Introduction
I invite you to look for a definition of 'Semantic Model' and not getting utterly confused by a plethora of opinions and, mostly commercial, offerings.
In this blog post I will give my definition and add what ISO 15926 has to offer in terms of features.
Definition
Semantics in data modeling refers to the meaning and interpretation of data within a specific context. It involves understanding how data elements relate to each other and to the real-world entities they represent, ensuring that the data accurately reflects the intended meaning and usage in applications and processes.
What does ISO 15926 add to that?
This is heavily influenced by the target of ISO 15926: the integration and sharing of multi-source life-cycle data of a process plant or other facility.
ISO 15926
- is an ISO International Standard, which is essential for global exchange of information with varying partners;
- is genuine 4D - meaning that it allows for tracking elementary changes to objects over time, supporting dynamic models, where entities can evolve or move;
- is, through Part 7 Templates, semantically modular - which comes handy when setting up plug-and-play information views; This modularity allows for creating your own ontologies and still comply with this standard.
- is fully computer-processable - does not rely on human interpretation;
- data will be retrievable after many decades - which is essential for knowledge gathering and for revamps of that facility;
- minimally uses a modeling language - because most of the semantics are already covered by the model, the reference data, and the templates. So no complicated coding required;
- is user-expandable without losing clear semantics - through reference data that are specializations of model entity types, and through specialized templates.