Cloud-based, service-oriented and knowledge-sharing architecture: Its design and application in shipbuilding

In the shipbuilding process, a number of ship specification files are generated. Those files are usually scattered as different file formats in various departments or stored as databases in the heterogeneous systems within a shipyard. Therefore, it is extremely difficult to integrate specification files coming from different stages of shipbuilding, much less to share the integrated information among various departments. Moreover, long-term accumulation of files and continuous expansion of computer systems place a heavy burden on the shipyard, for it must invest more capital in software development and hardware. To address this problem, this study proposed the concept of cloud services. Specifically, the authors constructed a cloud-based, service-oriented and knowledge-sharing architecture which was founded on XML and Web Services technology. Through the newly developed architecture, ship specification files can be structurally integrated and preserved; meanwhile, they can be conveniently transmitted among the heterogeneous systems, with openness between different systems achieved. Thus, all knowledge owned by the shipyard will be efficiently managed, applied and shared. In addition, the shipyard may reduce its investment in IT equipment, including software development and hardware peripherals.