Ricardo J. Machado

Automating Mappings between Use Case Diagrams and Feature Models for Software Product Lines

Features have been widely used by the product line community to model variability. They represent the common and variable characteristics of the members of a product line. They are very well suited for the configuration of product line members. Outside the product line community, use cases are also widely used to model the functionality of systems at a similar level of abstraction but from a user perspective. Significant work has been done by several authors regarding the possible relationship between these two perspectives of a system. Nonetheless, this has been done in an informal way. In this paper we explore the relationships between these two perspectives and describe a possible approach to automate the transformation from UML use case to feature models.

Modeling industrial embedded systems with UML

The main purpose of this paper is to present how the Unified Modeling Language (UML) can be used for modeling industrial embedded systems. By using a car radios production line as a running example, the paper demonstrates the modeling process that can be followed during the analysis phase of complex control applications. In order to guarantee the continuity mapping of the models, the authors propose some guidelines to transform the use case diagrams into a single object diagram, which is one of the main diagrams for the next development phases.

Extending UML 2.0 metamodel for complementary usages of the /spl Lt/extend/spl Gt/ relationship within use case variability specification

Software product lines and related approaches, like software factories, are starting to capture the attention of the industry practitioners. Nevertheless, their adoption outside the research community and big companies is still very restricted. We believe that model-driven approaches, like OMGs MDA, with proper tool support, can bring the advantages of product lines to a broader audience. For this to become a reality, model-driven methods should integrate requirements models into the software development process. In this paper, we discuss the semantics of use case relationships and their formalization using activity diagrams to support variability specification. Particularly, we propose an extension to the /spl Lt/extend/spl Gt/ relationship that supports the adoption of UML 2.0 use case diagrams into model-driven methods. Our proposal results from our work with 4SRS (4 step rule set), a model-driven method in which use cases are the central model for requirements specification and model transformation.

Specification of industrial digital controllers with object-oriented Petri nets

The main purpose of this paper is to present an object-oriented PN model (shobi-PN) to specify industrial digital controllers. The shobi-PN model (synchronous, hierarchical, object-oriented and interpreted Petri net), was developed to support the use of hierarchy to model both the control unit and the plant of the systems. A CAD environment, SOFHIA, was developed to model digital controllers, to validate their properties and to simulate their behaviour. SOFHIA has an open architecture, which eases the integration of multiple code generator blocks to allow the implementation of the system in a wide range of technologies (hardwired, microprogrammed, programmed). Modelling of an industrial reactor control system is considered as a case study to illustrate the models applicability and capabilities.

Mapping RUP Roles to Small Software Development Teams

In the last decades the complexity of software development projects had a significant increase. This complexity emerges from the higher degree of sophistication in the contexts they aim to serve and from the evolution of the functionalities implemented by the applications However, many software corporations have a reduced dimension (micro, small or medium) which imposes a considerable constraint to the number of individuals that might be involved in each project. This limitation has obvious consequences to the individual’s efficiency and effectiveness. In this paper we describe a Rational Unified Process (RUP) tailoring to simplify the number of RUP roles. With this tailoring we obtain one set of RUP roles that, without neglecting any critical role of the software development process, may easily be adopted by a small or medium software development team. In this paper, we present and justify a complete set of mapping rules between RUP roles and one possible configuration for small software development teams.

From Use Cases to Objects: An Industrial Information Systems Case Study Analysis

Identifying the objects that constitute a software system is a critical task for any object-oriented system development and several techniques have already been introduced to tackle this problem. This paper introduces a new approach to partially solve that problem, based on the use cases that define the system’s functionality. The application of the approach is exemplified with a real industrial case study, which highlights some of the approach’s main characteristics for complex embedded systems development.

Refinement of software architectures by recursive model transformations

The main aim of this paper is to present how to refine software logical architectures by application of a recursive model-based transformation approach called 4SRS (four step rule set). It is essentially based on the mapping of UML use case diagrams into UML object diagrams. The technique is based on a sequence of steps that are inscribed in a tabular representation that is used to derive the software architecture for a focused part of the global system.

Requirements Validation: Execution of UML Models with CPN Tools

Requirements validation is a critical task in any engineering project. The confrontation of stakeholders with static requirements models is not enough, since stakeholders with non-computer science education are not able to discover all the inter-dependencies between the elicited requirements. Even with simple unified modelling language (UML) requirements models, it is not easy for the development team to get confidence on the stakeholders’ requirements validation. This paper describes an approach, based on the construction of executable interactive prototypes, to support the validation of workflow requirements, where the system to be built must explicitly support the interaction between people within a pervasive cooperative workflow execution. A case study from a real project is used to illustrate the proposed approach.

Specification of Requirements Models

The main aim of this chapter is to present and discuss a set of modeling and specification techniques, in what concerns their ontology and support in the requirements representation of computer-based systems. A systematic classification of meta-models, also called models of computation, is presented. This topic is highly relevant since it supports the definition of sound specification methodologies in relation to the semantic definition of the modeling views to adopt for a given system. The usage and applicability of Unified Modeling Language (UML) diagrams is also related to their corresponding meta-models. A set of desirable characteristics for the specification methodologies is presented and justified to allow system designers and requirements engineers to more consciously define or choose a particular specification methodology. A heuristic-based approach to support the transformation of user into system requirements is suggested, with some graphical examples in UML notation.

Derivation of process-oriented logical architectures: an elicitation approach for cloud design

The benefits of cloud computing approaches are well known but designing logical architectures for that context can be complicated. Prior to designing a logical architecture, a proper requirements elicitation must be executed. When requirements are not properly elicited, and there are insufficient inputs for a product approach to requirements elicitation, a process-level perspective is an alternative way for achieving the intended base requirements for the logical design. Our proposed solution regards the adaptation and extension of the 4SRS (Four-Step-Rule-Set) method to derive logical architectural models, in a process-level perspective. This perspective creates context for the product-level requirements elicitation conducing to cloud design. We present a real industrial case where the method was applied and assessed. The method application results in the creation of a validated architectural model and in the uncovering of hidden requirements for the intended cloud design.