Design of connectors in distributed system based on extended attribute-driven design method /

Abstract

Today, software architecture has received a lot of attention in software development process. In terms of architecture, component and connector are two key concepts to understand logical organization of software. Within the organization, components are required to be connected and configured into a system with exchanging data. In order to satisfy the requirements of connection, connectors provide components with mechanisms for communication, coordination, or cooperation among them. Particularly, in distributed systems, connectors play an important role in software architecture. However, in software development process, engineers often face more challenges of building connectors with high quality and full functionality, because of different level of understanding for connectors and lack of design models, as well as few approaches of maintenance. Some existing approaches are proposed to solve the connector problems. For example, Aspect-Oriented Programming is used to build connectors based on relationship of components; according to transmission of information between components, middleware solution is adopted to develop connectors. In this thesis we present a new way to define software connectors. This definition considers different aspects of connectors, especially for the connectors in distributed systems. By using the definition, software connectors are clearly and fully described in computer science. Additionally, it covers different knowledge areas for designing connectors, in particular the area of quality attributes of software. We create a new design approach which is called Extended Attribute-Driven Design method (EADD) for both architecture design and selection of developments tools. In order to design connectors, EADD has capability to drive architecture design for meeting the functional requirements and achieving the quality attributes. Based on EADD and the new definition of connector, we propose a model for designing connectors with aim of producing architecture design and selecting development tools. The model comprises Life Cycle Model (LCM) and Layered Design Model (LDM). They are meant to enhance high level design of connectors. Particularly, it has capability to organize a set of development tools for satisfying quality attributes of connectors. The model can be applied to design generic connectors in distributed systems, for example connectors in component-based distributed systems, connectors in service-oriented architecture (SOA), etc. In terms of the model, we provide typical approaches and tools in practice. Furthermore, we perform an analysis by combining our design model with existing approaches to highlight its advantages and we analyzes the effect of the design model on classification of connectors and attempts to make a new classification. At the end of this thesis, a case study is realized: design of connector for a push mail system in wireless network. In the case study, we show the design process of the architecture of connector and the selection of the related development tools based on our design model.