REFAS: A PLE Approach for Simulation of Self-Adaptive Systems Requirements

International audienceModel simulation has demonstrated its usefulness in evaluation and decision-making for improving preliminary versions of artefacts before production. Particularly, one of the main goals of simulation is to verify model properties based on data collected from its execution. In this paper, we present the simulation capabilities of our REFAS framework for specifying requirements models for dynamic software products lines and self-adaptive systems. The simulation is controlled by a feedback loop and a reasoning engine that operates on the functional and non-functional requirements. The paper contribution is threefold. First, REFAS allows developers to evaluate and improve requirements models through their simulation capabilities. Second, REFAS provides rich feedback in its interactive simulations for the human modeller to make informed decisions to improve her model. Third, REFAS automates the generation of simulation scenarios required to verify the model adequacy and correctness. We evaluate our contribution by comparing the application of REFAS to a case study used in other approaches

Dynamic adaptation of service compositions with variability models

Web services run in complex contexts where arising events may compromise the quality of the whole system. Thus, it is desirable to count on autonomic mechanisms to guide the self-adaptation of service compositions according to changes in the computing infrastructure. One way to achieve this goal is by implementing variability constructs at the language level. However, this approach may become tedious, difficult to manage, and error-prone. In this paper, we propose a solution based on a semantically rich variability model to support the dynamic adaptation of service compositions. When a problematic event arises in the context, this model is leveraged for decision-making. The activation and deactivation of features in the variability model result in changes in a composition model that abstracts the underlying service composition. These changes are reflected into the service composition by adding or removing fragments of Business Process Execution Language (WS-BPEL) code, which can be deployed at runtime. In order to reach optimum adaptations, the variability model and its possible configurations are verified at design time using Constraint Programming. An evaluation demonstrates several benefits of our approach, both at design time and at runtime.This work has been developed with the support of MICINN under the project everyWare TIN2010-18011 and co-financed with ERDF.Alférez Salinas, GH.; Pelechano Ferragud, V.; Mazo, R.; Salinesi, C.; Díaz, D. (2014). Dynamic adaptation of service compositions with variability models. Journal of Systems and Software. 91:24-47. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jss.2013.06.034S24479

VariaMos: an extensible tool for engineering (dynamic) product lines

International audienceThis paper presents the new release of VariaMos, a Java-based tool for defining variability modeling languages, modeling (dynamic) product lines and cyber-physical self-adaptive systems, and supporting automated verification, analysis, configuration and simulation of these models. In particular, we describe the characteristics of this new version regarding its first release: (1) the capability to create languages for modeling systems with variability, even with different views; (2) the capability to use the created language to model (dynamic) product lines; (3) the capability to analyze and configure these models according to the changing context and requirements; and (4) the capability to execute them over several simulation scenarios. Finally, we show how to use VariaMos with an example, and we compare it with other tools found in the literature

RED-PL, a Method for Deriving Product Requirements from a Product Line Requirements Model

International audienceSoftware product lines (SPL) modeling has proven to be an effective approach to reuse in software development. Several variability approaches were developed to plan requirements reuse, but only little of them actually address the issue of deriving product requirements. Indeed, while the modeling approaches sell on requirements reuse, the associated derivation techniques actually focus on deriving and reusing technical product data.This paper presents a method that intends to support requirements derivation.Its underlying principle is to take advantage of approaches made for reuse PL requirements and to complete them by a requirements development process by reuse for single products. The proposed approach matches users' product requirements with PL requirements models and derives a collection ofrequirements that is (i) consistent, and (ii) optimal with respect to users' priorities and company's constraints. The proposed methodological process was validated in an industrial setting by considering the requirement engineering phase of a product line of blood analyzers

Understanding process behaviours in a large insurance company in Australia: A case study

Having a reliable understanding about the behaviours, problems, and performance of existing processes is important in enabling a targeted process improvement initiative. Recently, there has been an increase in the application of innovative process mining techniques to facilitate evidence-based understanding about organizations' business processes. Nevertheless, the application of these techniques in the domain of finance in Australia is, at best, scarce. This paper details a 6-month case study on the application of process mining in one of the largest insurance companies in Australia. In particular, the challenges encountered, the lessons learned, and the results obtained from this case study are detailed. Through this case study, we not only validated existing `lessons learned' from other similar case studies, but also added new insights that can be beneficial to other practitioners in applying process mining in their respective fields

A Systematic Approach to Express IS Evolution Requirements Using Gap Modelling and Similarity Modelling Techniques

International audienceGaps and similarities are two important concepts used in Information System (IS) projects that deal with the evolution issue. The idea in using these concepts is to analyse what changes or what remains similar between two situations, typically the changed situation and the new one, rather than just describing the new situation. Although in the industry, the daily practice consists in expressing evolution requirements with gaps and similarities, little attention has been paid in research to better systematically define these two kinds of concepts so as to better support the expression of evolution requirements. This paper proposes an approach that combines meta-modelling with generic typologies of gap operators and similarity predicates. Our purpose is not to define yet another requirement modelling language. On the contrary, the two generic typologies can be adapted to existing modelling language such as Use Cases, I* and KAOS goal models, Goal/Strategy maps, Entity-Relationship diagrams, and Workflow models

Using the AMAN-DA method to generate security requirements: a case study in the maritime domain

Security requirements are known to be “the most difficult of requirements types” and potentially the ones causing the greatest risk if they are not correct. One approach to requirements elicitation is based on the reuse of explicit knowledge. AMAN-DA is a requirement elicitation method that reuses encapsulated knowledge in security and domain ontologies to produce security requirements specifications. The main research question addressed in this paper is to what extent is AMAN-DA able to generate domain-specific security requirements? Following a well-documented process, a case study related to the maritime domain was undertaken with the goal to demonstrate the utility and effectiveness of AMAN-DA for the elicitation and analysis of domain-specific security requirements. The usefulness of the method was also evaluated with a group of 12 experts. The paper demonstrates the elicitation of domain-specific security requirements by presenting the AMAN-DA method and its application. It describes the evaluation and reports some significant results and their implications for practice and future research, especially for the field of knowledge reuse in requirements engineering