What is Layers of Interoperability

One of the fundamental problems to tackle when interconnecting distributed systems is to entail the minimum coupling possible while ensuring the minimum interoperability requirements. This article presents a solution to the coupling problem based on the concepts of compliance and conformance, in which compatibility between interacting services does not rely on a shared schema, but rather on the features that are actually used. To help systematizing the various aspects relevant to interoperability, this article proposes a multidimensional interoperability framework, which includes the following dimensions: Lifecycle (with typical development stages), Interoperability (based on compliance and conformance, with various layers of abstraction), and Concerns (to deal with non-functional aspects such as security, quality of service and social and legal issues).