Supporting Software Development Teams with a Semantic Process- and Artifact-oriented Collaboration Environment Sebastian Weber (sebastian.weber@iese.fraunhofer.de) Andreas Emrich, Jörg Broschart, Eric Ras, Özgür Ünalan SOFTEAM 2009 Kaiserslautern, March 3rd 2009

Sebastian Weber

(sebastian.weber@iese.fraunhofer.de)

Andreas Emrich, Jörg Broschart, Eric Ras,

Özgür Ünalan

SOFTEAM

2009 Kaiserslautern, March 3rd 2009

Motivation Many software projects are late, over budget, or fail due to complexity Complexity results from Distributed development settings Different stakeholders involved Core (i.e., creating artifacts) and context activities Context activities (CA): Ratio of CA continuously increasing Mastering CAs is key factor for success Especially SMEs not acquainted with CAs CAs often skipped by SMEs Source: Standish Group, 2007

Many software projects are late, over budget, or fail due to complexity

Complexity results from

Distributed development settings

Different stakeholders involved

Core (i.e., creating artifacts) and context activities

Context activities (CA):

Ratio of CA continuously increasing

Mastering CAs is key factor for success

Especially SMEs not acquainted with CAs

CAs often skipped by SMEs

Research Questions How do we support SMEs with regards to mastering context activities? They need to establish a process- and technique-specific knowledge How do we get SMEs to follow certain process models? And how do we support them handling the overall complexity arising from software development? Our approach: SPACE (Semantic Process- and Artifact-oriented Collaboration Environment)

How do we support SMEs with regards to mastering context activities?

They need to establish a process- and technique-specific knowledge

How do we get SMEs to follow certain process models?

And how do we support them handling the overall complexity arising from software development?

Our approach: SPACE (Semantic Process- and Artifact-oriented Collaboration Environment)

SPACE (Semantic Process- & Artifact-oriented Collaboration Environm.) SE research has proposed many SE models Practice shows that SMEs often assume effort for modeling & tailoring high Often follow their own “chaotic” process Solution approach: SPACE Supports flexible process & artifact models Models describe overall processes from different perspectives Apply to software domain: Software Organization Platform (SOP)

SE research has proposed many SE models

Practice shows that SMEs often assume effort for modeling & tailoring high

Often follow their own “chaotic” process

Solution approach: SPACE

Supports flexible process & artifact models

Models describe overall processes from different perspectives

Apply to software domain: Software Organization Platform (SOP)

Correlation between SPACE and SOP SPACE is domain and scenario independent Meta-model infrastructure Creation / execution of process & artifact models from different perspectives Pro-active information delivery (PID) SOP aims at supporting software teams Lifecycle Artifact & Process Management Knowledge Management Stakeholder Collaboration

SPACE is domain and scenario independent

Meta-model infrastructure

Creation / execution of process & artifact models from different perspectives

Pro-active information delivery (PID)

SOP aims at supporting software teams

Lifecycle Artifact & Process Management

Knowledge Management

Stakeholder Collaboration

Mockup of SOP 2.0 Artifact Model Editor

Correlation between SPACE, SOP, and SOP 2.0

SPACE Process Model Basis for both modeling and execution platforms Supports collaborative modeling and execution of processes  “prosumer” idea Soft and flexible processes allow the user to diverge from the modeled process Semantic relationships between processes and artifacts allow for traceability

Basis for both modeling and execution platforms

Supports collaborative modeling and execution of processes  “prosumer” idea

Soft and flexible processes allow the user to diverge from the modeled process

Semantic relationships between processes and artifacts allow for traceability

SPACE Process Model (cont.) Personalized views enable roles to have minimal but sufficient view on processes Perspectives reduce complexity and improve reusability and modularity Consistency checks help to evaluate whether working-process conforms to modeled-process  chances to improve processes

Personalized views enable roles to have minimal but sufficient view on processes

Perspectives reduce complexity and improve reusability and modularity

Consistency checks help to evaluate whether working-process conforms to modeled-process  chances to improve processes

SPACE Artifact Model Artifact models are associated with process models or activities Define the different artifact types that are transformed throughout process execution Internal artifact structure consists of attributes representing data or relations Transformation of artifact descriptions and relations on the meta-level into templates Pro-active information delivery (PID)

Artifact models are associated with process models or activities

Define the different artifact types that are transformed throughout process execution

Internal artifact structure consists of attributes representing data or relations

Transformation of artifact descriptions and relations on the meta-level into templates

Pro-active information delivery (PID)

SPACE Artifact Model (cont.)

Related Work Related standards and concepts: ARIS (Architecture of Integrated IS)  ARIS views show what kind of models could be considered within SPACE SPEM (Software Process Engineering Metamodel)  Standardized language may reduce high coordination efforts

Related standards and concepts:

ARIS (Architecture of Integrated IS)

 ARIS views show what kind of models could be considered within SPACE

SPEM (Software Process Engineering Metamodel)

 Standardized language may reduce high coordination efforts

Related Work (cont.) SE process software V-Modell XT Projektassistent  Might be to static for agile scenarios IRIS Process Author  Similar to SOP 2.0 but lacks deeper semantic support SE phase specific software NetBeans collaboration project Teamserver SEE Jazz Project + Rational product portfolio  Restriction to tool family, no transparent semantic connection between artifacts of different tools

SE process software

V-Modell XT Projektassistent

 Might be to static for agile scenarios

IRIS Process Author

 Similar to SOP 2.0 but lacks deeper semantic support

SE phase specific software

NetBeans collaboration project

Teamserver

SEE

Jazz Project + Rational product portfolio

 Restriction to tool family, no transparent semantic connection between artifacts of different tools

Feedback is Welcome Is this approach feasible/meaningful for establishing process knowledge within SMEs? Why are “traditional” wikis only rarely used for SE activities by the target group?

Is this approach feasible/meaningful for establishing process knowledge within SMEs?

Why are “traditional” wikis only rarely used for SE activities by the target group?

Backup

Backup

SOP 2.0 Architecture MediaWiki and Semantic MediaWiki as collaborative platform Adobe Flex GUI Hybrid extension mechanism SOP 2.0-own hook mechanism allows sophisticated integration

MediaWiki and Semantic MediaWiki as collaborative platform

Adobe Flex GUI

Hybrid extension mechanism

SOP 2.0-own hook mechanism allows sophisticated integration

SOP 2.0 GUI Menu bar Accordion Tabbed Editor View

Example