SYMMS: A model management system that supports model reuse, sharing, and integration

Within the decision support system area of research, there is a growing body of work focusing on the topic of model management. A principal objective of a model management system (MMS) is to increase the productivity in organizational modelling and decision-making activities. This paper describes aspects of a software prototype MMS, called SYMMS, which is designed to provide for model sharing, reusability and integration. Inspired by concepts from systems theory, the system also provides support for data management in the context of modeling. Associate with SYMMS is a language, called MDL, for model description and configuration. MDL provides a high-level, non-procedural, textual means that facilitates both top-down and bottom-up hierarchical construction of composite models. Examples are used to illustrate some of the features of MDL and of the prototype system SYMMS.