Mikio Aoyama

Concurrent-development process model

The lessons learned in managing a model that lets a user develop multiple functions concurrently over the entire development process, from requirements specification to system test are reviewed. The structure and dynamic behavior of a concurrent development process are discussed. The process management, project management, product management, organization management, and software-engineering environment elements of the concurrent development model are all described, although the focus is on process management. The concurrent development process is compared to sequential development, lean production, software factory, and capability maturity model processes.<<ETX>>

Design specification in Japan: tree-structured charts

The authors describe a novel design specification method, the tree-structured chart, that has been accepted widely in Japan because it improves productivity and quality. Tree-structured charts use representations of basic programming structures, such as sequence, selection, and iteration, as elements. The support environment then generates source code in many languages automatically. A design specification in a tree-structured chart is considered a program, so these charts will eventually replace conventional programming languages, thus raising the description level of programs. The authors present four design languages based on tree-structured charts: the Hierarchical and Compact Description chart, the Problem Analysis Diagram, the Structured Programming Diagram, and Yet Another Control Chart II. They also summarize their support environments, which incorporate many computer-aided software engineering (CASE) techniques.<<ETX>>

Distributed concurrent development of software systems: an object-oriented process model

The author proposes a development process model: distributed concurrent development. The model has originated from various experiences in the development of large-scale switching software systems. Critical issues in the distributed concurrent development are discussed based on a process programming concept: observations on analogies between the modeling of distributed concurrent development and the disciplines of distributed concurrent software systems. A formalization of software development processes with an object-oriented approach is then proposed. Two process description languages and two behavior description languages are proposed which make it possible to represent the structure and dynamic behavior of development processes, respectively. The author also proposes a process-design process which is unique in that one can design and evaluate a development process before one initiates development activities. The entire process for developing a family of switching software systems has been defined with the description languages.<<ETX>>

Beyond software factories: concurrent-development process and an evolution of software process technology in Japan

Abstract This article discusses the evolution of software process technology in Japan. During the 1970s, Japanese software industry focused on the formalization and standardization of software process which became the basis of Japanese software factories. In the 1980s, vital activities were devoted to continuous process improvement at the heart of software TQC (Total Quality Control). Based on such activities, the author and his colleagues developed a new process model named concurrent-development process in the late 1980s. The concurrent-development process is an evolution of conventional software process, and integrates not only conventional production-process concepts, including Japanese software factories and lean production systems, but also a set of process management techniques based on time. Applying the concurrent-development process to large-scale communications software has revealed shorter development cycle-time and higher productivity. It can be seen as a new model of software development in the 1990s.

A declarative approach to software requirement specification languages

The authors present a declarative approach to a software requirement specification language which is able to specify requirements for software systems under the emerging methodology. The language presented is based on first-order predicate logic, but augments standard first-order logic by introducing hierarchies and exceptions to its generalizations, to allow for a more natural description of the problem domain. The proposed requirement language is valid and can be determined to be internally consistent. A theorem prover that can interpret the language is implemented.<<ETX>>

Rapid prototyping using FRORL language

Presents a knowledge-based rapid prototyping system that facilitates the documentation, analysis, and development of a software system. The particular application domain to be modeled is represented in terms of objects and activities. A frame-and-rule oriented requirements language (FRORL) is developed to describe the objects and activities of the problem domain. FRORL is designed to capture most of the semantics of the application domain, thus making it possible to translate the requirements specification directly to the Prolog code. The checking for correctness of the specification developed in FRORL using a resolution strategy is also presented.<<ETX>>

Software beyond 2001: a global vision

The worldwide software industry is poised for change well into the next century. How well each developer; researcher, or country fares may depend on how clear its visions of the future are. In this collection of essays, some original thinkers peer into the next century.<<ETX>>

A distributed cooperative CASE environment for communications software

The authors propose a development process model and support environment for developing intelligent business communication services and other evolving communication services. To increase customer satisfaction and cut development time, they have developed a development process model, distributed concurrent development, in which multiple services are concurrently developed at a number of regionally distributed development centers. To support the process model, the ICAROS tool was developed, where developers and customers can cooperatively define service specifications with a visual object-oriented specification language. To smoothly migrate existing communication service to assets into intelligent network services, ICAROS supports the cyclic process model, which integrates forward engineering and reverse engineering, together with amplifier concept, which augments human ability on a groupware platform. Experimental use of ICAROS revealed the positive effect of proposed approach.<<ETX>>

A specification language for real-time distributed systems

The authors introduce a design specification method, extended modified Petri nets (EMPN), and its description language (EMPNDL). The specification is based on a stochastic Petri-net model and is suitable for modeling real-time distributed systems. The syntax of the language is formally described in BNF grammar while the semantics is based on that for stochastic Petric nets. In addition to the modeling capability of EMPN and EMPNDL, methods for verification and validation of such systems are also discussed. EMPN and EMPNDL have been extensively used to the specification of a prototype switching system, UICPBX. Based on the presented formulation, verification and validation of UICPBX can be automated to a great extent.<<ETX>>

Critical issues in real-time software systems

The critical issues in the development of real-time software systems are: (1) lack of modeling techniques, (2) lack of design techniques, (3) lack of testing techniques, and (4) lack of awareness of such systems. Each of these issues is examined.<<ETX>>