PIM levels. We propose the use of a visual notation that allows informal modelling of domain-based concepts. Modelling at this stage using the proposed notation is geared to support involvement of non-technical business stakeholders whilst feeding into business process modelling at the CIM phase.