Model synchronization as a problem of maximizing model dependencies

ABSTRACT

During the course of its evolution, software is modified through models at different levels of abstraction, from the requirements specification to source code. To enable systematic development and maintenance, related models need to be kept synchronized. In order to establish and maintain consistency, we need to precisely define what it means for two models to be synchronized. In this paper, we present our view of model synchronization as a problem of maximizing model dependencies. Our conceptual view of software models is as graphs, and model transformations are viewed in terms of basic graph transformations such as node insertions and deletions. Based on this view, a set of transformations applied to one model is traced and propagated to the other by choosing, from a set of possible transformation paths, a path that maximizes underlying model dependencies.

REFERENCES

• 1: Alexander Franz Egyed , Barry William Boehm, Heterogeneous view integration and its automation, 2000
• 2: Igor Ivkovic , Kostas Kontogiannis, Tracing Evolution Changes of Software Artifacts through Model Synchronization, Proceedings of the 20th IEEE International Conference on Software Maintenance, p.252-261, September 11-14, 2004
• 3: Anneke G. Kleppe , Jos Warmer , Wim Bast, MDA Explained: The Model Driven Architecture: Practice and Promise, Addison-Wesley Longman Publishing Co., Inc., Boston, MA, 2003
• 4: H. Larsson and K. Burbeck. Codex - An Automatic Model View Controller Engineering System. In Proceedings of the Workshop on Model Driven Architecture: Foundations and Applications, Enschede, The Netherlands, June 2003.
• 5: OMG. Meta Object Facility (MOF) Specification Version 1.4. Technical report, Object Management Group (OMG), April 2002. http://www.omg.org/docs/formal/02-04-03.pdf.
• 6: Architecture Board MDA Drafting Team. Model Driven Architecture - A Technical Perspective. Object Management Group's (OMG's) Architecture Board ORMSC Document ORMSC/01-07-01, Object Management Group, July 2001.
• 7: Rational Unified Process (RUP). Online by IBM Corporation, 2004. http://www.ibm.com/software/awdtools/rup/.

INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  D. Software
  D.2 SOFTWARE ENGINEERING
      D.2.2 Design Tools and Techniques
          Subjects: Object-oriented design methods

Additional Classification:
  D. Software
  D.2 SOFTWARE ENGINEERING
      D.2.7 Distribution, Maintenance, and Enhancement
          Subjects: Restructuring, reverse engineering, and reengineering

General Terms:
Design

Keywords:
MDSE, RUP, model synchronization, model transformations, transformation mapping