A Bisimulation-based Hierarchical Framework for Software Development Models

Abstract

Software development models have been ripen since the emergence of software engineering, like waterfall model, V-model, spiral model, etc. To ensure the successful implementation of those models, various metrics for software products and development process have been developed along, like CMMI, software metrics, and process re-engineering, etc. The quality of software products and processes can be ensured in consistence as much as possible and the abstract integrity of a software product can be achieved. However, in reality, the maintenance of software products is still high and even higher along with software evolution due to the inconsistence occurred by changes and inherent errors of software products. It is better to build up a robust software product that can sustain changes as many as possible. Therefore, this paper proposes a process algebra based hierarchical framework to extract an abstract equivalent of deliverable at the end of phases of a software product from its software development models. The process algebra equivalent of the deliverable is developed hierarchically with the development of the software product, applying bi-simulation to test run the deliverable of phases to guarantee the consistence and integrity of the software development and product in a trivially mathematical way. And an algorithm is also given to carry out the assessment of the phase deliverable in process algebra.