Software Product Line Engineering via Software Transplantation

For companies producing related products, a Software Product Line (SPL) is a software reuse method that improves time-to-market and software quality, achieving substantial cost reductions.These benefits do not come for free. It often takes years to re-architect and re-engineer a codebase to support SPL and, once adopted, it must be maintained. Current SPL practice relies on a collection of tools, tailored for different reengineering phases, whose output developers must coordinate and integrate. We present Foundry, a general automated approach for leveraging software transplantation to speed conversion to and maintenance of SPL. Foundry facilitates feature extraction and migration. It can efficiently, repeatedly, transplant a sequence of features, implemented in multiple files. We used Foundry to create two valid product lines that integrate features from three real-world systems in an automated way. Moreover, we conducted an experiment comparing Foundry's feature migration with manual effort. We show that Foundry automatically migrated features across codebases 4.8 times faster, on average, than the average time a group of SPL experts took to accomplish the task

What Does Not Fit Can be Made to Fit! Trade-Offs in Distributed Ledger Technology Designs

Distributed ledger technology (DLT), including blockchain, enables secure processing of transactions between untrustworthy parties in a decentralized system. However, DLT is available in different designs that exhibit diverse characteristics. Moreover, DLT characteristics have complementary and conflicting interdependencies. Hence, there will never be an ideal DLT design for all DLT use cases; instead, DLT implementations need to be configured to contextual requirements. Successful DLT configuration requires, however, a sound understanding of DLT characteristics and their interdependencies. In this manuscript, we review DLT characteristics and organize them into six groups. Furthermore, we condense interdependencies of DLT characteristics into trade-offs that should be considered for successful deployment of DLT. Finally, we consolidate our findings into DLT archetypes for common design objectives, such as security, usability, or performance. Our work makes extant DLT research more transparent and fosters understanding of interdependencies and trade-offs between DLT characteristics

Definition of Descriptive and Diagnostic Measurements for Model Fragment Retrieval

Tesis por compendio[ES] Hoy en día, el software existe en casi todo. Las empresas a menudo desarrollan y mantienen colecciones de sistemas de software personalizados que comparten algunas características entre ellos, pero que también tienen otras características particulares. Conforme el número de características y el número de variantes de un producto crece, el mantenimiento del software se vuelve cada vez más complejo. Para hacer frente a esta situación la Comunidad de Ingeniería del Software basada en Modelos está abordando una actividad clave: la Localización de Fragmentos de Modelo. Esta actividad consiste en la identificación de elementos del modelo que son relevantes para un requisito, una característica o un bug. Durante los últimos años se han propuesto muchos enfoques para abordar la identificación de los elementos del modelo que corresponden a una funcionalidad en particular. Sin embargo, existe una carencia a la hora de cómo se reportan las medidas del espacio de búsqueda, así como las medidas de la solución a encontrar. El objetivo de nuestra tesis radica en proporcionar a la comunidad dedicada a la actividad de localización de fragmentos de modelo una serie de medidas (tamaño, volumen, densidad, multiplicidad y dispersión) para reportar los problemas de localización de fragmentos de modelo. El uso de estas novedosas medidas ayuda a los investigadores durante la creación de nuevos enfoques, así como la mejora de aquellos enfoques ya existentes. Mediante el uso de dos casos de estudio reales e industriales, esta tesis pone en valor la importancia de estas medidas para comparar resultados de diferentes enfoques de una manera precisa. Los resultados de este trabajo han sido redactados y publicados en foros, conferencias y revistas especializadas en los temas y contexto de la investigación. Esta tesis se presenta como un compendio de artículos acorde a la regulación de la Universitat Politècnica de València. Este documento de tesis presenta los temas, el contexto y los objetivos de la investigación. Presenta las publicaciones académicas que se han publicado como resultado del trabajo y luego analiza los resultados de la investigación.[CA] Hui en dia, el programari existix en quasi tot. Les empreses sovint desenrotllen i mantenen col·leccions de sistemes de programari personalitzats que compartixen algunes característiques entre ells, però que també tenen altres característiques particulars. Conforme el nombre de característiques i el nombre de variants d'un producte creix, el manteniment del programari es torna cada vegada més complex. Per a fer front a esta situació la Comunitat d'Enginyeria del Programari basada en Models està abordant una activitat clau: la Localització de Fragments de Model. Esta activitat consistix en la identificació d'elements del model que són rellevants per a un requisit, una característica o un bug. Durant els últims anys s'han proposat molts enfocaments per a abordar la identificació dels elements del model que corresponen a una funcionalitat en particular. No obstant això, hi ha una carència a l'hora de com es reporten les mesures de l'espai de busca, així com les mesures de la solució a trobar. L'objectiu de la nostra tesi radica a proporcionar a la comunitat dedicada a l'activitat de localització de fragments de model una sèrie de mesures (grandària, volum, densitat, multiplicitat i dispersió) per a reportar els problemes de localització de fragments de model. L'ús d'estes noves mesures ajuda als investigadors durant la creació de nous enfocaments, així com la millora d'aquells enfocaments ja existents. Per mitjà de l'ús de dos casos d'estudi reals i industrials, esta tesi posa en valor la importància d'estes mesures per a comparar resultats de diferents enfocaments d'una manera precisa. Els resultats d'este treball han sigut redactats i publicats en fòrums, conferències i revistes especialitzades en els temes i context de la investigació. Esta tesi es presenta com un compendi d'articles d'acord amb la regulació de la Universitat Politècnica de València. Este document de tesi presenta els temes, el context i els objectius de la investigació. Presenta les publicacions acadèmiques que s'han publicat com resultat del treball i després analitza els resultats de la investigació.[EN] Nowadays, software exists in almost everything. Companies often develop and maintain a collection of custom-tailored software systems that share some common features but also support customer-specific ones. As the number of features and the number of product variants grows, software maintenance is becoming more and more complex. To keep pace with this situation, Model-Based Software Engineering Community is addressing a key-activity: Model Fragment Location (MFL). MFL aims at identifying model elements that are relevant to a requirement, feature, or bug. Many MFL approaches have been introduced in the last few years to address the identification of the model elements that correspond to a specific functionality. However, there is a lack of detail when the measurements about the search space (models) and the measurements about the solution to be found (model fragment) are reported. The goal of this thesis is to provide insights to MFL Research Community of how to improve the report of location problems. We propose using five measurements (size, volume, density, multiplicity, and dispersion) to report the location problems during MFL. The usage of these novel measurements support researchers during the creation of new MFL approaches and during the improvement of those existing ones. Using two different case studies, both real and industrial, we emphasize the importance of these measurements in order to compare results in a deeply way. The results of the research have been redacted and published in forums, conferences, and journals specialized in the topics and context of the research. This thesis is presented as compendium of articles according the regulations in Universitat Politècnica de València. This thesis document introduces the topics, context, and objectives of the research, presents the academic publications that have been published as a result of the work, and then discusses the outcomes of the investigation.Ballarin Naya, M. (2021). Definition of Descriptive and Diagnostic Measurements for Model Fragment Retrieval [Tesis doctoral]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/171604TESISCompendi

A roadmap for using DHIS2 data to track progress in key health indicators in the Global South: experience from sub-Saharan Africa

High quality health data as collected by health management information systems (HMIS) is an important building block of national health systems. District Health Information System 2 (DHIS2) software is an innovation in data management and monitoring for strengthening HMIS that has been widely implemented in low and middle-income countries in the last decade. However, analysts and decision-makers still face significant challenges in fully utilizing the capabilities of DHIS2 data to pursue national and international health agendas. We aimed to (i) identify the most relevant health indicators captured by DHIS2 for tracking progress towards the Sustainable Development goals in sub-Saharan African countries and (ii) present a clear roadmap for improving DHIS2 data quality and consistency, with a special focus on immediately actionable solutions. We identified that key indicators in child and maternal health (e.g. vaccine coverage, maternal deaths) are currently being tracked in the DHIS2 of most countries, while other indicators (e.g. HIV/AIDS) would benefit from streamlining the number of indicators collected and standardizing case definitions. Common data issues included unreliable denominators for calculation of incidence, differences in reporting among health facilities, and programmatic differences in data quality. We proposed solutions for many common data pitfalls at the analysis level, including standardized data cleaning pipelines, k-means clustering to identify high performing health facilities in terms of data quality, and imputation methods. While we focus on immediately actionable solutions for DHIS2 analysts, improvements at the point of data collection are the most rigorous. By investing in improving data quality and monitoring, countries can leverage the current global attention on health data to strengthen HMIS and progress towards national and international health priorities

A Framework for Integrating Transportation Into Smart Cities

In recent years, economic, environmental, and political forces have quickly given rise to “Smart Cities” -- an array of strategies that can transform transportation in cities. Using a multi-method approach to research and develop a framework for smart cities, this study provides a framework that can be employed to: Understand what a smart city is and how to replicate smart city successes; The role of pilot projects, metrics, and evaluations to test, implement, and replicate strategies; and Understand the role of shared micromobility, big data, and other key issues impacting communities. This research provides recommendations for policy and professional practice as it relates to integrating transportation into smart cities