WEB-BASED KNOWLEDGE NUGGETS FOR ARCHITECTURE

KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT

Meira Levy

1,2

, Irit Hadar

and Ethan Hadar

Department of Industrial Engineering and Management, Shenkar College of Engineering and Design, Ramat-Gan, Israel

Department of Information System, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel

CA Technologies, Inc., Herzelia, Israel

Keywords: Knowledge Management, Software Architecture, Knowledge Toolbar, Architecture Knowledge Web

Service, Knowledge Nugget.

Abstract: This paper presents in-process knowledge management for technical information, managing architecture

knowledge nuggets, and implemented as embedded toolbar and Web repositories façade. The façade

encompasses a plug-in and approach for documenting, reviewing and communicating knowledge nuggets.

The nuggets are concise representations of architecture knowledge addressing best practices, design

patterns, review comments and any additional architecture concerns. The knowledge activities are

embedded during the lifecycle of software product development, namely, in-process, and may foster reuse

of architecture artifacts. The façade is a Web accessed system to existing and new organizational knowledge

management systems, and can serve as an access point from within any existing information system (e.g.,

service desks). Utilizing the Web based knowledge façade reduces the time-to-value in making architecture

decisions while increasing the quality of the resulted artifacts. In addition, the facade provides on-the-fly

access to relevant information and best practices related to architectural design decisions during routine

R&D and deployment activities.

1 INTRODUCTION

Over the past years, we have witnessed an increased

focus on knowledge management (KM) as a major

part of organizational strategy in knowledge-

intensive organizations and as a significant driver for

business process design and reengineering (Gronau

and Weber, 2005; Remus and Schub, 2003). KM

enhances the ability of knowledge-intensive

organizations to continuously learn and adapt, and to

rapidly respond to changes in technology, market,

and customer preferences, mainly by improving their

knowledge-intensive business processes (KIBP)

(Lonnqvist, 2005). KM has been defined as the

systemic and organizational process of acquiring,

organizing and communicating knowledge for

employees who may use it in order to be more

effective and productive (Wong, 2008).

Constantinescu (2008) posits that a major objective

of KM is to provide access to stored knowledge

components in order to improve decision-making

and to facilitate knowledge acquisition by the

knowledge workers. Objectives of KM research

have focused on knowledge types and dimensions,

KM frameworks, and measuring and reporting

intellectual capital. Skyrme and Amidon (1998, p.

20) state that “knowledge management is becoming

a core competence that companies must develop to

succeed in tomorrow’s dynamic global economy”.

KM initiatives may result in significant benefits to

the organization, helping to determine business

strategy and process design, as well as providing

competitive advantage (Kannan and Aulbur, 2004).

A phenomenon in knowledge-intensive

organization is knowledge workers spending ever-

increasing amounts of time for messaging, creating

documents, searching for information and

knowledge, and engaging in other knowledge

information-intensive activities. But, despite this

great time commitment, according to Davenport

(2006), knowledge workers have been mostly left to

their own devices, with little help from their

organizations in how to perform key information and

knowledge tasks effectively and efficiently. In

addition, such devices, or the technologies used to

handle personal information and knowledge, have

546

Levy M., Hadar I. and Hadar E..

WEB-BASED KNOWLEDGE NUGGETS FOR ARCHITECTURE KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT.

DOI: 10.5220/0003915305460551

In Proceedings of the 8th International Conference on Web Information Systems and Technologies (WEBIST-2012), pages 546-551

ISBN: 978-989-8565-08-2

 2012 SCITEPRESS (Science and Technology Publications, Lda.)

been largely separated and un-integrated within their

main working processes (Davenport, 2006).

Web 2.0 technologies, which foster social

collaboration, offer ways to cultivate and exploit

knowledge sharing in enterprises and provide new

form for KM (Kirchner et al., 2009). Large

organizations explore the potential of these new

tools and concepts for KM across the enterprise

(Anderson, 2007). However, while Web 2.0 tools

are characterized by net effects, simplicity, ease of

use, and low cost, human factors may impede

efficient application of Web 2.0 technologies, in

particular the need to motivate people to create

content (de Barros Campos, 2010).

In the context of software architecture, empirical

evidence show that architects capture and reuse

previous architecture solutions, lessons learned from

former reviews, implementation experiences of their

peers, and other relevant knowledge only

sporadically and not-frequently (Sherman et. al.,

2010). This prolongs the architecture design process,

as well as the follow-up review process. We

postulate that lack of embedded, simple to use, and

holistic access to knowledge systems in the

architects working environment, hinders them from

contributing to and consuming from shared

knowledge repositories.

Our in-process KM for technical information

manages architecture knowledge nuggets and is

implemented as embedded toolbar and Web

repositories façade. The approach and technology

aim at reducing the time-to-value in making

architecture decisions and constructing architecture

blueprints and documentation. This will increase the

quality of the resulted architecture artifacts needed

during the software development lifecycle and

reduce required efforts and time-to-value.

The rest of the paper is organized as follows: The

next section briefly describes our research approach;

Section 3 details the Web-based knowledge nuggets

system we propose for architecture knowledge

management, followed by a discussion and

conclusion in Section 4.

2 RESEARCH APPROACH

Our research employed the design science research

methodology, which aims at understanding a

problem domain and developing a solution that takes

into account interactions among people,

organizations, and technology (Hevner et al., 2004).

Design science seeks to create innovative

capabilities and products through which the optimal

information systems analysis, design,

implementation, management, and use can be

undertaken (Denning, 1997). Following this notion,

we propose a solution which provides methods and

tools for systematic and efficient capturing and

sharing of architecture knowledge nuggets, which

are concise presentations of architecture knowledge,

over Web-based access. Our solution will be

embedded in the natural working environment and

process of software architects and the technical

community throughout the development lifecycle,

thus fostering communication within the technical

community. These include, for example,

communication among architects, between architects

and reviewers and among reviewers involved in the

development and implementation process.

3 CONCEPTUAL SOLUTION

This section describes the fundamental components

of the proposed system and provides prototypical

scenarios where it can be utilized.

3.1 System Features

The system enables:

 Rapid architecture design – The ability to

select from former architecture components or

aspects that are relevant to the current

solution.

 Process and labour efficiency – The enabling

of communication and sharing of knowledge

throughout the software development

lifecycle.

 Integrity and accuracy – The enabling of

automated document creation (e.g., inserting

reused knowledge within a document). This

will lead to reduction of effort and the

retaining of high integrity and accuracy by

automating document creation.

 Knowledge association – The ability to

present a knowledge nugget describing the

essence of architecture decisions.

 Embedded knowledge façade within a

software development process – within the

working environments and processes that

allows both knowledge contributing,

knowledge source identification and

knowledge tagging for further search and

retrieval options.

 Knowledge creation segregation – ensures

that only the right knowledge workers can

contribute specific knowledge within the

WEB-BASEDKNOWLEDGENUGGETSFORARCHITECTUREKNOWLEDGEMANAGEMENT

547

specific context/process of their task. In case

generic knowledge is constructed, it is handled

on dedicated, existing, open knowledge

systems, and accordingly, reduces the level of

trust of the generated knowledge.



Knowledge efficient purification – based on

workflow automatic rules and identity

management, and according to the creation

segregation, knowledge nuggets can be

approved automatically. For example, a

knowledge nugget created by the acting chief

architect will always be approved

automatically, whereas novice architects’

knowledge contribution will be heavily

scrutinized.

3.2 System Structure

Figure 1 depicts the knowledge nuggets conceptual

architecture.

1. Nuggets Creation Toolbar component enables

contribution of temporary creation of content to

be purified. The toolbar includes: Artifact, Link,

Blog, Discussion, and Tagging. An internal

component enables users role based access

control, managing privileges for knowledge

construction within a, software process, and

domain (e.g., only the architect of a product can

change the product information). Thus,

segregation of duties is maintained, increasing

the level of trust on the generated knowledge

quality. The nuggets creation toolbar includes:

 Artifact: handles tangible knowledge artifacts

such as standards, design patterns, patents,

evaluation of specific information (e.g.

rationale of a design decision, tips and tricks),

and more.

 Link: handles linkage pointers to

organizational information systems such as a

document in a repository, a record in a wiki

system, a component in the component catalog

and an architecture document (e.g. Top Level

Design Document – TLDS).

 Blog: handles a journal regarding the specific

information at hand; for example, an

architect’s “to-do” list, within the architecture

modeling tool, where design comments and

project related notes are kept.

 Discussion: handles stakeholders’ discussion,

for example, reviewers’ comments regarding a

design solution.

 Tagging: handles tagging creation and usage

for tagging unstructured knowledge.

2. Knowledge Nuggets Analysis Toolbar for

Quality Evaluation and Analytics Calculations:

 Quality Evaluation: enables definitions of

reviewers, purification, and migrating of

transient knowledge nuggets to permanent,

over the Web, nuggets store. In case the

knowledge was constructed by an identified,

privileged user, within known tools and

phases of the process, the system can

recommend a rapid knowledge approval,

significantly reducing the amount of

knowledge purification labour. Naturally,

manual approval and purification can always

be conducted.

Figure 1: The embedded façade conceptual architecture

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Java_Portlet_Specification

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liferay

http://www.jcp.org/en/jsr/detail?id=286

 Analytics Calculations: either by automatic

measures or people’s evaluations. It is aimed

at rating contributed knowledge, and enabling

the community to improve and expand the

nuggets.

Knowledge Consumption Toolbar for

knowledge usage. This separate component

usually does not prohibit user access, although

it can do so when needed. Using a dedicate

Web Services for Remote Portlets (WSRP)

286

, this consumption toolbar can be

embedded within any organizational Web

based system that supports a portal, as a

regular façade for the information. The

consumption toolbar elements are similar to

the creation component; however, only enable

searching purified, high-quality content, such

as Artifact, Link, Blog, Discussion, and

Tagging. Namely, only after the item has been

moved to the permanent knowledge storage,

following analysis for confirming its quality.

The system server-side components, can be WSRP

portals such as LifeRay enterprise portal

. LifeRay

provides many of the technologies needed to

construct our conceptual architecture. Some

examples for managing knowledge are Web content,

tags and categories, document and image

management. For community of review, LifeRay

offers website tools, breadcrumbs, page ratings &

flags. For security and role based access, LifeRay

offers user directory and LDAP Integration.

Consequently, the portal Web site enables workflow

and knowledge management processes, as well as

federated accesses to the remote existing

organizational systems. Since the embedded UI is

organized as WSRP 286, the toolbars are JSR 286

plug-in portlets, and can be embedded in existing

enterprise portals, as well as be consumed from rich

UI via their WSDL interfaces.

The system components are:

3. Knowledge Management: components

 Knowledge nuggets evaluation: handles the

evaluation if a newly created knowledge

nugget, based on feedback regarding the

importance and accuracy of the captured

knowledge.

 Knowledge nuggets maintenance: handles

knowledge purification for ensuring the

quality of the captured knowledge.

 Temporary knowledge nuggets storage:

contains all the nuggets contributed by the

community, prior to being approved. The data

is pending analysis and accordingly, removal

and update into the permanent, verified data

storage.

4. Analytic: User Interface (UI) Administration

and Purification Workflow:

 Analytic: handles the mining of the nuggets

repository for displaying the statistics

regarding the nuggets and contributors. This

feature can serve as a motivation trigger for

knowledge contributions.

 UI administration: handles the plug-in

components so more options for knowledge

capturing will be added or removed. In

addition, Permanent information will also be

handled (i.e. URLs of the information

systems) so that the user will not need to enter

various information systems while using a

specific system.

5. Verified Knowledge Nuggets Storage: Search,

Permanent Nuggets Storage, Usage Rating

 Search: handles search options for finding

nuggets according to free text, a specific

nugget (i.e. artifact, evaluation) or tag.

Figure 2 illustrates how the knowledge nuggets

toolbar is embedded within an architecture modeling

tool and used during the architecture design process,

starting from receiving a software requirements

specifications (SRS) document and ending by

delivering a top level design specifications (TLDS)

document. The toolbar is used during the decision

making process of both architecture design and

architecture review.

Figure 2: Conceptual Model for the Knowledge Nuggets

Solution – Illustrated on an architecture modeling tool.

3.3 Prototypical Scenarios

In order to illustrate the proposed conceptual

WEB-BASEDKNOWLEDGENUGGETSFORARCHITECTUREKNOWLEDGEMANAGEMENT

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architecture, several scenarios (use cases) are

presented.

3.3.1 Activation Scenario – Knowledge

Nuggets Contribution

The emerging technology department reveals a new

trend – for example, IPv6. The emerging technology

employee will be able to insert artifact regarding this

new standard including all relevant information, by

creating a knowledge nugget called IPv6 via the

Artifact option in the knowledge nugget creation

toolbar. All relevant material from different sources

will be linked to the knowledge nugget via the Link

option, including – where relevant – a blog related to

this topic. There is a possibility to discuss the

knowledge nugget for evaluation and enhancement.

Finally, the knowledge nugget is tagged (e.g.,

protocol, standard).

3.3.2 Activation Scenario – Knowledge

Nugget Evaluation and Purification

After the new IPv6 knowledge nugget was inserted,

the knowledge nugget should be analyzed and

evaluated. If the user, who inserted the knowledge

nugget, is a privileged user (e.g. the chief architect

of the relevant product), the knowledge nugget will

be automatically approved. Otherwise, experts in

IPv6 will be allocated for the purification workflow

for evaluating and refining the new knowledge

nugget.

In another scenario, during the implementation

phase a problem occurred that resulted in a need to

change the architecture. The implementer can add

retrospect evaluation to the architecture document

within the knowledge nugget, through the

implementation and analytics components.

3.3.3 Activation Scenario – Knowledge

Nugget Consumption

The architect designs a solution, which supports the

standard IPv6. For linking the solution to the

explanation of IPv6, the architect, while designing a

solution on the architecture modeling environment,

clicks on the Artifact and the Standard options and

chooses the Standard IPv6 to be linked to the current

solution. After the linkage is set, it can be used to

automatically integrate it within the architecture

document, or it can facilitate other stakeholders’

understanding of the IPv6 concept.

4 CONCLUSIONS

This short paper presents a conceptual framework of

a KM system, which aims at solving challenges in

KM in the context of architecture processes in

software engineering. The system enables

knowledge capture and reuse during the architecture

activities and throughout the software development

lifecycle. Moreover, it efficiently reduces the

amount of labor usually associated with knowledge

construction, and leverages context, identities and

authority as basic rules for rapid purification. Using

modern Web 2.0 and portlets technologies, such as

LifeRay enterprise portal, we can provide a

systematic plug-in and method for capturing and

reusing knowledge via same look-and-feel tools

embedded in the working environment and within

the business process.

The need for quick responses to the intricacy of

the rapidly-changing environment leads

organizations to develop their KM infrastructure

(Lustri et al., 2007). Lustri et al. (2007) show that

KM infrastructure is a key factor that intensifies the

organizational competency by accelerating time for

the development of competencies. Our approach,

although targeted primarily for architecture process

improvement, is relevant for any technological

management system by enabling a “divide-and-

concur” approach that simplifies knowledge creation

and consumption, bringing the knowledge to be part

of the regular working environment (such as a

modeling tool), rather than the commonly used

solutions located within dedicated knowledge

system. Thus, our Web-based remote solution is an

in-process, embedded façade for technological

knowledge management. Furthermore, the

embedded approach supports the creation of tools

that automate the production of architecture

documentations and decisions, while reusing

existing knowledge.

The research provides a conceptual framework

for an infrastructure that facilitates knowledge

sharing; however, cultural, social and human factors

barriers are yet to overcome when implementing it

in organizations. Future research will address

implementation and evaluation of the proposed

conceptual framework in enterprise IT

organizations.

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