Metasynthetic Decision Support System for Water Resource Management

ZHANG Yongjin1, SU Yiming1, ZHOU Wei2, XIE Jiancang1

1. XI’AN University of Technology, SHAANXI, China
E-mail: yjzhang@xaut.edu.cn
2. XI’AN Institute of Vocational&Technical , SHAANXI, China

Abstract system and applying it into the practice of complexity

Developing Water Resource Management Decision
Support System is generally complex task. The most
important gap between theories and practice has not
been processed. In this paper, the authors propose
Water Resource Management DSS based on
Metasynthetic Wisdom (WRM-MDSS), which is based
on the understanding of that the DSS of water resource
management is an Open Complex Giant System and
Knowledge Visualization. With the applying of
metasynthetic wisdom theory, WRM-MDSS is built as a
technology way to implement the theory of
metasynthetic wisdom.
1. Introduction
It is well known that the water resource
management is generally complex in practical
operations as it involves a large number of uncertain
factors (such as the intrinsic uncertainty in the
researches are of great importance [4].
According to these theories, the authors consider
that metasynthetic wisdom is the way to solve
problems related to DSS developing in water resource
management. And the core of metasynthetic wisdom
system in water resource management is the
knowledge sharing. This research discusses the
architecture of Water Resource Management DSS
based on Metasynthetic Wisdom (WRM-MDSS),
especially the approach on knowledge discovery. In the
following sections, the conceptual architecture of
WRM-MDSS is firstly described.
2. Conceptual architecture of WRM-MDSS
In this paper, the process of decision making in
water resource management is built as a four-layer
model shown in figure 1.
Wisdom Wisdom based on apply knowledge to solve/evaluate problems in decision making process
Layer
Wisidom

hydrological phenomena, in original data / parameter Knowledge Operation, decision knowledge based on information
values), and multiple objectives (such as hydropower Layer
Intelligence
generation, water supply for irrigation, municipal, Information Information based on description about semantic, operation, etc of things in Resource Layer
industrial use and flood prevention) [1]. Although so Layer
Description Logic
many applications of DSS have been developed, the Access Interface
risk of decision support systems failing to be up to the
Adapter
challenge of real-world problems is reported to be high Resource real-time flood
… projects Floodwater Weather
[2]. Layer hydrological
information
prevention
projects
information
database
forecasting forecasting
system system
In 1990s, Qian Xuesen presented the theory about database information
database
Floodwater
scheduler …
Sybase DB2
complex system and metasynthetic wisdom. The circle
MS SQLSERVER System
Distrubute/Heterogeneous Distrubute/Heterogeneous
theory of metasynthetic wisdom leads the people to Datasource Application
acquire intelligence, wisdom and knowledge as soon as Figure 1.Four Layer Models of WRM-MDSS
possible [3]. The concept and methodology of Open
Complex Giant System (OCGS) ----Hall for Workshop Resource Layer: the decision making of WRM is
of Metasynthetic Engineering facilitate the scientific strongly depended on the data. For example, in the
researches on the complexity of complex systems floodwater management, it is depended on the real-
whose goal is to build a giant man-computer time hydrological data, flood prevention projects
cooperated intelligent system for dealing with information, social economy information and so on,
problems related to OCGS. Thus, implementing this which are called static data source. Another type of

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 resources called interactive data source, which are the
output of special applications, such as floodwater
forecasting system and scheduler. Since there are a lot
of distributed, heterogeneous data source, the access
method and semantic element are far different from
each other. It’s difficult for managers to get them in
time. So some methods are needed to provide uniform
access interface to help the managers get information.
Information Layer: there is a uniform access
interfaces on the resource layer, but the managers can
not understand semantic element of data source; they
can not decide which operation should be performed
on the special data source. Based on Description Logic,
such as Resource Description Framework (RDF) [5]
and Resource Description Framework Schema (RDFS)
[6], we can build semantic description about data
source in global scope and more details about which
operation can be done. On this layer, the managers can
make their decisions, and do not need to care about the
types of the data sources or where they are.
Knowledge Layer: Based on the viewpoint of
metasynthetic wisdom, intelligent system just provides
environments to cooperate with decision makers. In
water resource management, information layer
provides the foundation for the managers / experts to
make decisions or operations, but OCGS means we can
not get the accurate answer for the problem. It depends
on the experiences of man deeply.
Just like Klein’s (1989) description of how experts
make decisions under complex dynamic environments.
Recognition-primed decision making (RPD) model
proposes a theory that experienced decision makers
(e.g., operators) often reuse or adapt previous solutions
when faced with problems similar to those encountered
in the past, particularly in situations where the problem
is ill-structured or poorly defined[7]. In this research,
RPD is considered as the best theory to discover the
tacit and explicit knowledge involved in the operation
& decision making processes. It is needed to build the
system to provide tools to express the processes.
Wisdom Layer: after evaluating the results of
decisions, man gets more clearly to know which
knowledge is more relevant to the special problem.
Going with the decision making, we will gather more
answers, and then get the wisdom to deal with the
problem.
Circle: Alone with the process of operation and
decision making to be carried out, the objects in
resources, knowledge and wisdom layer will be added
continually. After gathering enough resources,
knowledge and wisdom, we will get the accurate
answer to deal with the problem, wisdom will be
achieved.
The core of this conceptual architecture of WRM-
MDSS is to gather the knowledge of managers, experts
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and others which will be the foundation of wisdom. In
the following section, the author will emphasize on
discussing the issues about resource, information and
knowledge layer to support knowledge discovery.
3. Implementing architecture of WRM-
MDSS
According the above conceptual architecture of
WRM-MDSS, in this section, the implementing
architecture is presented.
3.1. Implementing architecture of resource
layer
It is the central function to provide uniform access
interface for the upper layer. In WRM-MDSS, it is
implemented by Advance Application Framework
(AAF). A framework can be defined as a set of inter-
related objects comprising an architectural foundation,
which is extended to implement your business
application logic. AAF is a J2EE compliant application
framework focused on building complex, enterprise
level Internet Applications using Java and Java Server
Pages. The relation between applications and AAF can
be depicted in figure 2.
XML Document
JSP Application
Business Bean
Application
Foundation
AAF Tag Lib AAF Framework
Figure 2.Relation between Applications & AAF
When building an AAF application, users can create
their own objects by extending the objects within the
AAF framework. Because the AAF objects "know"
how to work together, your application objects are
ready to take full advantage of the AAF functionality.
3.2. Implementing architecture of information
layer
AAF provides an easy way for developers to work
with different data sources, but for users it is not true.
Because it can not directly support their decision
making process. On information layer, WRM-MDSS
should provide methods to help users involve data. It is
implemented by RDF and RDFS which is used to
 descript data source in details. For example, one of
table, named ST_PPTN_R, can be descript as RDF as
following figure 3.
Figure 3.RDF Description of ST_PPTN_R
Based on this description, users can know what kind
of information can be acquired from the data source,
even which operation can be performed. These tools of
knowledge layer proposed in the following section can
be applied to execute operation and decision making
process.
3.3. Implementing architecture of knowledge
layer
The core of knowledge layer is to provide users a
tool to assist them to acquire information to make
decisions. Usually these are done by developers, not by
users. While in water resource management, it is
individual so that managers or experts have their own
ways to process information, and make decisions. So it
is useful to leave it to users themselves to present their
idea. And the knowledge expressed in the processes
can be recorded and shared.
The tool called Metasynthetic Client (MC) is
described in figure 5. It is the name of the framework
[8] built with the aim of providing a powerful user
interface framework based on Knowledge
Visualization. With the tool, users can describe their
mind about what kind of information and what type of
UI they want.
Figure 4.Knowledge Graph for Decision Making
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The decision making process of flood control can be
descript by Knowledge Graph as figure 4. The
structure of a Knowledge Graph is dependent on its
context. Consequently, it having similar meanings can
vary from one context to another and are highly
idiosyncratic. The strength of Knowledge Graph lies in
their ability to measure a particular person’s
knowledge about a given topic in a specific context.
Therefore, Knowledge Graph constructed by different
persons on the same topic are necessarily different, as
each represents its creator’s personal knowledge.
Similarly, we cannot refer to the correct concept map
about a particular topic, as there can be many different
representations of the topic that are correct.
3.4. Overall architecture of WRM_MDSS
The following figure 5 illustrates the overall
architecture in which these layers are integrated.
RDF Desiciption Scripts
Spring IoC
View Controller
JXPath
DataSource Interface
Request XML
JSP
Application Server
AAF
RDF Data
Description Data Data
Applications
Figure 6.Overall Architecture of WRM-MDSS
As clearly shown, the main goal of WRM-MDSS is
to permit the users to write an application entirely of
their own by writing only RDF description. And in
these descriptions, it involved the user’s knowledge.
So it enables the users to share knowledge when they
use the system.
So in the WRM-MDSS, it enables the end users to
get the information needed, and arrange it as they want.
All of these are based on the Knowledge Visualization
which enables the knowledge of end users to be
managed and shared.
4. Conclusions
In this paper, the authors consider that the DSS of
Water Resource Management is an Open Complex
Giant System (OCGS). The theory of metasynthetic
wisdom is the methodology to deal with DSS
developing problems. And WRM-MDSS is a way to
implement the theory of metasynthetic wisdom. Based
 on the study of water resource management practice,
the authors propose the conceptual architecture of
WRM-MDSS, and the core of WRM-MDSS is
knowledge sharing.
WRM-MDSS is different from other DSS in water
resource management domain. It does not provide
models such as mathematic model, special methods to
deal with special problems, but offers the approach
which enables the users to present their knowledge in
the process of operation and decision making. Based
on the knowledge sharing, it is possible to enable us to
achieve the wisdom, which means to master the law of
the problems.
Acknowledgements
The study is supported by the National High-Tech
Research and Development Plan of China (863) under
Grant No.2005AA113150. Thanks for the help of the
other members of the research team.
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