Software architecture evaluation for framework-based systems.

Abstract

Complex modern software is often built using existing application frameworks and middleware frameworks. These frameworks provide useful common services, while simultaneously imposing architectural rules and constraints. Existing software architecture evaluation methods do not explicitly consider the implications of these frameworks for software architecture. This research extends scenario-based architecture evaluation methods by incorporating framework-related information into different evaluation activities. I propose four techniques which target four different activities within a scenario-based architecture evaluation method. 1) Scenario development: A new technique was designed aiming to extract general scenarios and tactics from framework-related architectural patterns. The technique is intended to complement the current scenario development process. The feasibility of the technique was validated through a case study. Significant improvements of scenario quality were observed in a controlled experiment conducted by another colleague. 2) Architecture representation: A new metrics-driven technique was created to reconstruct software architecture in a just-in-time fashion. This technique was validated in a case study. This approach has significantly improved the efficiency of architecture representation in a complex environment. 3) Attribute specific analysis (performance only): A model-driven approach to performance measurement was applied by decoupling framework-specific information from performance testing requirements. This technique was validated on two platforms (J2EE and Web Services) through a number of case studies. This technique leads to the benchmark producing more representative measures of the eventual application. It reduces the complexity behind the load testing suite and framework-specific performance data collecting utilities. 4) Trade-off and sensitivity analysis: A new technique was designed seeking to improve the Analytical Hierarchical Process (AHP) for trade-off and sensitivity analysis during a framework selection process. This approach was validated in a case study using data from a commercial project. The approach can identify 1) trade-offs implied by an architecture alternative, along with the magnitude of these trade-offs. 2) the most critical decisions in the overall decision process 3) the sensitivity of the final decision and its capability for handling quality attribute priority changes.