68,162 research outputs found
Transfer Learning for Improving Model Predictions in Highly Configurable Software
Modern software systems are built to be used in dynamic environments using
configuration capabilities to adapt to changes and external uncertainties. In a
self-adaptation context, we are often interested in reasoning about the
performance of the systems under different configurations. Usually, we learn a
black-box model based on real measurements to predict the performance of the
system given a specific configuration. However, as modern systems become more
complex, there are many configuration parameters that may interact and we end
up learning an exponentially large configuration space. Naturally, this does
not scale when relying on real measurements in the actual changing environment.
We propose a different solution: Instead of taking the measurements from the
real system, we learn the model using samples from other sources, such as
simulators that approximate performance of the real system at low cost. We
define a cost model that transform the traditional view of model learning into
a multi-objective problem that not only takes into account model accuracy but
also measurements effort as well. We evaluate our cost-aware transfer learning
solution using real-world configurable software including (i) a robotic system,
(ii) 3 different stream processing applications, and (iii) a NoSQL database
system. The experimental results demonstrate that our approach can achieve (a)
a high prediction accuracy, as well as (b) a high model reliability.Comment: To be published in the proceedings of the 12th International
Symposium on Software Engineering for Adaptive and Self-Managing Systems
(SEAMS'17
Comparing software prediction techniques using simulation
The need for accurate software prediction systems increases as software becomes much larger and more complex. We believe that the underlying characteristics: size, number of features, type of distribution, etc., of the data set influence the choice of the prediction system to be used. For this reason, we would like to control the characteristics of such data sets in order to systematically explore the relationship between accuracy, choice of prediction system, and data set characteristic. It would also be useful to have a large validation data set. Our solution is to simulate data allowing both control and the possibility of large (1000) validation cases. The authors compare four prediction techniques: regression, rule induction, nearest neighbor (a form of case-based reasoning), and neural nets. The results suggest that there are significant differences depending upon the characteristics of the data set. Consequently, researchers should consider prediction context when evaluating competing prediction systems. We observed that the more "messy" the data and the more complex the relationship with the dependent variable, the more variability in the results. In the more complex cases, we observed significantly different results depending upon the particular training set that has been sampled from the underlying data set. However, our most important result is that it is more fruitful to ask which is the best prediction system in a particular context rather than which is the "best" prediction system
A Neural-CBR System for Real Property Valuation
In recent times, the application of artificial intelligence (AI) techniques for real property valuation has been on the
increase. Some expert systems that leveraged on machine intelligence concepts include rule-based reasoning, case-based
reasoning and artificial neural networks. These approaches have proved reliable thus far and in certain cases outperformed
the use of statistical predictive models such as hedonic regression, logistic regression, and discriminant analysis. However,
individual artificial intelligence approaches have their inherent limitations. These limitations hamper the quality of
decision support they proffer when used alone for real property valuation. In this paper, we present a Neural-CBR system
for real property valuation, which is based on a hybrid architecture that combines Artificial Neural Networks and Case-
Based Reasoning techniques. An evaluation of the system was conducted and the experimental results revealed that the
system has higher satisfactory level of performance when compared with individual Artificial Neural Network and Case-
Based Reasoning systems
Microservice Transition and its Granularity Problem: A Systematic Mapping Study
Microservices have gained wide recognition and acceptance in software
industries as an emerging architectural style for autonomic, scalable, and more
reliable computing. The transition to microservices has been highly motivated
by the need for better alignment of technical design decisions with improving
value potentials of architectures. Despite microservices' popularity, research
still lacks disciplined understanding of transition and consensus on the
principles and activities underlying "micro-ing" architectures. In this paper,
we report on a systematic mapping study that consolidates various views,
approaches and activities that commonly assist in the transition to
microservices. The study aims to provide a better understanding of the
transition; it also contributes a working definition of the transition and
technical activities underlying it. We term the transition and technical
activities leading to microservice architectures as microservitization. We then
shed light on a fundamental problem of microservitization: microservice
granularity and reasoning about its adaptation as first-class entities. This
study reviews state-of-the-art and -practice related to reasoning about
microservice granularity; it reviews modelling approaches, aspects considered,
guidelines and processes used to reason about microservice granularity. This
study identifies opportunities for future research and development related to
reasoning about microservice granularity.Comment: 36 pages including references, 6 figures, and 3 table
Developmental Bayesian Optimization of Black-Box with Visual Similarity-Based Transfer Learning
We present a developmental framework based on a long-term memory and
reasoning mechanisms (Vision Similarity and Bayesian Optimisation). This
architecture allows a robot to optimize autonomously hyper-parameters that need
to be tuned from any action and/or vision module, treated as a black-box. The
learning can take advantage of past experiences (stored in the episodic and
procedural memories) in order to warm-start the exploration using a set of
hyper-parameters previously optimized from objects similar to the new unknown
one (stored in a semantic memory). As example, the system has been used to
optimized 9 continuous hyper-parameters of a professional software (Kamido)
both in simulation and with a real robot (industrial robotic arm Fanuc) with a
total of 13 different objects. The robot is able to find a good object-specific
optimization in 68 (simulation) or 40 (real) trials. In simulation, we
demonstrate the benefit of the transfer learning based on visual similarity, as
opposed to an amnesic learning (i.e. learning from scratch all the time).
Moreover, with the real robot, we show that the method consistently outperforms
the manual optimization from an expert with less than 2 hours of training time
to achieve more than 88% of success
Storing and Indexing Plan Derivations through Explanation-based Analysis of Retrieval Failures
Case-Based Planning (CBP) provides a way of scaling up domain-independent
planning to solve large problems in complex domains. It replaces the detailed
and lengthy search for a solution with the retrieval and adaptation of previous
planning experiences. In general, CBP has been demonstrated to improve
performance over generative (from-scratch) planning. However, the performance
improvements it provides are dependent on adequate judgements as to problem
similarity. In particular, although CBP may substantially reduce planning
effort overall, it is subject to a mis-retrieval problem. The success of CBP
depends on these retrieval errors being relatively rare. This paper describes
the design and implementation of a replay framework for the case-based planner
DERSNLP+EBL. DERSNLP+EBL extends current CBP methodology by incorporating
explanation-based learning techniques that allow it to explain and learn from
the retrieval failures it encounters. These techniques are used to refine
judgements about case similarity in response to feedback when a wrong decision
has been made. The same failure analysis is used in building the case library,
through the addition of repairing cases. Large problems are split and stored as
single goal subproblems. Multi-goal problems are stored only when these smaller
cases fail to be merged into a full solution. An empirical evaluation of this
approach demonstrates the advantage of learning from experienced retrieval
failure.Comment: See http://www.jair.org/ for any accompanying file
A literature review of expert problem solving using analogy
We consider software project cost estimation from a problem solving perspective. Taking a cognitive psychological approach, we argue that the algorithmic basis for CBR tools is not representative of human problem solving and this mismatch could account for inconsistent results. We describe the fundamentals of problem solving, focusing on experts solving ill-defined problems. This is supplemented by a systematic literature review of empirical studies of expert problem solving of non-trivial problems. We identified twelve studies. These studies suggest that analogical reasoning plays an important role in problem solving, but that CBR tools do not model this in a biologically plausible way. For example, the ability to induce structure and therefore find deeper analogies is widely seen as the hallmark of an expert. However, CBR tools fail to provide support for this type of reasoning for prediction. We conclude this mismatch between expertsâ cognitive processes and software tools contributes to the erratic performance of analogy-based prediction
Applying case based reasoning for prioritizing areas of business management
Determining the importance of different management areas in a company provides guidance about the
needs of increasing the analysis and actions focuses in particular topic. To do it, it is necessary to decompose
the management in a coherent set of specific management areas and provide a way that allows the
company to determine the importance of these areas for them. This paper presents a novel system that
guides companies to obtain a classification of important management areas for them. It is focused on the
use of a case based reasoning system because the variability and the evolution of companies as time
passes requires using techniques with learning capabilities. The proposed system provides an automatic
self-assessment system that provides companies an ordered list of their most important management
areas. This system was implemented a year ago for the evaluation of Spanish companies. Currently, it
is in production providing relevant information about the management areas of these companies
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