Supermodel Model

An informal overview of the GSWA Supermodel and its various parts.

This model provides elements to relate other models to one another and to assign them roles indicating what parts they play with respect to one another. In doing this, this Supermodel enables both the establishment of specialised models for an initiative’s specialised domain data and also for their integration.

Supermodels require that a set of models be nominated for use (they may be newly created but are often taken from pre-existing, fairly generic, models) and given the roles of Integrative Model. All data within the Supermodel scope is expected to be implemented according to elements and patterns from them, at least generically. Elements and patterns from these models are what people can expect to find in use at all points in within the Supermodel, even if parts of it extend beyond these into very specialised versions of them.

Models with role Component Model specialise the integrative models' elements and patterns can be created for each dataset within the Supermodel’s remit. These Component Models can implement the specialised elements and patterns needed to represent their unique content but MUST be fully compatible with the Integrative Models. To ensure this is the case, profiling mechanisms from The Profiles Vocabulary [PROF] are used to relate Component and Integrative models.

The total set of identified existing models from which Component Models draw existing elements and patterns but which are not the common integrative models are given the role Background Model. The Supermodel mechanisms require that all model elements and patterns not created specifically for its domain work come from identified models with either the Integrative or Background model roles.