Since e-catalogs are dynamic, autonomous, and heterogeneous, the integration of a potentially large number of dynamic e-catalogs is a delicate and time-consuming task. In this paper, we describe the design and the implementation of a system through which existing on-line product catalogs can be integrated, and the resulting integrated catalogs can be continuously adapted and personalized within a dynamic environment. The integration framework originates from a previous project on integration of Web data, called WebFINDIT. Using the framework, we propose a methodology for adaptation of integrated catalogs based on the observation of customers’ interaction patterns.

This dissertation addresses issues for the efficient access to Web databases and services. We propose a distributed ontology for a meaningful organization of and efficient access to Web databases. Next, we dedicate most of our work on presenting a comprehensive query infrastructure for the emerging concept of Web services. The core of this query infrastructure is to enable the e#cient delivery of Web services based on the concept of Quality of Web Service. Treating Web services as first class objects is a fundamental step towards achieving the envisioned Semantic Web. Semantics-aware processing of information requires intensive use of Web services. In our research, we propose a new query model where queries are resolved by combining Web service invocations. To efficiently deploy such scheme, we propose an optimization strategy based on aggregating Quality of Web service (QoWS) of different Web services. QoWS is adjusted through a dynamic rating scheme and multilevel matching. Web service rating provides an assessment of their behavior. The multilevel matching allows a larger solution space by enabling similar and partial answers.

With the increasing use of web interfaces across organisations' corporate and supporting applications, has come a dramatic increase in the number of users in the resulting systems. Along with this trend to connect more and more of an organization's staff and clients together via web interfaces, has been the rise of user-centric design models which place user requirements higher on the priorities list in system design and also places user satisfaction as a major performance and quality indicator. In addition, the use of the web in capturing and making use of knowledge management ideas, especially with the help of collaborative tools is being experimented with and implemented in many organisations. This paper presents and discusses both a modelling of these changes and the effects on web application and systems development.

Although research into the integration of e-catalogs has gained considerable momentu m over the years, the needs for building adaptive catalogs have been largely ignored. Catalogs are designed by system designers who have a priori expectations for how catalogs will be explored by users. It is necessary to consider how users are using catalogs since they may have different expectations. In this paper, we describe the design and the implementation of a system through which integrated product catalogs are continuously adapted and restructured within a dynamic environment. The adaptation of integrated catalogs is based on the observation of customers' interaction patterns.

More and more suppliers are offering access to their product or information portals (also called e-catalogs) via the Web.Thekeyissueishow to efficiently integrate and query large, intricate, heterogeneous information sources such as e-catalogs. Clearly, traditional data integration approach, where the development of an integrated schema requires the understanding of both structure and semantics of all schemas of sources to be integrated, is hardly applicable because of the dynamic nature and size of the Web. We present WS-CatalogNet: a Web services based data sharing middleware infrastructure whose aims is to enhance the potential of e-catalogs by focusing on scalability and flexible aspects of their sharing and access. The salient features of WS-CatalogNet are: (i) Ontological Organization: We use the concept of ecatalog

Abstract. In recent years, web sites have evolved from simple collections of static content to suppliers of complex services to users. This evolution has allowed users to benefit from various customized services according to his needs. Currently many services are geographically-aware and they have localized features but do not communicate with systems that are complementary from a geographic of functional perspectives. However, the geographic extensity is a natural dimension on which simple services can be integrated into complex ones. This integration requires a container to provide a common and unifying view of the territory. A GIS with topological information is the ideal mapping for services that pertain to a given territory. Integration provides a way to create new services through reusing services that provide only a subset of functionality that could be used in very different integrated services. This paper analyzes the integration issues of localized services using a GIS. 1

Abstract — This paper discusses a framework in which catalog service communities are built, linked for interaction, and constantly monitored and adapted over time. A catalog service community (represented as a peer node in a P2P network) in our system can be viewed as domain specific data integration mediators representing the domain knowledge and the registry information. The query routing among communities is performed to identify a set of data sources that are relevant to answering a given query. The system monitors the interactions between the communities to discover patterns that may lead to restructuring of the network (eg., irrelevant peers removed, new relationships created, etc).

Work organization, business innovation and IT have enhanced the distributed nature enterprise information systems. Information systems today are made up of subsystems running on heterogeneous IT platforms with varying implementations of business objects and processes increasing the dual risks of (i) inconsistency of business objects views and (ii) inefficiency of processes. This paper frames this problem as lack of representation and implementation of interactions among the subsystems and external sources. It proposes an interaction support system to make interactions an explicit element of the Enterprise Information System like data and operations. It describes a solution where the interaction elements are encapsulated into a separate subsystem and located in a web server to be used by other subsystems to exchange and share data and to perform processes with complete transparency. We argue that such Interaction Support System may provide global, unified and consistent view of business objects and synergy of processes.

The evolution of data communication technology has increased Internet traffic with negative effects on the user's response time. An existing mechanism to combat such effect is Web caching, in which intermediary systems are used to temporarily store information that may be retrieved by multiple users or by a same user multiple times. Software engineers, designing applications for this new environment, depend on techniques that emphasize the satisfaction of the users' requirements and the availability of computing resources on the processing site. However, software engineering classes may be overlooking some of these problems. In this paper, caching problems related to Web applications are presented. Knowing these problems exist is important in software engineering web-based applications.

Software engineers depend on analysis and design methods that take into consideration user's requirements and computing resources on the processing site. With many new network applications being developed based on web browser user interfaces, software engineers have become more dependent on knowledge of network operations. Web caching is an existing mechanism that seeks to improve user's response time, but their existence and functionality are usually transparent to those not directly working with the network infrastructure. In this paper, a new method that uses UML sequence diagrams to perform requirements analysis on web applications is proposed, whereby the web application is designed in such a way to avoid the actions taken by hidden resources, such as web caches, becoming, then, independent of the uncertainty of the caching mechanisms for dynamic contents.