Data governance: change management based on contextualized dependencies

A system for propagating a change in a dependency graph and outputting information based on the propagation, the system comprising:

• memory which stores a dependency graph as an instantiation of a linked resource model (lrm) in which a plurality of lrm:resources are linked by at least one lrm:dependency, the dependency graph being implemented as a Resource Description Framework (RDF) graph or a triple store, the lrm:resources including lrm:concrete resources, each of the lrm:concrete resources representing a physical object or a digital object, the lrm:resources including at least one source lrm:resource and at least one target lrm:resource, each of the at least one lrm:dependency specifying preconditions on at least one of the at least one source lrm:resource for the lrm:dependency to be activated and an impact on at least one of the at least one target lrm:resources when the lrm:dependency is activated, each of the lrm:dependencies being assigned to a defined class of lrm:dependencies, at least one of the lrm:dependencies being assigned to a class of lrm:dependencies selected from the group consisting of an lrm:conjunctive dependency class and an lrm:disjunctive dependency class,
• wherein for an lrm:conjunctive dependency assigned to the lrm:conjunctive dependency class, if any of the source lrm:resources related to that lrm:dependency is changed then the lrm:dependency is activated, and wherein for an lrm:disjunctive dependency assigned to the lrm:disjunctive dependency class, the lrm:dependency is activated only if all source lrm:resources related to that lrm:dependency are changed,
• wherein in the dependency graph, the lrm:resources and the lrm:dependencies are represented by nodes,
• wherein the linked resource model permits a first of the lrm:dependencies to be linked to a second of the lrm:dependencies in the dependency graph, without an intervening lrm:resource node, by a dependency connector node that propagates change information;
• a propagation component which propagates a change to one of the plurality of lrm:resources to at least one other of the plurality of lrm:resources in the dependency graph, using the dependency connector to propagate change information from a first of the lrm:dependencies to a linked second of the lrm:dependencies in the dependency graph;
• an output component which provides for outputting information based on the propagation, the output information including a request to modify at least one external resource which is represented in the graph, the at least one external resource including a physical object or a digital object;
• an implementation component which implements a change to one of the external resources;
• and
• a processor which implements the propagation component and the output component.

A method for propagating a change in a dependency graph and implementing a change to a physical object based on the propagation, the method comprising:

• generating a dependency graph as an instantiation of a linked resource model (lrm) in which a plurality of lrm:resources are linked by at least one lrm:
• dependency, the lrm:
• resources including lrm:concrete resources, each of the lrm:concrete resources representing a physical object or a digital object, the lrm:
• resources and the at least one lrm:dependency being represented by nodes, at least some of the lrm:resource nodes being linked to the at least one lrm:dependency node by directed edges which indicate properties of relationships between linked nodes, the lrm:
• resources including at least one source lrm:
• resource and at least one target lrm:
• resource, each of the at least one lrm:dependency specifying preconditions on at least one of the at least one source lrm:
• resource for the lrm:dependency to be activated and an impact on at least one of the at least one target lrm:resources when the lrm:dependency is activated and an intention of the lrm:
• dependency, at least one of the lrm:dependencies being assigned to a class of lrm:dependencies selected from the group consisting of an lrm:conjunctive dependency class and an lrm:disjunctive dependency class,
• wherein for an lrm:conjunctive dependency which is assigned to the lrm:
• conjunctive dependency class, if any of the source lrm:resources related to that lrm:dependency is changed then the lrm:dependency is activated, and wherein for a lrm:disjunctive dependency which is assigned to the lrm:disjunctive dependency class, the lrm:dependency is activated only if all source lrm:resources related to that lrm:dependency are changed;
• and
• with a processor, propagating a change to one of the plurality of lrm:resources to at least one other of the plurality of lrm:resources in the graph the propagating including applying at least one of:
• a forward chaining mechanism configured for propagating a change from a source lrm:resource to a target lrm:resource linked to the source lrm:resource by a lrm:dependency to satisfy a given intention, and
• a backward chaining mechanism configured for propagating a change from a target lrm:resource to a source lrm:resource linked to the target lrm:resource by an lrm:dependency to satisfy a given intention;
• and
• implementing a change to a physical object represented by one of the lrm:concrete resources, according to a change policy, the physical object being selected from telephone systems, computers, and printers.