ISO/IEC 11179-35:2023

Overview

ISO/IEC 11179-35:2023 - "Information technology - Metadata registries (MDR) - Part 35: Metamodel for model registration" defines an extension to the metadata registry metamodel (as specified in ISO/IEC 11179-3) to enable registration of models and their associated metamodels. It standardizes how metadata about information/data models, process models (e.g., BPMN), web-service models, JSON Schemas, and other modeling artefacts can be recorded, discovered and managed in a Metadata Registry (MDR). The standard is explicit that it covers the metadata representation of models and metamodels - not the physical instantiation of model instances.

Key technical topics and requirements

• Metamodel extension: Defines a Model package that extends ISO/IEC 11179-3 to represent Model, Model_Element, Model_Element_Type, Model_Element_Characteristic, relationships and associated metamodels.
• Mappings and relationships: Supports registration of mappings between models, between metamodels, and between models and their metamodels using the mapping facilities in ISO/IEC 11179-3.
• Conformance and profiles: Includes conformance clauses, degrees of conformance (strict vs. conforming implementations), conformance by feature, and an Implementation Conformance Statement (ICS).
• Specification presentation: Uses UML class diagrams and textual descriptions to specify the metamodel structure and package dependencies.
• Practical examples and annexes: Informative annexes provide consolidated class hierarchies, usage guidance, and examples (e.g., BPMN, UML class diagrams, JSON Schema, form design, and an Ellis‑Barker ER notation) to illustrate model registration patterns.
• Interoperability focus: Designed to make models and metamodels shareable among people and machines, independent of the producing organization.

Practical applications and who uses it

ISO/IEC 11179-35 is aimed at organizations and practitioners who need governance, discovery and interoperability of modelling artefacts:

• Metadata managers & data architects - centralize and govern models, track model element semantics and characteristics.
• Software architects & model-driven engineering teams - register UML, BPMN or domain-specific metamodels to enable tool integration and reuse.
• Registry implementers & tool vendors - build MDRs that support model registration, mappings and conformance reporting.
• Enterprise architecture & integration teams - manage mappings between data/process models for system integration, transformation and semantic alignment.
• Standards bodies & consortia - harmonize metamodel descriptions to improve cross-organization model exchange.

Related standards

• ISO/IEC 11179-3 - core metamodel for metadata registries (required companion).
• ISO/IEC 19763 - alternative model registry facilities; ISO/IEC 11179-35 provides alternative facilities and clarifies relationships in informative annexes.
• Other parts of the ISO/IEC 11179 series for broader MDR governance and semantics.

Keywords: ISO/IEC 11179-35:2023, metadata registry, metamodel for model registration, model registration, MDR, model mappings, ISO/IEC 11179-3, UML, BPMN, JSON Schema, metadata management.