ISSUES IN DESIGN METHODOLOGIES FOR DISTRIBUTED INFORMATION-SYSTEMS

In this paper we deal with design methodologies for distributed information systems. It is shown that existing methodologies for information system design cannot fully cope with the distribution aspects of (distributed) information systems. Methodologies for the design of distributed systems were developed specifically to deal with these aspects. Therefore we compare methodologies for the design of information systems to those for the design of distributed systems, both to trace issues in which methodologies for information system design need improvement and to see how these methodologies could be combined. The main issues in which methodologies for IS design are lacking if they are to be used for the design of distributed information systems are (1) their focus on the separate parts of the system rather than on the interaction system that connects them, (2) too Little attention for the required openness and open-endedness of the system, (3) lack of concepts for the analysis of dynamic processes the system has to support, and (4) lack of structuring concepts for the system parts and their interaction system. For each of these issues we discuss possible improvements; we do however not provide complete solutions.