Skip to main content
Log in

Experiences with applying a genetic algorithm to determine an information systems architecture

Anwendung eines Genetischen Algorithmus zur Bestimmung der Architektur von Informationssystemen

  • Theoretical Papers
  • Published:
Operations-Research-Spektrum Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

While determining information systems architectures (ISA), business systems planning (BSP) is a well-known method to join processes and data classes to subsystems. BSP matrices have generally been rearranged without describing the underlying methods. Meanwhile, various techniques have been developed for solving the ISA problem. Since exact optimization methods often fail to provide results for large ISA problems, different heuristics have been applied. A new heuristic for solving the ISA problem is the application of genetic algorithms (GA). This paper examines the application of a simple GA to the ISA problem and compares the results of applying the GA with those obtained by exact methods.

Zusammenfassung

Zur Entwicklung von Architekturen von Informationssystemen (ISA) wird vielfach das Business-Systems-Planning-(BSP)-Konzept vorgeschlagen. Ein Teilproblem dieses Planungskonzepts besteht darin, unter Berücksichtigung von Optimalitätskriterien Unternehmensprozesse und Datenbestände zu möglichst voneinander unabhängigen Teilsystemen zusammenzufassen. Da die Leistungsgrenzen von exakten Optimierungsverfahren für dieses Problem rasch erreicht werden, interessiert der Einsatz von heuristischen Verfahren. Zunächst werden das BSP-Problem und die Vorgehensweise genetischer Algorithmen kurz erläutert. Danach wird die Anwendung eines einfachen genetischen Algorithmus auf das BSP-Problem beschrieben. Ein Vergleich mit Ergebnissen exakter Verfahren bildet einen weiteren wichtigen Bestandteil der Untersuchung.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Brathwaite KS (1992 Information Engineering, Vol. I. Concepts. CRC, Boca Raton

    Google Scholar 

  2. Brown DE, Huntley CL, Spillane AR (1989) A Parallel Genetic Heuristic for the Quadratic Assignment Problem. In: Schaffer JD (ed) Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on Genetic Algorithms. Morgan Kaufmann, San Mateo, pp 406–415

    Google Scholar 

  3. Flaatten PO et al. (1989) Foundations of Business Systems. Dryden, Chicago

    Google Scholar 

  4. Goldberg DE (1989) Genetic Algorithms in Search, Optimization, and Machine Learning. Addison-Wesley, Reading, Mass.

    Google Scholar 

  5. Grefenstette J (1991) Documentation for GENESIS. The Software Partnership

  6. Hein KP (1985) Information System Model and Architecture Generator. IBM Syst J 24:213–235

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Hess J (1993) Implementierung von Branch-and-Bound Verfahren zur Strukturierung von BSP-Matrizen. Master Thesis, University of Bern

  8. IBM (ed) (1978) Business Systems Planning: Information Systems Planning Guide. IBM-Form, GE 20-0527-2

  9. IBM (ed) (1990) Information System Model and Architecture Generator, Operation Guide, Release 1.3. IBM-Form SE 11-5989-2

  10. Katz RL (1990) Business/enterprise modeling. IBM Syst J 29:509–525

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Kiewiet DJ, Stegwee RA (1991 Conceptual Modeling and Cluster Analysis: Design Strategies for Information Architectures. In: DeGross JI et al. (eds) Proceedings of the 12th International Conference on Information Systems. ACM, Baltimore, pp 315–326

    Google Scholar 

  12. Kim YG, Everest GC (1994) Building an IS architecture. Inf & Manag 26:1–11

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Knolmayer G (1994) The Application of Mixed Integer Programming to the “Business Systems Planning”-Problem. In: Dyckhoff H et al. (eds) Operations Research Proceedings 1993. Springer, Berlin, pp 457–463

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  14. Knolmayer G, Spahni D (1993) Darstellung und Vergleich ausgewählter Methoden zur Bestimmung von IS-Architekturen. In: Reichel H (ed) Informatik, Wirtschaft, Gesellschaft. Springer, Berlin, pp 99–104

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  15. Krcmar H (1990) Bedeutung und Ziele von Informationssystem-Architekturen. Wirtschaftsinformatik 32:395–402

    Google Scholar 

  16. Krovi R (1992) Genetic Algorithms for Clustering: A Preliminary Investigation. In: Nunamaker JF, Sprague RH (eds) Proceedings of the 25th International Conference on System Sciences, Vol. IV. IEEE, Los Alamitos, pp 540–544

    Google Scholar 

  17. Kusiak A, Chow WS (1987) An Efficient Cluster Identification Algorithm. IEEE Transactions on Systems, Man, and Cybernetics 17:696–699

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Martin J (1982) Strategic Data-Planning Methodologies. Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs

    Google Scholar 

  19. Niederman F, Brancheau JC, Wetherbe JC (1991) Information Systems Management Issues in the 1990s. MIS Quarterly 15:475–500

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Orsey RR (1982) Methodologies for Determining Information Flow. In: Goldberg R, Lorin H (eds) The Economies of Information Processing, Vol. I. Wiley, New York, pp 57–70

    Google Scholar 

  21. Raz T, Yaung AT (1995) Application of clustering techniques to information systems design. Information and Software Technology 37:145–154

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Schumann M, Schüte H, Schumann U (1994) Entwicklung von Anwendungssystemen. Springer, Berlin

    Book  Google Scholar 

  23. Sowa JF, Zachman JA (1992) Extending and formalizing the framework for information systems architecture. IBM Syst J 31:590–616

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Spahni D (1993) Solving the “Business System Planning”-Problem Using Specialized Branch & Bound Algorithms. In: Bachem A et al. (eds) Extended Abstracts of the 18th Symposium in Operations Research. Physica, Heidelberg, pp 491–494

    Google Scholar 

  25. Spahni D (1996) Verfahren zur Bestimmung geeigneter Teilsysteme integrierter Informationssysteme. Diss Universität Bern 1996

  26. Spewak SH, Hill SC (1993) Enterprise Architecture Planning. QED, Wellesley

    Google Scholar 

  27. Teng JTC, Kettinger WJ, Guha S (1992) Business Redesign and Information Architectures: Establishing the Missing Links. In: DeGross JI, Becker JD, Elam JJ (eds) Proceedings of the 13th Intl. Conference on Information Systems. ACM, Baltimore, pp 81–89

    Google Scholar 

  28. Vetter M (1988) Strategie der Anwendungssoftware-Entwicklung — Planung, Prinzipien, Konzepte. Teubner, Stuttgart

    Google Scholar 

  29. Wetherbe JC, Davis GB (1983) Developing a long range information architecture. In: Smith AN, Medley DB (eds) Proceedings of AFIPS National Computer Conference, AFIPS, Arlington, pp 261–269

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to G. F. Knolmayer.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Knolmayer, G.F., Gerber, J.P. Experiences with applying a genetic algorithm to determine an information systems architecture. OR Spektrum 19, 47–53 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01539808

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01539808

Key words

Schlüsselwörter

Navigation