Sustainability evaluation of software architectures

Long-living software systems are sustainable if they can be cost-efficiently maintained and evolved over their entire life-cycle. The quality of software architectures determines sus-tainability to a large extent. Scenario-based software archi-tecture evaluation methods can support sustainability anal-ysis, but they are still reluctantly used in practice. They are also not integrated with architecture-level metrics when evaluating implemented systems, which limits their capabil-ities. Existing literature reviews for architecture evaluation focus on scenario-based methods, but do not provide a criti-cal reflection of the applicability of such methods for sustain-ability evaluation. Our goal is to measure the sustainabil-ity of a software architecture both during early design us-ing scenarios and during evolution using scenarios and met-rics, which is highly relevant in practice. We thus provide a systematic literature review assessing scenario-based meth-ods for sustainability support and categorize more than 40 architecture-level metrics according to several design prin-ciples. Our review identifies a need for further empirical research, for the integration of existing methods, and for the more efficient use of formal architectural models. 1

AN EMERGING THEORY ON THE INTERACTION BETWEEN REQUIREMENTS ENGINEERING AND SYSTEMS ARCHITECTING BASED ON A SUITE OF EXPLORATORY EMPIRICAL STUDIES

Requirements Engineering and Systems Architecting are often considered the most important phases of the software development lifecycle. Because of their close proximity in the software development lifecycle, there is a high degree of interaction between these two processes. While such interaction has been recognized and researched in terms of new technology (particularly methods and tools), there is a distinct lack of empirical understanding regarding the scientific properties of this interaction. Furthermore, in Requirements Engineering and Systems Architecting, not only technical but human aspects are considered critical for the success of these processes due to these processes lying at the front-end of the development cycle and therefore being more aligned with real-world issues. Thus, the scientific properties of the interactions between Requirements Engineering and Systems Architecting can be broken down into these two key aspects. For instance, the following example research questions relate to such scientific properties: What is the impact of an existing system’s architecture on requirements decision-making? What kinds of requirements-oriented problems are encountered during architecting? What is the impact of an existing systems architecture on new requirements being elicited? What is the impact of requirements engineering knowledge on systems architecting? There is little in the literature addressing such questions. This thesis explores such issues through a suite of six exploratory empirical studies that were conducted over the last five years. Based on the observations from these studies, an emerging theory is proposed that describes the impact of human and process factors in the interaction between Requirements Engineering and Systems Architecting. The impact of this emerging body of knowledge is deemed to be on the following: technology development for Requirements Engineering and Software Architecting (methods, tools, processes, etc.); hiring and training personnel for Requirements Engineering and Systems Architecture processes in industry; Requirements Engineering and Systems Architecture project planning; curriculum improvement in academia; and future empirical research in Requirements Engineering and Systems Architecting

EURAU18 Alicante: Retroactive Research: Congress Proceedings

An interdisciplinary research of architecture is something that society demands from our profession. Furthermore, in many countries that are currently immersed in a recessive economic process, it is the only possible solution. In that context, it is urgent to clarify the scope of our projects: Those whose ultimate goal consists of going beyond the limits of other disciplines through the application of architecture. Starting with Architecture’s capacity to learn from other disciplines and to follow their guidelines and techniques, we will build and offer new specific tools. With these new tools, our research will provide the opportunity to challenge and expand the boundaries of those original disciplines. Traditionally, architecture supported itself by various branches of knowledge to advance its proposals: Economic Changes Social organizations Environmental Crisis and Natural Catastrophes Structural Knowledge Artistic Trends New Materials Technological Advances Political positions and Conflicts. While the resulting architectures are excellent examples of applying these areas of knowledge, our interest lies in the reverse process: how the discipline of architecture can cause changes in others. It is an applied research that extends its scope to a prior discourse that originated in the past. That is to say, becomes a Retroactive Research. In the end, the architectural project is an effective document that not only establishes a program but also defines the author as an entrepreneur, understanding this quality as a position that opens the door to different types of practices that architects can exercise: from running a professional architecture office, to teach, to do interior and furniture design, to write, to design digital scenarios, to work in social associations, to collaborate with research centres

Knowledge Processes and their Role in Innovation - A Comparison of Selected Chinese and Indian Practices

Innovation is today recognized as key to fostering economic development and building technological strengths in firms, industries and countries. While generally described in the common understanding as anything that is new and has an impact on a large scale, it is technology-driven innovation that has assumed prominence in the contemporary environment. Academic research and study of innovation has encompassed a variety of disciplines. From these efforts, innovation has emerged as a complex phenomenon that requires a variety of factors and concepts to describe. As innovation assumes prominence in countries such as India and China, which are aiming to catch up with the more advanced countries, the factors that go to make successful innovations possible are of increasing interest. This thesis examines the different approaches adopted in the field of innovation studies and identifies knowledge processes as key to understanding innovation. The applicability of this has been investigated through detailed research into three industry segments. Based on the research, frameworks of innovation based on knowledge processes have been presented including a comparison of practices in selected Chinese and Indian organizations

The 1995 Goddard Conference on Space Applications of Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Information Technologies

This publication comprises the papers presented at the 1995 Goddard Conference on Space Applications of Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Information Technologies held at the NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland, on May 9-11, 1995. The purpose of this annual conference is to provide a forum in which current research and development directed at space applications of artificial intelligence can be presented and discussed

Narratives of Low-Carbon Transitions: Understanding Risks and Uncertainties

This book examines the uncertainties underlying various strategies for a low-carbon future. Most prominently, such strategies relate to transitions in the energy sector, on both the supply and the demand side. At the same time they interact with other sectors, such as industrial production, transport, and building, and ultimately require new behaviour patterns at household and individual levels. Currently, much research is available on the effectiveness of these strategies but, in order to successfully implement comprehensive transition pathways, it is crucial not only to understand the benefits but also the risks. Filling this gap, this volume provides an interdisciplinary, conceptual framework to assess risks and uncertainties associated with low-carbon policies and applies this consistently across 11 country cases from around the world, illustrating alternative transition pathways in various contexts. The cases are presented as narratives, drawing on stakeholder-driven research efforts. They showcase diverse empirical evidence reflecting the complex challenges to and potential negative consequences of such pathways. Together, they enable the reader to draw valuable lessons on the risks and uncertainties associated with choosing the envisaged transition pathways, as well as ways to manage the implementation of these pathways and ultimately enable sustainable and lasting social and environmental effects. This book will be of great interest to students, scholars, and practitioners of environmental and energy policy, low-carbon transitions, renewable energy technologies, climate change action, and sustainability in general. Share this Titl

PV System Design and Performance

Photovoltaic solar energy technology (PV) has been developing rapidly in the past decades, leading to a multi-billion-dollar global market. It is of paramount importance that PV systems function properly, which requires the generation of expected energy both for small-scale systems that consist of a few solar modules and for very large-scale systems containing millions of modules. This book increases the understanding of the issues relevant to PV system design and correlated performance; moreover, it contains research from scholars across the globe in the fields of data analysis and data mapping for the optimal performance of PV systems, faults analysis, various causes for energy loss, and design and integration issues. The chapters in this book demonstrate the importance of designing and properly monitoring photovoltaic systems in the field in order to ensure continued good performance