The Eclipse Process Framework

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The Eclipse Process Framework

• Breno Machado

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The Eclipse Process Framework

• EPF is an Open Source project within the Eclipse
  Foundation
• Goals
• An extensible framework and tooling for
  authoring, configuring and publishing processes
• Exemplary Process first delivered is OpenUP
• EPF is NOT
• Only applicable for Eclipse Java development.
• Intended to create the perfect process
• EPF is based in SPEM 2.0 (Software Process
  Engineering Metamodel)

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The Eclipse Process Framework

• EPF is for two audiences
• Process Authors and Coaches (Process Management
  Team)
• Tooling for creating and publishing processes
• Foundational process for starting point
• Libraries of additional content that can be
  plugged-in
• Process Consumers (Project Team)
• Published website of process content for simple
  browsing
• Guidance in the form of checklists, concepts,
  guidelines
• Browse the content adapted to your experience
  level

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Basic Concepts - EPF

• Method Library
• All Method Elements are stored in a Method
  Library
• Method Plug-in
• Physical container for Method Packages and
  Process Packages
• Method Configuration
• A logical subset of a Method Library
• Delivery Process
• A complete and integrated approach for performing
  a specific type of project

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Basic Concepts - EPF

• Libraries contain
• Method plug-ins
• Configurations
• The OpenUP library has
• Three method plug-ins
• base_concepts
• dsdm_openup
• openup
• Two delivery processes
• Openup_DSDM
• openup_lifecycle
• Two configurations
• OpenUP
• OpenUPDSDM

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Basic Concepts - EPF

• Process (When)
• End-End sequence of Phases, Iterations,
  Activities and Milestones that define the
  development lifecycle.
• Defines When tasks are performed via Activity
  Diagrams and/or Work Breakdown Structures

• Method Content (Who, What, Why, How)
• Highly re-useable information
• Definition of Roles, Tasks, Work Products and
  associated relationships
• Includes Guidance and Categories
• No timing information

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Method Content - EPF

• Role
• Set of related skills, competencies and
  responsabilities
• Are NOT individuals
• Individuals may play multiple roles
• Perform Tasks
• Are responsible for Work Products
• Work Product
• Tangible things used, modified or produced by a
  Task
• Roles use and produce Work Product performing
  tasks
• Are responsability of a Role
• 3 types
• Artifact
• Deliverable
• Outcome

• Task
• Define a assignable unit of work
• Perfomed by Roles
• Describe a work step-by-step to achieve a goal.
• Modify or produce Work Products
• Dont define WHEN they are performed in the
  lifecicle.

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Method Content - EPF

• Guidance
• May be associate with Roles, Tasks and Work
  Products
• Different types depending upon purpose
• Detailed methodology and supporting information
• Tasks say what
• Guidance say how-to

• Categories
• Group related method elements
• Five Standard Categories
• Discipline
• Domain
• Work Product Kind
• Role Set
• Tool
• May be nested
• Can define custom categories
• Used to build views in published website

• Types
• Checklist
• Concept
• Example
• Guideline
• Estimate
• Considerations
• Practice
• Report
• Reusable Asset
• Roadmap
• Supporting Material
• Template
• Term Definition
• Tool Mentor
• Whitepaper

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Process Content - EPF

• Capability Patterns
• Sequence of related tasks, performed to achieve a
  greater purpose
• Tasks can be specialized for the given context

Task Descriptor (instance of Task)
Role Descriptor (instance of Role)
Work Product Descriptor (instance of Work
Product)
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Process Content - EPF

• Capability Patterns
• Capability Patterns may be nested and viewed
  graphically
• An Activity is an instance of a Capability Pattern

Activity (Instance of Capability Patterns)
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Process Content - EPF

• Delivery Process
• Defined using Work Breakdown Structure and/or
  Activity Diagrams
• Define end-end full lifecycle process
• May include Iterations, Phases, Milestones (type
  of Activity)

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EPF Composer Authoring Perspective
Authoring Perspective
Library View
Task Editor (form based)
Configuration View
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EPF Composer Authoring Perspective
Form based plain text or
Rich Text editors
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EPF Composer Publishing
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Processes Available as Reusable EPF Specification

• EPF available s examples of process to use
• OpenUP
• SCRUM
• XP
• http//www.eclipse.org/epf/downloads/downloads.php

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Interesting Aspects of OpenUPSpecified in EPF

• An Agile Inspired process with its roots in the
  UP
• An iterative software development process that is
  minimal, complete, and extensible
• Minimal - Contains vital roles, tasks and
  guidance
• Complete - Complete for small co-located teams
• Extensible - Serves as a foundation that can be
  extended and tailored

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OpenUP Core Principles

• OpenUP is based on a set of mutually supporting
  core principles
• Collaborate to align interests and share
  understanding
• Evolve to continuously obtain feedback and
  improve
• Balance competing priorities to maximize
  stakeholder value
• Focus on articulating the architecture
• OpenUP incorporates a number of agile practices
• Test-First Design
• Continuous Integration
• Agile Estimation
• Daily Standup, Iteration Assessment, Iteration
  Retrospective
• Self-organizing teams
• within the context of an iterative, incremental
  lifecycle (UP).

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OpenUP Project Lifecycle

• OpenUP uses an iterative, incremental lifecycle.
• Proper application of this lifecycle directly
  addresses the first core principle (Evolve).
• The lifecycle is divided into 4 phases, each with
  a particular purpose and milestone criteria to
  exit the phase
• Inception To understand the problem.
• Elaboration To validate the solution
  architecture.
• Construction To build and verify the solution in
  increments.
• Transition To transition the solution to the
  operational environment and validate the
  solution.

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OpenUP - Disciplines

• A discipline is a collection of tasks that are
  related to a major "area of concern" within the
  overall project.
• Within the lifecycle, tasks are performed
  concurrently across several disciplines.
• Separating tasks into distinct disciplines is
  simply an effective way to organize content that
  makes comprehension easier.
• OpenUP defines the following Disciplines

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OpenUP - Roles

• Roles define a set of related skills,
  competencies and responsibilities.
• OpenUP defines the following Roles

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Interesting Aspects of XPSpecified in EPF

• eXtreme Programming is a development process that
  can be used by medium and small sized times in
  the face of vague or rapidly changing
  requirements.
• Customer create stories that is a very
  lightweight use-cases
• Development is done iteratively and incrementally
• Every two weeks delivers working stories to the
  customer
• Programmers work on their programming tasks in
  pairs

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XP Values

• Communication
• XP emphasizes face-to-face communication
• Simplicity
• XP presumes that it is better to do the simple
  thing today
• Feedback
• Continuous feedback allows the customer to steer
  the project to success
• Courage
• Perhaps a better name for this value is trust

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XP Practices
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XP Roles
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XP Work Products
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Interesting Aspects of SCRUMSpecified in EPF

• Is a mechanism in the sport of rugby for getting
  an out-of-play ball back into play
• Scrum focuses on the social and collective aspect
  of development
• Scrum Goal is to improve quality and
  productivity, with an empirical approach, relying
  on autonomous teaming
• Empirism
• An empirical process requires a good visibility
• 2 regulation cycles
• During Daily Scrums
• During Sprint Reviews
• Scope
• not describe all the software development
  activities - analysis, design, coding, testing

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SCRUM Lifecycle
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SCRUM Roles
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SCRUM Artifacts
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SCRUM Colaboration Points