Towards Component-based Systems Stephen E. Cross [e-mail] 7 February 2000

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Towards Component-based SystemsStephen E.
Crosssc_at_sei.cmu.edu7 February 2000
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What Id like to share with you

• Brief SEI overview
• New challenges encountered with commercial
  components
• First steps understanding the component/method
  space
• Summary

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Most of this talk is based a forthcoming book
entitled Software Engineering with Commercial
Components by Kurt Wallmau, Scott Hissam, and
Robert Seacord. It will be published as part of
the SEI-Addison Wesley Software Engineering
Series later in 2001.
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Software Engineering Institute

• DoD RD laboratory federally funded research and
  development center (FFRDC)

Situated as a college level unit at
Carnegie Mellon University,
Pittsburgh PA
Mission is to provide leadership in
software engineering and to
transition new software
engineering
technology

Encouraged to support industry in
precompetitive technology
RD and in technology
transition
activities

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SEI Technical Program
The right software delivered defect free, on
time, every time
High confidence, evolvable, product lines
with predictable and improved cost, schedule, and
quality
Capability MaturityModelIntegration Acceleratin
g SoftwareTechnology Adoption
COTS-Based Systems Dependable
Systems Upgrade Architecture Tradeoff
Analysis
Team Software Process Software Engineering
Measurement Analysis
Survivable Systems Product Line Practice

Technical Practice Initiatives
Management Practice Initiatives
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SEI Technical Program
The right software delivered defect free, on
time, every time
High confidence, evolvable, product lines
with predictable and improved cost, schedule, and
quality
Capability MaturityModelIntegration Acceleratin
g SoftwareTechnology Adoption
COTS-Based Systems Dependable
Systems Upgrade Architecture Tradeoff
Analysis
Team Software Process Software Engineering
Measurement Analysis
Survivable Systems Product Line
Practice Predictable Assembly with Certifiable
Components

Management Practice Initiatives
Technical Practice Initiatives
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The Unfinished Revolution

• The first software crisis (the software factory
  regime)
• The second crisis (the market regime)
• system architecture reflects technology market
• design for change
• design supply chains
• design in the face of misfits
• design to technology competence
• sustaining competence
• design as exploration
• accommodating the process singularity

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Component Space

• Source of software components
• Environments into which components are deployed
  and in which they are executed
• Aspects of a system implemented by the components

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Framework v. Platform Host
component-VM
Does the method assume a component virtual
machine?
host-OS
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Commercial v. Custom Source
component-VM
Does the method emphasize specification of
components or assembly of preexisting components?
(If preexisting then commercial source)
host-OS
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Application v. Infrastructure
component-VM
application
Does the method focus on building applications or
infrastructure?
custom
commercial
infrastructure
host-OS
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Component/Method Space
application
Custom infrastructure for all intents a black
hole (projects that enter never escape)
infrastructure
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Component/Method Space
application
UML Components Component Factory both assume
use of a framework and focus on component
specification for business applications
infrastructure
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Component/Method Space
application
Catalysis does not assume a framework but neither
does it directly address enterprise system needs.
It is application focused.
infrastructure
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Component/Method Space
application
The book I am writing with Hissam and Seacord
focuses on design problems that are dominated by
commercial software components
infrastructure
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Component/Method Space
component-VM
application
This is an area that is just emerging (e.g.
component families for EJB). No methods yet, but
they will be needed soon they share some
characteristics of COTS components and e.g. UML
Components
infrastructure
host-OS
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Component/Method Space
application
This area is still science fiction.There is
research in programmable middleware, but this
is a remote possibility for near-term commercial
use.
infrastructure
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Component/Method Space
application
infrastructure
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Visit Our Web Site
For more information contact Steve
Cross sc_at_sei.cmu.edu 412-268-7740
http//www.sei.cmu.edu