Asset and Infrastructure Management System (AIMS) – Outline & Definitions

  • Shall be a domain-independent database system for assets and infrastructure management
  • For example, for the Boeing Company, each aircraft is an asset; for the Indian Navy, each ship / submarine is an asset; for us each reactor is an asset – assets are defined in this fashion
  • Each asset (IA) can contain any number of Systems (SY); each System (SY) can contain any number of Components (CO); each component can contain any number of Parts (PA)
  • Each IA, SY, CO or PA can have any number of Evolutionary Cycles (LF); each LF can have any number of Stages (ST); each ST can have any number of Properties (PR) or sub-Properties (SP); each Property (PR) or sub-Property (SP) can have any number of Values
  • For a reactor, the Lifecycles (LF) could be: (a) Raw Material, (b) Welding Consumables, (c) Fabrication, (d) Erection / Installation, (e) Pre-Commissioning or Pre-Service Inspection, and (f) In-service Inspection
  • An LF can point to any IA, SY, CO or PA; An ST, SP or PR can point to any LF
  • A set of IA (which forms the root) and corresponding LF, ST, PR, SP, VA, SY, CO and PA (the constituents of IA) form an ensemble
  • For each IA there will be an Index (which summarises the IA’s outline) and the Database itself (which has the actual database structure and values)
  • The AIMS allows three modes of operation: Administer, Manage and View
  • In Administer mode, Administrators are allowed to define, modify or delete an ensemble, its constituents and structure; validate edited Properties, sub-Properties and Values entered by Managers
  • In Manage mode, Managers are allowed to enter data (fix values for various properties and sub-properties)
  • In View mode, Users are allowed to use / view the database
  • Everyone enters as a User and graduates to either a Manager or an Administrator
  • Database security and access-control of the various databases of AIMS will be controlled by the Security of the Operating System itself
  • Each ensemble could be viewed as an XML file
  • XML representation is ideal since these files can be manipulated by the UI which can be Prolog, C# or any other business logic component, to render in any output device or form.
  • The advantages of this approach, briefly, are its open-ended nature, domain-independent database structure, platform-agnostic representation (XML), OS-integrated security, and clear delegation of duties and responsibilities.

     

    Last Updated on 22nd December 2003

     

     

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