Preliminary Design of ArchE: A Software Architecture Design Assistant

67 Pages·2004·0.22 MB·English

Preliminary Design of
ArchE: A Software
Architecture Design
Assistant

Felix Bachmann
Len Bass
Mark Klein

September 2003

TECHNICAL REPORT
CMU/SEI-2003-TR-021
ESC-TR-2003-021

Pittsburgh, PA 15213-3890
Preliminary Design of ArchE:
A Software Architecture
Design Assistant

CMU/SEI-2003-TR-021
ESC-TR-2003-021

Felix Bachmann
Len Bass
Mark Klein

September 2003

Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Initiative
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Table of Contents
Abstract..................................................................................................................vii
1 Introduction.....................................................................................................1
2 Selection of an Expert System Platform........................................................3
2.1 Theoretical Assumptions...........................................................................3
2.2 About Expert Systems...............................................................................3
2.2.1 Logic Programming........................................................................4
2.2.2 Rule-Based Systems.....................................................................4
2.2.3 Logic Programming Vs. Rule-Based Systems................................4
2.2.4 Inference Nets...............................................................................4
2.2.5 Frames..........................................................................................4
2.2.6 Induction-Based Systems..............................................................5
2.2.7 Neural Nets....................................................................................5
2.3 ArchE as an Expert System.......................................................................5
3 Responsibilities...............................................................................................9
3.1 Decomposition of Responsibilities.............................................................9
3.2 Role of Responsibilities...........................................................................10
4 Solving Multiple Scenarios...........................................................................11
4.1 Two Scenarios in the Context of the Same Reasoning Framework..........11
4.2 Two Scenarios in the Context of Two Different Reasoning Frameworks..14
4.2.1 Interaction Among Reasoning Frameworks..................................18
5 ArchE Operation............................................................................................19
5.1 Key ArchE Data Concepts.......................................................................19
5.2 Basic Activities of ArchE..........................................................................20
5.2.1 Step 1: Acquire Requirements.....................................................20
5.2.2 Step 2: Refine Scenarios.............................................................21
5.2.3 Step 3: Choose Reasoning Framework........................................21
5.2.4 Step 4: Build Quality Attribute Models..........................................22
CMU/SEI-2003-TR-021 i
5.2.5 Step 5: Build Design....................................................................23
6 Interaction Between Key Concepts and ArchE Activities...........................25
7 User Interactions with ArchE.......................................................................27
7.1 Designer’s Interactions with ArchE..........................................................27
7.1.1 Basic Interactions........................................................................27
7.1.2 Acquire Requirements.................................................................28
7.1.3 Refine Scenarios.........................................................................28
7.1.4 Choose Reasoning Framework...................................................28
7.1.5 Build Quality Attribute Models......................................................29
7.1.6 Build Design................................................................................29
7.2 System Maintainer’s Interactions with ArchE...........................................30
8 Conclusions..................................................................................................31
Appendix: Detailed Description of ArchE............................................................33
References.............................................................................................................53

ii CMU/SEI-2003-TR-021
List of Figures
Figure 1: Overall Flow of ArchE..............................................................................6
Figure 2: Key Concepts of ArchE and Their Relationships...................................19
Figure 3: Blackboard Architecture of ArchE..........................................................34

CMU/SEI-2003-TR-021 iii
iv CMU/SEI-2003-TR-021
List of Tables
Table 1: Key Concepts and How Activities Access Them....................................25
CMU/SEI-2003-TR-021 v
vi CMU/SEI-2003-TR-021