Project Title:
System for Architecture Reuseability Analysis (SARA)
94-1 06.01 3370
System for Architecture Reuseability Analysis (SARA)
Abstract:
The central role of architecture in achieving high levels of reuse
is a basic tenet of domain analysis methods and megaprogramming
concepts. However, most notations for representing architectures
only capture the functional decomposition of the system. The
architectural elements that most influence reuse- constraints and
interfaces- are not captured. To address this problem, Software
Productivity Solutions propose to build the System for Architecture
Reuseability Analysis (SARA) that will assess the reuseability of
existing and proposed software architectures.
SARA's approach employs an innovative application of an existing
constraint-based modeling tool to represent the full architecture
of systems. SARA can then analyze these representations to assess
the reuseability of the architectures, both in terms of specific
reuse attributes and quantitative measures of reuseability (e.g.,
the number of constraints per architecture object).
SARA's feedback will enable architectures under development to be
optimized with respect to reuseability. SARA will also assess the
reuseability of existing architectures to assist in planning reuse-
based development efforts. A potential application of SARA is the
NASA Renaissance initiative which is attempting to define an
overall mission architecture and development approach to field
future systems at a much lower costs.
The need for an automated method of analyzing architectures for
reuseability applies whenever large scale reuse or megaprogramming
are attempted. SARA is not limited to any specific application
domain. Commercialization of SARA can follow two paths. Our intent
is to evolve the SARA prototype into a commercial product during
Phase III. SPS has substantial experience in commercializing SBIR
development initiatives. As an alternative to a separate, new
product, the underlying architecture reuse concepts of SARA may be
incorporated into other design or reuse tools. For example, the
design complexity model developed by David Card, the Principal
Investigator, has been incorporated into the Visible Analyst
Workbench and CADRE Teamwork, existing products of third party
vendors.
Key Words
Software Productivity Solutions
122 4th Avenue
Indialantic, FL 32903