A metric for evaluating software architecture and communication models consistency
RAIRO - Theoretical Informatics and Applications - Informatique Théorique et Applications, Tome 39 (2005) no. 2, pp. 361-390.

Among several alternative viewpoints for building software quality metrics, evaluating the consistency between different models in a software specification or implementation appears to be fruitful. An obvious difficulty is that different models are usually expressed by means of different concepts, and then, confronting heterogeneous representations is not straightforward. In this paper, we propose a solution for measuring the consistency between the architecture and the communication models. After some sensible transformations, the information about both models are captured trough hierarchical representations. We define and discuss a similarity measure between hierarchies, that eventually founds the software metric we propose. Lastly, we investigate how to scale and interpret the metric values and give an application example with SDL.

DOI : 10.1051/ita:2005023
Classification : 68N30
Mots-clés : software metrics, software architecture model, communication model, hierarchical clustering, model consistency, SDL
@article{ITA_2005__39_2_361_0,
     author = {Lafaye, Jean-Yves and Louis, Georges},
     title = {A metric for evaluating software architecture and communication models consistency},
     journal = {RAIRO - Theoretical Informatics and Applications - Informatique Th\'eorique et Applications},
     pages = {361--390},
     publisher = {EDP-Sciences},
     volume = {39},
     number = {2},
     year = {2005},
     doi = {10.1051/ita:2005023},
     mrnumber = {2142118},
     zbl = {1101.68472},
     language = {en},
     url = {http://archive.numdam.org/articles/10.1051/ita:2005023/}
}
TY  - JOUR
AU  - Lafaye, Jean-Yves
AU  - Louis, Georges
TI  - A metric for evaluating software architecture and communication models consistency
JO  - RAIRO - Theoretical Informatics and Applications - Informatique Théorique et Applications
PY  - 2005
SP  - 361
EP  - 390
VL  - 39
IS  - 2
PB  - EDP-Sciences
UR  - http://archive.numdam.org/articles/10.1051/ita:2005023/
DO  - 10.1051/ita:2005023
LA  - en
ID  - ITA_2005__39_2_361_0
ER  - 
%0 Journal Article
%A Lafaye, Jean-Yves
%A Louis, Georges
%T A metric for evaluating software architecture and communication models consistency
%J RAIRO - Theoretical Informatics and Applications - Informatique Théorique et Applications
%D 2005
%P 361-390
%V 39
%N 2
%I EDP-Sciences
%U http://archive.numdam.org/articles/10.1051/ita:2005023/
%R 10.1051/ita:2005023
%G en
%F ITA_2005__39_2_361_0
Lafaye, Jean-Yves; Louis, Georges. A metric for evaluating software architecture and communication models consistency. RAIRO - Theoretical Informatics and Applications - Informatique Théorique et Applications, Tome 39 (2005) no. 2, pp. 361-390. doi : 10.1051/ita:2005023. http://archive.numdam.org/articles/10.1051/ita:2005023/

[1] F. Ammar-Boudjelal, J.Y. Lafaye and G. Louis, Evaluating, Comparing and Improving the Quality of System Structure, During the Specification Process. Application Example with SDL. Software Quality J. 7 (1998) 195-222.

[2] Barthelemy J.P. and A. Guénoche, Les arbres et les représentations des proximités. Masson, Paris (1988).

[3] V. Basili, L.C. Briand and W.L. Melo, A Validation of Object-Oriented Design Metrics as Quality Indicators. IEEE Trans. Software Engineer. 22 (1996) 412-421.

[4] K.S. Booth and G.S. Lueker, Testing for the consecutive ones property, interval graphs, and graph planarity using PO-Tree algorithms. J. Comput. Syst. Sci. 13 (1976) 335-379. | MR | Zbl

[5] S. Chidamber and C. Kemerer, A Metric Suite for Object Oriented Design. IEEE Trans. Software Engineer. 20 (1994) 476-493.

[6] S. Chidamber, D. Darcy and C. Kemerer, Managerial use of metrics for object oriented software: an exploratory analysis. IEEE Trans. Software Engineer. 24 (1998) 629-639.

[7] T. Demarco and B.W. Boehm, Controlling Software: Management, Measurement and Estimates. Prentice-Hall (1998).

[8] J. Ellsberger, D. Hogrefe and A. Sarma, SDL, Formal Object-oriented Language for Communicating Systems. Prentice-Hall (1997).

[9] N. Fenton, R. Whitty and Y. Lizuka (editors), Software Quality Assurance and Measurement: A Worldwide Perspective. Chapman and Hall (1996). | Zbl

[10] N.E. Fenton and S.L. Pfleeger, Software Metrics: A Rigorous Approach1996). | Zbl

[11] A. Finkenstein, D. Gabbay, A. Hunter, J. Kramer and B. Nuseibeh, Inconsistency Handling in Multi-Perspective Specifications. IEEE Trans. Software Engineer. 20 (1994) 569-578.

[12] T. Foucart, Analyse factorielle de tableaux multiples. Masson, Paris (1984). | MR | Zbl

[13] P. Fradet, D. Le Métayer and M. Périn, Consistency Checking for Multiple View Software Architectures, in Proc. of European Software Engineering Conference, FSE'99, Springer-Verlag (1999) 410-428.

[14] P. Inverardi, H. Muccini and P. Pellicione, Automated Check of Architectural Models Consistency using SPIN, in Proc. of Automated Software Engineering conference, ASE'2001 (2001) 322-330.

[15] INSM, New Approaches in Software Measurement, in Proc. of 10𝑡ℎ international Workshop INSM'2000, LCNS, Springer-Verlag (2000)

[16] ISO/IEC 9126, International Standard Information Technology - Software Product Evaluation. Quality Characteristics and Guideline. ISO (1991).

[17] C. Lavit, Analyse conjointe de tableaux quantitatifs. Masson, Paris (1988).

[18] E.L. Lawler, Graphical algorithms and their complexity. Mathematical Center Tract 81 (1976) 3-32. | Zbl

[19] I.C. Lerman, Classification et analyse ordinale de données. Dunod, Paris (1981). | MR | Zbl

[20] C. Lewerentz and T. Lindner, Formal Development of Reactive Systems: Case Study Production Cell 891 (1995). | Zbl

[21] M. Lorentz and J. Kidd, Object Oriented Metrics. Prentice-Hall (1994).

[22] G. Poels and G. Dedene, Modelling and Measuring Object-Oriented Software attributes with Proximity Structures1999) 1-22.

[23] G. Poels and G. Dedene, Measuring Event-Based Object Oriented Conceptual Models, L'Objet, logiciel, bases de données, réseaux, Vol. 7. Hermès, Paris (2001). | Zbl

[24] J.M. Spivey, The Z Notation: A Reference Manual. Prentice Hall International, 2nd edition, (1992). | Zbl

[25] L. Stewart, Co-graphs, a class of tree representable graphs. Ph.D. Dpt of Computer Science, TR 126/78, University of Toronto, Canada (1978).

[26] S.A. Whitmire, Object Oriented Design Measurement. J. Wiley (1997).

Cité par Sources :