Article Details

Software Architecture Adaptability: a Non-Functional Requirements Approach |

Rajendra Singh, in Journal of Advances in Science and Technology | Science & Technology

ABSTRACT:

Adaptation of software systems is almost aninevitable process, due to the change in customer requirements, needs forfaster development of new, or maintenance of existing, software systems, etc.No doubt numerous techniques have been developed to deal with adaptation ofsoftware systems. In this paper we present an overview of some of these techniques.As the first step in the development of software solution it is our opinionthat software architecture should itself be adaptable for the final softwaresystem to be adaptable. In order to systematically support adaptation at thearchitectural level, this paper adapts the NFR (Non-Functional Requirements)Framework and treats software adaptability requirement as a goal to be achievedduring development. Through this adaptation, then, consideration of designalternatives, analysis of tradeoffs and rationalization of design decisions areall carried out in relation to the stated goals, and captured in historicalrecords. This NFR approach can also be adapted to a knowledge-based approachfor (semi-)automatically generating architectures for adaptable softwaresystems and we also discuss how this can be achieved. Categoriesand Subject Descriptors - Software -Software Engineering -Requirements/Specifications (D.2.1): Methodologies (e.g., object-oriented,structured); Software -Software Engineering - Management (D.2.9): Softwareprocess models (e.g., CMM, ISO, PSP); Computing Methodologies -Simulation andModeling - Model Development (I.6.5);