This document discusses software modeling from a life-cycle perspective, focusing on system configurations and architecture definitions. It presents a case study of a field service system, detailing its operational, testing, and training configurations alongside corresponding architectural models. The findings emphasize the relationship between system architecture and configurations, highlighting the need for consistency in design across different operational contexts.

1. SwSTE 2012, Hertzliyah, June 12, 2012
Dr. Amir Tomer
Software Engineering Department Head
amir@amirtomer.com
052-8890202
Dr. Amir Tomer –SwSTE 2012 1 Software Modeling from Life-Cycle Perspective

2. System in its Environment*
Enabling
System A
Enabling
System B
Enabling
Interaction with enabling System C
systems, usually in other
life-cycle stages rather
than operation
System B in
Operational
Environment
System of
Interest
System A in
Operational
Environment
System C in
Operational
Environment
Interaction with systems
comprising the
operational environment
*ISO/IEC/IEEE 15288
Dr. Amir Tomer –SwSTE 2012 2 Software Modeling from Life-Cycle Perspective

3. System Configurations
• Configuration – Definition*
– The arrangement of a … system or component as defined by the number, nature, and
interconnections of its constituent parts
• A system usually has many configurations during its life cycle
– Pre-development configurations
• Demo
– Configurations throughout development
• Partial integrations
• Lab test
• Field test
• Acceptance test
– Situational configurations
• In storage
• In transport
• In operational use
• In training
• Each configuration is in place within a certain context
*ISO/IEC 24765:2009 Systems and software engineering vocabulary
Dr. Amir Tomer –SwSTE 2012 3 Software Modeling from Life-Cycle Perspective

4. Configurations vs. Architecture
• The camera can be arranged and
used in various configurations
– Each configuration is associated
with a certain context
• Shooting pictures
– At different occasions
• Uploading pictures to computer
• Displaying video clips
• Video chatting
• The camera’s architecture enables
and supports all of its
configurations
– The camera’s architecture
cannot be “configured” by itself!
Dr. Amir Tomer –SwSTE 2012 4 Software Modeling from Life-Cycle Perspective

5. Configurations vs. Architecture – Proposed Definitions
• We propose here the following definitions
– Configuration
• A specific arrangement of system elements, specifying the number and the type of each
element, as well as their interconnection and interaction
– Architecture
• An abstract* arrangement of abstract elements, specifying the abstract element types
and the number range of each element type, as well as their virtual interconnections and
virtual interactions.
• Consequently:
– The system architecture is the union of all possible system configurations;
– Every possible system configurations should be derived from the system
architecture;
– The system architecture is an abstract entity, and has no instance in reality;
– Architecture (abstract) elements are instantiated by specific configuration
elements, which specifically implement the required (virtual) interconnections and
interactions
*Abstract means here a generic entity that can be inherited by other entities but has no instantiations of itself
Dr. Amir Tomer –SwSTE 2012 5 Software Modeling from Life-Cycle Perspective

6. Case Study: A Field Service System
• A few requirements
– The operational Field Service System shall be
deployed, as follows:
• Field agents, using PDAs, communicate with
service centers
– Up to 100 agents per service center
• Service centers communicate with the
company headquarters
– There will be between 1 and 3 service
centers
• All the communication in the system will be
over a Virtual Private Network (VPN)
– An agent training class shall be established,
where agents with their operational PDAs may
connect and train against a service simulator
– At the first iteration of the project the Service
Center shall be implemented and tested
against HQ and Agent simulators
Dr. Amir Tomer –SwSTE 2012 6 Software Modeling from Life-Cycle Perspective

7. The Field Service System – Operational Configuration
• Context
– Operations
• View
– structure
• Model
– Physical Structure
• Model Type
– Deployment Diagram
• Sub-Blocks
– HWCIs (computers)
– CSCIs (applications)
Operational
Communication
Operational
Configuration
Dr. Amir Tomer –SwSTE 2012 7 Software Modeling from Life-Cycle Perspective

8. The Field Service System – Testing Configuration
• Context
– Testing
• View
– structure
• Model
– Physical Structure
• Model Type
– Deployment Diagram
– Composite Structure Diagram
• Sub-Blocks
– HWCIs (computers)
– CSCIs (applications)
– Test Lab (unspecified)
Communication
during testing
• Needs to provide a LAN communication port
Dr. Amir Tomer –SwSTE 2012 8 Software Modeling from Life-Cycle Perspective

9. The Field Service System – Training Configuration
• Context
– Training
• View
– structure
• Model
– Physical Structure
• Model Type
– Deployment Diagram
– Composite Structure Diagram
• Sub-Blocks
– HWCIs (computers)
– CSCIs (applications)
– Training class (unspecified)
• Needs to provide a LAN communication port
Communication
during testing
Operational
Configuration
Dr. Amir Tomer –SwSTE 2012 9 Software Modeling from Life-Cycle Perspective

10. The Field Service System – Architecture
• Context
– Architecture
• View
– structure
• Model
– Physical Structure
• Model Type
– Deployment Diagram
• Sub-Blocks
– HWCIs (computers)
– CSCIs (applications)
– Training class (unspecified)
• Needs to provide a LAN
communication port
Communication
Definitions for ICD
Generic Architecture:
Supports all configurations
<<abstract>>
A conceptual entity which has no real instances.
Must be <<realized>> by more specific entities
Dr. Amir Tomer –SwSTE 2012 10 Software Modeling from Life-Cycle Perspective

11. The Entire Picture
Architecture
Training Configuration
Operations Configuration
Testing Configuration
Dr. Amir Tomer –SwSTE 2012 11 Software Modeling from Life-Cycle Perspective

12. Assuring Architectural Consistency (IBD)
Dr. Amir Tomer –SwSTE 2012 12 Software Modeling from Life-Cycle Perspective

13. Behavioural Architecture
• The same Architecture/configuration principle holds for the system behaviour
– A behavioural architecture outlines the principle system behaviour over all its
operational contexts
– A behavioural configuration specifies the specific system behaviour in a specific
context
Human Agent
Field-service System -
Operational Context
Login Service
Ceneter
Open a Service Call
Field-Service System -
Behavioral Architecture
«abstract»
Login
«realize» «realize»
«abstract»
Open a Call
Agent
Field-service System -
Training Classroom
Context
Login Classroom
Open a Dummy
Call
Field-service System -
Test Lab Context
"Login" Test
"Call Opening"
Test
Tester
«realize»
«test»
«test»
«realize»
«realize»
«realize»
Dr. Amir Tomer –SwSTE 2012 13 Software Modeling from Life-Cycle Perspective

14. Any questions?
amir@amirtomer.com
052-8890202
Dr. Amir Tomer –SwSTE 2012 14 Software Modeling from Life-Cycle Perspective