The challenge of pervasive software to the conventional wisdom of software engineering

ABSTRACT

The conventional wisdom of software engineering holds that software systems are developed by software professionals, that they have knowable (if evolving) requirements, that project managers control system configurations, that results can be computed directly, and that the systems can, at least in principle, be validated.

In fact, the conventional wisdom fails to account for much of the software that permeates everyday life. For example, the social and economic success of the Internet arises from the proliferation, evolution, and interaction of applications and services that have been independently created by diverse stakeholders.

We will explore the ways in which the conventional wisdom falls short and the corresponding new research opportunities, including architectural approaches to describing the software systems that have become integral to modern life.

INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  D. Software
  D.2 SOFTWARE ENGINEERING
        D.2.10 Design**

General Terms:
Design, Economics, Human Factors, Languages, Reliability

Keywords:
end-user software engineering, software architecture, software design, software engineering, ultra-large-scale systems