engineering Engineering is the use of scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad range of more speciali ...

, interoperation is the setup of ad hoc components and

methods Method ( grc, μέθοδος, methodos) literally means a pursuit of knowledge, investigation, mode of prosecuting such inquiry, or system. In recent centuries it more often means a prescribed process for completing a task. It may refer to: *Scien ...

to make two or more systems work together as a combined system with some partial functionality during a certain time, possibly requiring human supervision to perform necessary adjustments and

corrections In criminal justice, particularly in North America, correction, corrections, and correctional, are umbrella terms describing a variety of functions typically carried out by government agencies, and involving the punishment, treatment, and s ...

. This contrasts to

interoperability Interoperability is a characteristic of a product or system to work with other products or systems. While the term was initially defined for information technology or systems engineering services to allow for information exchange, a broader defi ...

, which theoretically permits any number of systems compliant to a given

standard Standard may refer to: Symbols * Colours, standards and guidons, kinds of military signs * Standard (emblem), a type of a large symbol or emblem used for identification Norms, conventions or requirements * Standard (metrology), an object th ...

to work together a long time smoothly and unattended as a combined system with the full functionality by the standard. Another definition of interoperation: "services effectively combining multiple resources and domains...; requires interoperability".Glossary
Gio Wiederhold, "Glossary"; in Intelligent Integration of Information, Kluwer Academic Publishers, Boston MA, July 1996, pages 193--203; reprinted from the Journal of Intelligent Information Systems, Vol.6 Nos.2/3, June 1996, pages 281-291.

Usage

Interoperation is usually performed when the systems having to be combined were designed before standardization (for example

legacy systems In computing, a legacy system is an old method, technology, computer system, or application program, "of, relating to, or being a previous or outdated computer system", yet still in use. Often referencing a system as "legacy" means that it paved ...

), or when standard compliance is too expensive, too difficult, or immature. Interoperation may use following mechanisms, components and methods: * Connectors *

Adapter An adapter or adaptor is a device that converts attributes of one electrical device or system to those of an otherwise incompatible device or system. Some modify power or signal attributes, while others merely adapt the physical form of one c ...

s * Converters *

Simulators A simulation is the imitation of the operation of a real-world process or system over time. Simulations require the use of models; the model represents the key characteristics or behaviors of the selected system or process, whereas the ...

Bridges A bridge is a structure built to span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or rail) without blocking the way underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, which is usually someth ...

In the area of data processing, interoperation may also use following components and methods: * Handlers * Plug-ins *

Translators Translation is the communication of the meaning of a source-language text by means of an equivalent target-language text. The English language draws a terminological distinction (which does not exist in every language) between ''transl ...

References

Engineering concepts Computing terminology Interoperability {{engineering-stub