3 research outputs found
Microservice-based Reference Architecture for Semantics-aware Measurement Systems
Cloud technologies have become more important than ever with the rising need for scalable
and distributed software systems. A pattern that is used in many such systems is a
microservice-based architecture (MSA). MSAs have become a blueprint for many large
companies and big software systems. In many scientific fields like energy and environmental
informatics, efficient and scalable software systems with a primary focus on measurement
data are a core requirement. Nowadays, there are many ways to solve research questions
using data-driven approaches. Most of them have a need for large amounts of measurement
data and according metadata. However, many measurement systems still follow deprecated
guidelines such as monolithic architectures, classic relational database principles and are
missing semantic awareness and interpretation of data. These problems and the resulting
requirements are tackled by the introduction of a reference architecture with a focus on
measurement systems that utilizes the principles of microservices.
The thesis first presents the systematic design of the reference architecture by using the
principles of Domain-driven Design (DDD). This process ensures that the reference architecture
is defined in a modular and sustainable way in contrast to complex monolithic
software systems. An extensive scientific analysis leads to the core parts of the concept
consisting of the data management and semantics for measurement systems. Different data
services define a concept for managing measurement data, according meta data and master
data describing the business objects of the application implemented by using the reference
architecture. Further concepts allow the reference architecture to define a way for the system
to understand and interpret the data using semantic information. Lastly, the introduction of
a frontend framework for dashboard applications represents an example for visualizing the
data managed by the microservices
A Value-Driven Framework for Software Architecture
Software that is not aligned with the business values of the organization for which it
was developed does not entirely fulfill its raison d’etre. Business values represent what
is important in a company, or organization, and should influence the overall software
system behavior, contributing to the overall success of the organization. However, approaches
to derive a software architecture considering the business values exchanged
between an organization and its market players are lacking. Our quest is to address this
problem and investigate how to derive value-centered architectural models systematically.
We used the Technology Research method to address this PhD research question.
This methodological approach proposes three steps: problem analysis, innovation, and
validation. The problem analysis was performed using systematic studies of the literature
to obtain full coverage on the main themes of this work, particularly, business value
modeling, software architecture methods, and software architecture derivation methods.
Next, the innovation step was accomplished by creating a framework for the derivation
of a software reference architecture model considering an organization’s business values.
The resulting framework is composed of three core modules: Business Value Modeling,
Agile Reference Architecture Modeling, and Goal-Driven SOA Architecture Modeling.
While the Business value modeling module focuses on building a stakeholder-centric
business specification, the Agile Reference Architecture Modeling and the Goal-Driven
SOA Architecture Modeling modules concentrate on generating a software reference architecture
aligned with the business value specification. Finally, the validation part of
our framework is achieved through proof-of-concept prototypes for three new domain
specific languages, case studies, and quasi-experiments, including a family of controlled
experiments. The findings from our research show that the complexity and lack of rigor
in the existing approaches to represent business values can be addressed by an early requirements
specification method that represents the value exchanges of a business. Also,
by using sophisticated model-driven engineering techniques (e.g., metamodels, model
transformations, and model transformation languages), it was possible to obtain source
generators to derive a software architecture model based on early requirements value
models, while assuring traceability throughout the architectural derivation process. In conclusion, despite using sophisticated techniques, the derivation process of a software
reference architecture is helped by simple to use methods supported by black box
transformations and guidelines that facilitate the activities for the less experienced software
architects. The experimental validation process used confirmed that our framework
is feasible and perceived as easy to use and useful, also indicating that the participants
of the experiments intend to use it in the future