
EDA 1105 Metadata Comformance Analyzer (MCA)

Version # 1.1


Introduction
============

The EDA 1105 Metadata Conformance Analyzer (MCA) is provided for the purpose of analyzing and reporting the condition of equipment metadata based on SEMI Standard E125-1105 (Equipment Self-Description).  The MCA application checks for conformance of equipment metadata to SEMI E125/E120 and to ISMI's "Equipment Data Acquisition (EDA) Guidance" specification.  

The intent of this application is to provide feedback to users and implementers of EDA Equipment Interfaces that will assist in the improvement of the depth and quality of the equipment representation in the metadata provided by the equipment.  Note that not all SEMI E125 requirements and ISMI guidelines are checked by the MCA.  Those that are checked are complete only to the degree feasible by the automated, offline approach taken.

The EDA 1105 MCA is written in Java and utilizes the DROOLS rules engine.  All 
development tools used are freely available on the Internet.  The application 
is provided free of charge and requires no purchase of software and no licensing.


Requirements and Installation
=============================

1) Environment
   -----------
The EDA 1105 MCA is a Java-based application.  It can be run on any operating system that supports the Java runtime environment (e.g. Windows 7/XP/Vista, Linux, Solaris, and Macintosh).  The MCA application can use up to one gigabyte of memory, depending on the content of the metadata being analyzed.  A minimum of two gigabytes of system memory is recommended.

The Java Run-time Environment must be installed to run the MCA applicaton.  Java Run-time Environment (JRE) Version 6 Update 16 was used in the development and testing of this applicaton.  ISMI recommends that this verson or a later release be used to run the application.  The most current version can be downloaded from the following URL:
 
          http://www.java.com/en/download/manual.jsp

Versions are also available from this URL:

      http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/java/javase/downloads/index.html

2) Installation
   ------------
The MCA application does not require formal installation.  The distribution includes this ReadMe file plus a self-extracting archive (MCA11.exe).  To install the MCA application, execute MCA11.exe.  A dialog box will appear.  Select the target folder (default is the current directory) and then click "Unzip".  

This will create a directory "MCA1.1" under which all the needed files are placed.
  
3) Input
   -----
The equipment metadata to be analyzed must be in the Common Metadata File Format as defined in Appendix E of the "ISMI Equipment Data acquisition (EDA) Evaluation Method: Version 4.0".  This document can be downloaded at the following URL:

      http://www.sematech.org/docubase/abstracts/05074664C-ENG.htm

4) Sample Metadata
   ---------------
Sample metadata is available as part of the "TrackSys" example defined within the ISMI EDA 1105 Common Metadata.  It can be downloaded from the following URL.  Note that this is not required to run the MCA, but is recommended as a "known good" metadata set. 

        http://ismi.sematech.org/emanufacturing/common_metadata/

 
Operation
=========

Start-up
--------
The MCA application is started at the command line.  The user must either open a command window (DOS prompt in Windows) and navigate to the \MCA1.1 directory or use a batch file.  A batch file named "MCA.bat" is provided in the \MCA1.1 directory.  Executing this file will initiate the MCA application without the need for a DOS prompt.  Alternately, the following command can be used from the DOS prompt:

                java -jar -Xmx1g MCA1.1.jar

For more on the use of the MCA application, please review the file MCAGuide11.pdf located in the main directory for the application.


Disclaimer
==========

This software was developed at the National Institute of Standards and Technology by employees of the Federal Government in the course of their official duties. Pursuant to title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code this software is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain. The EDA Metadata Conformance Analyzer tool is an experimental system. NIST assumes no responsibility whatsoever for its use by other parties, and makes no guarantees, expressed or implied, about its quality, reliability,
or any other characteristic. We would appreciate acknowledgement if the software is used.

Contributions from ISMI are provided "as is" and without any express or implied
warranty of any kind. ISMI expressly disclaims any implied warranty of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. The user expressly agrees that ISMI will not be liable for any loss of profit, loss of use, interruption of business, loss of business information, direct, indirect, incidental, consequential or special damages suffered by any user or third party arising pursuant to use of or inability to use the software or the documentation, even
if ISMI has been advised of the possibility of such damages. The entire risk arising out of use or performance of the software or the documentation remains with the user.

This software can be redistributed and/or modified freely provided that any derivative works bear some notice that they are derived from it, and any modified versions bear some notice that they have been modified.


Change History
==============
o Version 1.0
  - This is the first release of the EDA 1105 Metadata Comformance Analyzer
o Version 1.1
  - The MCA was updated to support the Equipment Data Acquisition (EDA) 
    Guidance document, Rev. D. This document is available at the following 
    URL:
           http://ismi.sematech.org/docubase/abstracts/06034748D-ENG.htm