A Polymorphic Context Frame to Support Scalability and Evolvability

1. A Polymorphic Context Frame to Support Scalability and Evolvability of Information System Development Processes Isabelle MIRBEL I3S Laboratory Les Algorithmes Route des Lucioles BP 121 06903 Sophia Antipolis Cedex FRANCE

2. Introduction • A framework to capitalize knowledge about ISD problem solving • A scalable & polymorphic context frame • Context frame definitions • Context frame in use • Context & criteria management • Context & ISD for reuse • Context & ISD by reuse • Conclusion

3. Introduction Introduction The framework The context frame Definitions Context frame in use Criteria management ISD for reuse ISD by reuse Conclusion • No universal method / Situation-specific methods required • Lightweight / heavyweight processes • Method engineers & Project team members Reuse Evolvability Fragmentation Process perspective Knowledge capitalization framework Isabelle Mirbel – April 2004

4. Introduction • A framework to capitalize knowledge about ISD problem solving • A scalable & polymorphic context frame • Context frame definitions • Context frame in use • Context & criteria management • Context & ISD for reuse • Context & ISD by reuse • Conclusion

5. Framework Presentation Introduction The framework The context frame Definitions Context frame in use Criteria management ISD for reuse ISD by reuse Conclusion • An environment for knowledge capitalization • Reuse independently of functional & technical domains • To involve project team members by providing means to accumulate knowledge about their own experiences • To help project team members in their daily activities • Easily usable • Quickly usable • Focus on critical aspects of ISD • Problem-driven instead of result-driven • Task-centered instead of notation-centered Isabelle Mirbel – April 2004

6. Framework Presentation Introduction The framework The context frame Definitions Context frame in use Criteria management ISD for reuse ISD by reuse Conclusion • Basic elements of the environment • Context frame • To support adequation problem/solution and project/process • To be scalable enough • to allow customisation of the environment • to handle evolvability • To allow method engineers to broadcast their way of thinking through another means than deliverables • To give a universal/ontological frame for meaningful criterias to guide ISD processes • Repository of reusable process fragment • To allow capitalization of knowledge about ISD problem solving • To adapt processes to project requirement features Isabelle Mirbel – April 2004 Isabelle Mirbel sept. 2003

7. Reusable process fragment • Example Introduction The framework The context frame Definitions Context frame in use Criteria management ISD for reuse ISD by reuse Conclusion Requirement-Out-of-Scope Name Fragment Context {[base-software-running software]} Related Fragments BusinessDomain-Out-of-Scope – Complementarity – 0.75 - Non-compatible Fragments To document existing parts of the running software useful Intention to understand the purpose of the new software but not directly related to the new development. UML use-case diagrams Notation Guidelines Description * Add use-cases dedicated to running functionalities increasing the understanding of the software. Stereotype them with <<out-of-scope>>. * Group all use-cases stereotyped <<out-of-scope>> in a package (or set of packages) also stereotyped <<out-of-scope>> • Up to 75 fragments currently covering analysis and design activities with regards to software-related criteria Isabelle Mirbel – April 2004

8. Framework Overview Context Frame Process Fragment Repository Introduction The framework The context frame Definitions Context frame in use Criteria management ISD for reuse ISD by reuse Conclusion Controling working frame Criteria Management Method Engineer Criteria Use Fragment Management Fragment Selection ISD by reuse ISD for reuse Help in solving problem Sharing solution Project Team Member Isabelle Mirbel – April 2004

9. Introduction • A framework to capitalize knowledge about ISD problem solving • A scalable & polymorphic context frame • Context frame definitions • Context frame in use • Context & criteria management • Context & ISD for reuse • Context & ISD by reuse • Conclusion

10. A Scalable & Polymorphic Context Frame Introduction The framework The context frame Definitions Context frame in use Criteria management ISD for reuse ISD by reuse Conclusion • Common working frame • Ontological vs structural organization of process fragments • Focus on critical aspects of ISD • key elements • Context • Criterion • to help in • qualifying fragments & anticipating their reuse • specifying problems to retrieve adequate fragments Isabelle Mirbel – April 2004 Isabelle Mirbel sept. 2003

11. Context Frame • Examples Example of context frame Introduction The framework The context frame Definitions Context frame in use Criteria management ISD for reuse ISD by reuse Conclusion Base no/ne Project no/ne Human o/ne Software no/ne Time pressure no/e Running Software no/ne Distributed Beginner UI Delivery Strategy no/e Expert DB Realization Strategy no/e Medium High Interface no/ne Low Evolutionary Code no/ne At once Strong Incremental Functional Domain no/ne At once Medium Incremental Weak Overlapping Medium Weak Concurrent Strong Strong Weak Medium Example of criterion [base - software - running software - code - weak] Example of context { [base-software-running software-code-weak], [base-software-DB], [base-Human-Medium] } Isabelle Mirbel – April 2004 Isabelle Mirbel sept. 2003

12. Introduction • A framework to capitalize knowledge about ISD problem solving • A scalable & polymorphic context frame • Context frame definitions • Context frame in use • Context & criteria management • Context & ISD for reuse • Context & ISD by reuse • Conclusion

13. Context Frame • Definitions Base no/ne Cn ordn/excn C1 ordl/excl ... ... Ck ordk/exck Cm ordm/excm ... Ci ... Cj • Context Frame Introduction The framework The context frame Definitions Context frame in use Criteria management ISD for reuse ISD by reuse Conclusion • Node To indicate if sub-nodes are ordered or not: o, no Name <name, exc, ord, type> To indicate if sub-nodes are exclusive or not: e, ne • Types of Node • Root • Family • Criteria <name=base, exc=ne, ord=no, type=root> <name, exc, ord, type=family> <name, type=criteria> Isabelle Mirbel – April 2004

14. Context Frame • Definitions Base no/ne Cn ordn/excn C1 ordl/excl ... ... Ck ordk/exck Cm ordm/excm ... Ci ... Cj • Criterion Introduction The framework The context frame Definitions Context frame in use Criteria management ISD for reuse ISD by reuse Conclusion Path between the base node and another node nnof the context tree, where nn can't be a non-ending node (family node) with exc = e • Compatibility between criteria Compatible criterias do not share a common family node with an exclusion field equal to eor are included one in the other  ni Cr1 and nj Cr if ni=nj then excnie • Context Set of criteria Isabelle Mirbel – April 2004

15. Introduction • A framework to capitalize knowledge about ISD problem solving • A scalable & polymorphic context frame • Context frame definitions • Context frame in use • Context & criteria management • Context & ISD for reuse • Context & ISD by reuse • Conclusion

16. Context Frame • Context Frame in Use Introduction The framework The context frame Definitions Context frame in use Criteria management ISD for reuse ISD by reuse Conclusion • Global Context • Maintained by method engineers • Shared by project team members • Ontological view of ISD • Fragment Context • Taken from the Global Context • Given by project team members • To provide richer means to organize reusable process fragments • Problem Context • Taken from the Global Context • Given by project team members • To find a tailored solution to an ISD problem • To improve matching techniques between problem & reusable process fragments Isabelle Mirbel – April 2004

17. Context Frame • Context & criteria management Introduction The framework The context frame Definitions Context frame in use Criteria management ISD for reuse ISD by reuse Conclusion • Context & criteria management • One Global Context to define the working frame • Defined & maintained by methodologists • Shared by all projects in the organization GC={C1,..,Cn} Ci=[base,..,nj] where njis a criterion node Isabelle Mirbel – April 2004

18. Context Frame • Context & Criteria management Introduction The framework The context frame Definitions Context frame in use Criteria management ISD for reuse ISD by reuse Conclusion • Methodologists manage criteria through the addition of new nodes • by refining existing ending node (after specifying their ordering and exclusionfields) • by adding intermediary nodes between the root node and criterion nodes • by adding new sub-node(s) to the root node Base no/ne Cl ordl/excl Cn ordn/excn C1 ordl/excl ... Ck ordk/exck Cm ordm/excm ... Cp ordp/excp ... ... Cq Ci Cj Isabelle Mirbel – April 2004

19. Context Frame • Context & ISD for reuse Introduction The framework The context frame Definitions Context frame in use Criteria management ISD for reuse ISD by reuse Conclusion • Context & fragment management • Fragment contexts help in organizing process fragments • A Fragment Context is associated to each process fragment • A Fragment Context is defined as a set of at least 1 compatible criterion taken form the Global Context FC={C1,..,Cn} Ci=[base,..,nj] where njis a criterion node CiGC Isabelle Mirbel – April 2004

20. Context Frame • Context & ISD by reuse Introduction The framework The context frame Definitions Context frame in use Criteria management ISD for reuse ISD by reuse Conclusion • Context & fragment selection • Problem contexts help in finding appropriate process fragments • A Problem Context is associated to a problem and its solution (given in terms of route maps) • A Problem Context is defined as a set of at least 1 necessary criterion (CN) and a set of forbidden criteria (CF). CN and CF do not share common or compatible criteria PC=<CN,CF> CF={C1,..,Cm} CN={C1,..,Cn} CN  CF = CiGC Ci=[base,..,nj] where excnje,excnj neis equivalent to a problem context including all the sub-nodes of nj,  Ci  CN , Cj  CF,  comp(Ci, Ci) Isabelle Mirbel – April 2004

21. Introduction • A framework to capitalize knowledge about ISD problem solving • A scalable & polymorphic context frame • Context frame definitions • Context frame in use • Context & criteria management • Context & ISD for reuse • Context & ISD by reuse • Conclusion

22. Conclusion Fragment Context Problem Context Introduction The framework The context frame Definitions Context frame in use Criteria management ISD for reuse ISD by reuse Conclusion • Context Frame • Polymorphic structure • To support evolvability & scalability • Dedicated to ISD knowledge capitalization & sharing • Framework • GlobalContext Frame • Reusable process fragment repository • To support • ISD for reuse • ISD by reuse Isabelle Mirbel – April 2004

23. PFR CF Future work Introduction The framework The context frame Definitions Context frame in use Criteria management ISD for reuse ISD by reuse Conclusion • Associate expert weights to fragments • Support fragment comparison when building new fragments Keep tracking information • Information about fragment (frequency of use) • Information about route-maps (frequency of use, discovery of route-map families, ...) • Information about fragments inside route-maps (frequency of keeping/deleting a fragment, ...) • Discovery of close contexts Isabelle Mirbel – April 2004