Isabel Sofia Brito

Crosscutting quality attributes for requirements engineering

Quality attributes are usually integrated with functional requirements at the later stages of the software development process. One of the reasons is that the current approaches fail in dealing with the crosscutting nature of some of those attributes, i.e. it is difficult to represent clearly how these attributes can affect several requirements simultaneously. Since this integration is not supported from requirements to the implementation, some of the software engineering principles, such as abstraction, localization, modularisation, uniformity and reusability, can be compromised. What we propose is a model to identify and specify quality attributes that crosscut requirements including their systematic integration into the functional description at an early stage of the software development process, i.e. at the requirements stage.

Handling conflicts in aspectual requirements compositions

Composing aspectual concerns with base concerns may raise conflicting situations that need to be identified and resolved. A conflict is detected whenever two or more concerns that contribute negatively to each other and have the same importance need to be composed together. This paper discusses the use of Multiple Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) methods to support aspectual conflict management in the context of Aspect-Oriented Requirements Engineering. The final solution relies on the use of the obtained concern rankings to handle unresolved conflicts. An illustrative example is presented to discuss how MCDM methods can be used for aspectual conflict handling.

Aspect-oriented analysis for software product lines requirements engineering

Requirements analysis and modeling for Software Product Lines demands the use of feature models, but also requires additional models to help identifying, describing, and specifying features. Traditional approaches usually perform this manually and, in general, the identification and modularization of crosscutting features is ignored, or not handled systematically. This hinders requirements change. We propose an aspect-oriented approach for SPL enriched to automatically derive feature models where crosscutting features are identified and modularized using aspect-oriented concepts and techniques. This is achieved by adapting and extending the AORA (Aspect-Oriented Requirements Analysis) approach. AORA provides templates to specify and organize requirements based on concerns and responsibilities. A set of heuristics is defined to help identifying features and their dependencies in a product line. A tool was developed to automatically generate the feature model from AORA templates.

Towards an Integrated Approach for Aspectual Requirements

This paper presents an aspectual requirements approach to handle separation, modularization, representation and composition of crosscutting concerns. The approach includes a process model, a metamodel to define rigorously the main concepts, and a tool to support the approach

Using constraints for intrusion detection: the NeMODe system

In this work we present NeMODe a declarative system for Computer Network Intrusion detection which provides a declarative Domain Specific Language for describing computer network intrusion signatures that could spread across several network packets, which allows to state constraints over network packets, describing relations between several packets, and providing several back-end detection mechanisms which relies on Constraint Programming (CP) methodologies to find those intrusions.

Controller design and implementation: An approach based on problem frames and Petri Net models

Petri nets are often used as a design tool amenable to model specification, simulation, and verification. They are typically used in the design phase often with no clear connection to the requirements phase, including requirements specification. This paper shows how a class of non-autonomous Petri Nets can be used as an executable model for the design and implementation of machine domains in the context of the Problem Frames approach. This provides a requirements-design connection together with model simulation and verification. More specifically, Problem Frames are used to support requirements, problem and machine specifications amenable to a direct translation to IOPT nets, a class of non-autonomous Petri nets especially adapted for controller specifications. To that end, we propose a set of semi-formal rules for machine specifications in problem frames, which take advantage of the concepts available in IOPT nets, namely input and output signals and events, states, and a net composition operation. We illustrate the approach using an example.

Requirements specification for controller design — From use cases to IOPT net models

Non-autonomous Petri nets offer a language especially adapted for controller specifications. They are typically used in the design phase often with no clear connection to the analysis phase, including requirements specification. This paper shows how use cases can be used to support requirements specification amenable to a direct transformation to IOPT nets, a class of non-autonomous Petri nets. To that end, we propose a set of semi-formal rules for use case descriptions, including use case relationships, which take advantage of the concepts available in IOPT nets, namely input and output signals and events and net addition, a net composition operation.

Using ICT to Support e-Learning in Higher Education

As e-learning has an established presence in higher education we need to ask the question: How effective is information and communication technologies (ICT), including Learning Management System (LMS), for student learning in high education? This paper collects teacher and student opinions on teaching and learning using ICT. These opinions are compared and analysed to provide also the resources needed for high quality learning using ICT.

From requirements to code (Re2Code) — A model-based approach for controller implementation

This paper presents a step by step model based approach (Re2Code) allowing the translation from Problem Frames, supporting requirements, to executable code for embedded controllers. The approach uses a set of heuristics to translate Problem Frames diagrams and requirements, into executable Input-Output Place-Transition (IOPT) net models, which take advantage of concepts available in IOPT nets, namely input and output events, and states. The IOPT nets models are then translated to executable C code, relying on the availability of a free translator (IOPT tools) from IOPT net models to C code, thus providing a support for the implementation of Cyber-Physical Systems. An example illustrates the approach.

Modeling the Impact of UAVs in Sustainability

In the last few years, sustainability has become one of the priority lines for many companies and organizations, especially public administrations. This trend has been even more evident in some regions where the preservation of natural resources is of utmost importance, not only from an environmental perspective, but also from an economic one. In this context, technology has become one of the key factors to achieve sustainability goals. An example of these technologies are Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) which are being used more and more with sustainability purposes. However, although some efforts have been made to propose software approaches to model sustainability, some examples that model the impact of technology on sustainability are still needed. This paper presents an instance of a sustainability metamodel for the UAVs domain. This model allows to specify the impact of UAV-based processes on sustainability, and also to identify potential limitations that may hinder its applicability. Finally, the paper provides some suggestions to complete the metamodel based on the instantiation process.