The Sampling Analysis Pattern

1. The Sampling Analysis Pattern Timeless and Reusable Knowledge By: H.A. Sánchez, Binbin Lai, and M.E. Fayad

2. What is a Pattern? • As Christopher Alexander, known as the father of patterns in architectural design, thought of a "timeless way of building", which is not constrained by the materials or methods applicable. • You can think of a pattern as a specially clever and insightful way of solving a particular class of recurring problems. • A Pattern embodies a core abstraction of a Particular Problem Solution.

3. Software Stability Concepts • SSM provides a reusable and stable core Knowledge. • This Knowledge can be patterned to serve as a stable core for dissimilar application domains sharing the same insight. • This core is represented by the cornerstones of SSM: EBTs and BOs. • EBTs and BOs are stable and reusable over time. They can be viewed as the basis for Patterns.

4. Software Stability Concepts • EBTs represent intangible objects that remain stable internally and externally. They are the purpose, goal, and quality factors of the system to be developed. • BOs are objects that are internally adaptable but externally stable. They are partially tangible. They are the workhorses of the EBTs. • IOs are the external interface of the system. They are the changeable application classes.

5. Software Stability Concepts • These artifacts develop a hierarchal order for the system objects, from totally stable at the EBTs level to unstable at the IOs level, through adaptable though stable at the BOs level.

6. What is Sampling? • Sampling as a term is a multi-application area of study. • It is an action that can be applied in almost every activity in our daily lives. For example: • Sampling a small portion of a cake at the supermarket to taste the cake. • Determining the percentage of contamination occurrence in hard-drives manufactured in the month of July 2003 by certain company. • Sampling is defined as a technique used to capture continuous phenomena from a universe, providing an idea or estimation of that particular universe.

7. Types of Sampling… • For Simplicity purposes, only a few of them will be mentioned: • Random Sampling. • Clustered Sampling. • Stratified Sampling. • Quota Sampling. • Etc.

8. Current Sampling Solutions • Current sampling techniques are employed usually to cope with a particular problem domain. Our Sampling Pattern applies to across multiple domains. • They are structured in such a manner that that is solely focused on a solution for a specific problem. Our Sampling Pattern provides within its structure a generic solution applied across dissimilar problems. • In the case that they are to be implemented in a distinct domain, in which elements are different in characteristics and behavior, it is possible to obtain an inaccurate result; and hence, a failure of the sampling action. Our Pattern, due to its stable and reusable core represented by EBTs, and BOs, is able to be implemented in heterogeneous domains.

9. Sampling Pattern Definition • This pattern is named as : The Sampling Analysis Pattern. • It is a Pattern which represents the process of selecting a small portion or piece of items as a sample to represent a larger item or group of items. • The Sampling pattern definition contains several aspects that transcend in all the distinct areas where sampling is applied. • For example: • it generalizes all the sampling problem solutions into a unique one that is applied across multiple domains. • Also, it allows the separation of the problem into different categories (Enduring Business Themes, and Business Objects).

10. Sampling Analysis Pattern • The Sampling Analysis Pattern should resolve the following forces: • This Sampling process spans multiple applications different in nature. • The Pattern should embody the different sampling categories or types. • Sampling process may be conducted over a large number of different Medias, either simultaneously or consecutively.

11. Sampling Analysis Pattern • Sampling can be performed by one or multiple entities at the same time. These entities are capable of playing distinct roles in a sampling process. • The pattern needs to be abstract enough and not tied to one specific mechanism in order to accomplish a particular result. • The pattern should be flexible enough to allow the execution of these mechanisms in parallel or in sequence. • The mechanisms used during the Sampling process are nourished by certain criteria used to determine the sampling results. These criteria can represent different and countless parameters that initialize the sampling process. Also, these criteria can be specified by one or more persons, organizations, companies, etc.

12. Sampling Analysis Pattern • Different types of sampling entities which embody those representative items from an entire set or group of entities. • Sampling can be performed on one or more populations at the same time. • This pattern should exhibit a great compatibility with the distinct areas of application where its use is requested. • The ultimate goal of any sampling process is to select a sample from a given population of items. However, the nature of this selection varies tremendously from one application to another.

13. Sampling Pattern Solution • The following model will represent the proposed solution of the Sampling Analysis pattern, using the Software Stability Concepts approach.

14. Sampling Pattern’s Participants Responsibilities

15. Pattern: Sequence Diagram

16. Pattern Benefits and Consequences • The use of Sampling pattern offers the following benefits: • Handling more than one Population. • Embody Different Sampling Types. • Handle Different Mechanism. • Consider Different Media Types. • Adaptable for Required Application Areas.

17. Pattern Applicability – First Example Sampling Unknown regions for GIS Research using Adaptive Sampling

18. Pattern Applicability-First Example

19. Pattern Applicability – Second Example Cluster Sampling to Access Increasing Data Volumes in DB Systems.

20. Pattern Applicability – Second Example

21. Conclusion • The main objective of the work described in this paper is the utlization of the Software Stability concepts to an application neutral Sampling pattern. • The implementation of this objective has resulted in a stable and reusable solution for a countless number of applications sharing the same knowledge of a sampling action. • The identification and modeling of an atomic Sampling term as a pattern to serve as stable and reusable core. • A Clear separation of concerns is accomplished by partitioning the core knowledge of Sampling into Enduring Business Themes and Business Objects. • Its capacity of being reusable, customizeable, traceable, and adaptable across multiple problem domains through the special built-in characteristics of EBTs and BOs.