Hyper Model Management Systems

Abstract

In this paper we study the integration of ModelManagement and Hypertext systems to produce a HyperModel Management System (HMMS). Model ManagementSystems constitute a class of software thatis designed to support the construction, storage, retrieval,and use of models in the context of decisionsupport systems (DSS). Hypertext systems allow usersto split information into data fragments which the usercart browse to find information by taking non-linearpaths in computer based texts. It has been suggestedthat DSSs should be conceived as environments whichsupport decision making. We support the view thatsuch environments can be readily provided for the subtaskof model management by hypertext systems. Thedifferent kinds of model knowledge can be capturedwithin different types of hypertext nodes and the relationshipsamong these can be maintained by hypertextlinks. In this paper we describe some aspects ofmodel management where hypertext will have a significantimpact. However, plain hypertext is ineffectivein dealing with the dynamic nature of information inmodel management tasks where data is revised, modelsexecuted, and reports are created on the fly. Dynamicdomains require dynamic hypertexts. In this paper wealso study the requirements for dynamic hypertexts.These can be satisfied within the class of generalizedhypertext systems by using special hypertext nodes andlinks which we describe. We explore different architecturesto integrate MMS and Hypertext systems toobtain HMMSs. This paper emphasizes the need for ashift to integrating Model Management and hypertexttechnologies.