Liliana Dobrica

A survey on software architecture analysis methods

The purpose of the architecture evaluation of a software system is to analyze the architecture to identify potential risks and to verify that the quality requirements have been addressed in the design. This survey shows the state of the research at this moment, in this domain, by presenting and discussing eight of the most representative architecture analysis methods. The selection of the studied methods tries to cover as many particular views of objective reflections as possible to be derived from the general goal. The role of the discussion is to offer guidelines related to the use of the most suitable method for an architecture assessment process. We will concentrate on discovering similarities and differences between these eight available methods by making classifications, comparisons and appropriateness studies.

Analysis of a cross-domain reference architecture using change scenarios

The content of this paper addresses the issue of how to perform analysis of a cross domain reference architecture. The cross domain reference architecture is designed based on the domains requirements and features modeling. The definition of a cross domain reference architecture is based on well known concepts from software architecture description, service orientation and product line. We apply a method based on change scenarios to analyze variability at the architectural level. In order to handle complexity in analysis we propose categories of change scenarios to be derived from each problem domain and we provide informal guidelines for each step of the analysis method.

Service Based Development of a Cross Domain Reference Architecture

An important trend of software engineering is that systems are in transition from component based architectures towards service centric ones. However, software product line engineering techniques can help in a quality based and systematic reuse. The content of this paper addresses the issue of how to perform design and quality analysis of cross domain reference architecture. The reference architecture is designed based on the domains requirements and features modelling. We propose a service based approach for cross-domain reference architecture development. Throughout the sections we try to introduce an innovative way of thinking founded on bridging concepts from software architecture, service orientation, software product lines, and quality analysis with the purpose to initiate and evolve software systems.

Software Architecture Quality Analysis Methods

The open problem of structural methods is how to take a better advantage of software architectural concepts to analyse software systems for quality attributes in a systematic and repetitive way. Throughout the presentation we try to introduce a way of thinking founded on analysis at the architecture level of the quality attributes with the purpose to initiate and maintain a software product-line considering the quality as the main driver in product line development. This tutorial represents a study that shows the state of the research at this moment, in the quality analysis methods for software architectures, by presenting and discussing the most representative architecture analysis methods. The role of the discussion is to offer guidelines related to the use of the most suitable method for an architecture assessment process.

A methodology to design Complex Adaptive Systems

Abstract We present here a review of complex systems research which focuses on their similarities with self-organizing living systems. We classify the types of complex systems that relate to self-organisation and we discuss the overall requirements for self-organising modeling. As a novelty, the paper proposes a methodology to aid engineers in the design and control of adaptive complex systems. The methodology offers a conceptual framework and a series of steps to follow to find proper mechanisms that will promote elements which by actively interacting among themselves lead to better performance.

Experiencing Native Mobile Health Applications Development

Among the important benefits of mobile applications are portability and accessibility. Integrating a native mobile application with a Web portal increases the value and quality of the final system. A developer perspective is presented in this paper discussing about the main motivational factors and decision criteria in the selection of the most appropriate mobile ecosystem. Also the main software design decisions associated to the required functionality are analyzed and taken into consideration for the implementation and validation of a mobile application in the mHealth domain.

Technologies for Autonomic Dependable Services Platform: Achievements and Future Challenges

A city is smart if it can provide ambient services for citizens and other end-users who have to tackle emergency situations, including small and wide scale accidents and incidents. These ambient services embody intelligence of autonomic systems based on heterogeneous execution platforms enhanced with services that provide mechanisms for self-adaptation of dependable applications. This paper aims to serve as a reference point and guide for researchers and developers interested in technologies of autonomic dependable service platforms from three viewpoints: i) architectural options, ii) ontology models for services, context and dependability, and iii) modeling methods and practices for achieving high quality service platforms and intelligent applications. Our findings are illustrated through a smart city experiment and a set of open research challenges that need to be carried out for achieving a generic solution for an autonomic dependable service platform.

Applying UML Extensions in Modeling Software Product Line Architecture of a Distribution Services Platform.

For several years the focus of our research has been product line architecture design and analysis. An important goal is to define a method for modeling software product line architecture of a distribution services platform. An essential issue is to explicitly represent variation and indicate locations for which changes are allowed in design. In this way, the diagrammatic description of the product line architecture defined by using the method helps in instantiating it for a particular product or in its evolution for future use. From the product line architecture documented diagrammatically, it is easy to detect what kind of modifications, omisABstrAct

Managing Systems Complexity at Architectural Level

Abstract Today systems are getting bigger and more complex. In order to defend against overwhelming system complexity, we need to be able to understand and measure complexity and then, manage the issues that cause complexity. In this paper we discuss about the complexity challenge during the design of complex systems, methods and techniques for evaluation, measurement and reduction. The architecture model must be simple, maintainable and understandable. An appropriate level of abstraction in modeling helps to reduce the emerging complexity by focusing on the relevant properties and omitting irrelevant detail, thus leading to a simpler representation. Moreover engineering solutions such as model driven development may increase complexity due to the technologies used to create and manipulate models.