Families Of Related Systems Research Articles

A systematic mapping study of information visualization for software product line engineering

AbstractSoftware product lines (SPLs) are families of related systems whose members are distinguished by the set of features they provide. Over 2 decades of research and practice can attest to the substantial benefits of applying SPL practices such as better customization, improved software reuse, and faster time to market. Software product line engineering (SPLE) refers to the paradigm of developing SPLs. Typical SPLE efforts involve a large number of features that are combined to form also large numbers of products, implemented using multiple and different types of software artifacts. Because of the sheer amount of information and its complexity, visualization techniques have been used for different SPLE activities. In this paper, we present an extended systematic mapping study on this subject. Our research questions aim to gather information regarding the techniques that have been applied, at what SPLE activities, how they were implemented, the publication fora used, the methods of empirical evaluation, and the provenance of the evaluation examples. Our driving goal is to identify common trends, gaps, and opportunities for further research and application.

Efficient family-based model checking via variability abstractions

Many software systems are variational: they can be configured to meet diverse sets of requirements. They can produce a (potentially huge) number of related systems, known as products or variants, by systematically reusing common parts. For variational models (variational systems or families of related systems), specialized family-based model checking algorithms allow efficient verification of multiple variants, simultaneously, in a single run. These algorithms, implemented in a tool \(\overline{\text {SNIP}}\), scale much better than “the brute force” approach, where all individual systems are verified using a single-system model checker, one-by-one. Nevertheless, their computational cost still greatly depends on the number of features and variants. For variational models with a large number of features and variants, the family-based model checking may be too costly or even infeasible. In this work, we address two key problems of family-based model checking. First, we improve scalability by introducing abstractions that simplify variability. Second, we reduce the burden of maintaining specialized family-based model checkers, by showing how the presented variability abstractions can be used to model check variational models using the standard version of (single-system) SPIN. The variability abstractions are first defined as Galois connections on semantic domains. We then show how to use them for defining abstract family-based model checking, where a variability model is replaced with an abstract version of it, which preserves the satisfaction of LTL properties. Moreover, given an abstraction, we define a syntactic source-to-source transformation on high-level modeling languages that describe variational models, such that the model checking of the transformed high-level variational model coincides with the abstract model checking of the concrete high-level variational model. This allows the use of SPIN with all its accumulated optimizations for efficient verification of variational models without any knowledge about variability. We have implemented the transformations in a prototype tool, and we illustrate the practicality of this method in several case studies.

A LITERATURE REVIEW ON FEATURE DIAGRAM PRODUCT COUNTING AND ITS USAGE IN SOFTWARE PRODUCT LINE ECONOMIC MODELS

In software product line engineering, feature diagrams are a popular means to represent the similarities and differences within a family of related systems. In addition, feature diagrams implicitly model valuable information that can be used in economic models to estimate the cost savings of a product line. In particular, this paper reviews existing proposals on computing the total number of products modeled with a feature diagram and, given a feature, the number of products that implement it. This paper also reviews the economic information that can be estimated when such numbers are known. Thus, this paper contributes by bringing together previously-disparate streams of work: the automated analysis of feature diagrams and economic models for product lines.

Observable-preserving control of quantum dynamics over a family of related systems

Quantum control aims at the manipulation of atomic- and molecular-scale dynamics phenomena. An important objective in this regard is the understanding of dynamical control within a family of related quantum systems. To explore this issue, diffeomorphic changes in the system Hamiltonian $\mathcal{H}(s,t)$ are introduced by scanning over a homotopy parameter $s$ and then monitoring the control field response needed to maintain the value of a specified target observable. This operation is implemented through a procedure referred to as diffeomorphic modulation under observable-response-preserving homotopy (D-MORPH). The governing D-MORPH differential equation determining the control laser field $E(s,t)$ is shown to explicitly allow for innumerable solutions, with each characterized by the choice of an arbitrary function $f(s,t)$ of $s$ and time $t$. The presence of $f(s,t)$ in the D-MORPH differential equation makes clear the origin of multiple control fields that produce the same observable objective. A stable algorithm is presented for practical execution of D-MORPH with the only criterion that the Hamiltonian $\mathcal{H}(s,t)$ permit reaching the objective over the full domain of $s$ being sampled. Both analytic and numerical examples are presented to illustrate the D-MORPH concept.

TinkerType: a language for playing with formal systems

TinkerType is a pragmatic framework for compact and modular description of formal systems (type systems, operational semantics, logics, etc.). A family of related systems is broken down into a set of clauses – individual inference rules – and a set of features controlling the inclusion of clauses in particular systems. Simple static checks are used to help maintain consistency of the generated systems. We present TinkerType and its implementation and describe its application to two substantial repositories of typed lambda-calculi. The first repository covers a broad range of typing features, including subtyping, polymorphism, type operators and kinding, computational effects, and dependent types. It describes both declarative and algorithmic aspects of the systems, and can be used with our tool, the TinkerType Assembler, to generate calculi either in the form of typeset collections of inference rules or as executable ML typecheckers. The second repository addresses a smaller collection of systems, and provides modularized proofs of basic safety properties.

Managing requirements in a product family approach to systems engineering

Increasingly, organizations are considering a “product family” approach to systems engineering (SE). A product family enables large-scale reuse across similar systems, so reducing development costs and delivery time scales. Organizations must manage the requirements for a family of related systems in addition to individual systems. Unfortunately, a literature review reveals an absence of guidance in this area. Drawing on experiences from three case studies, this paper offers practical advice on managing requirements for product families, including requirements planning, determination, review, and evolution. The paper refrains from prescribing specific techniques, notations, or tools, as these are not generally transferable across organizations. Instead, attention is centered on the capability areas and key practices that are necessary to underpin requirements management in a product-family SE approach. It is proposed that, with appropriate tailoring, the key practices can help project managers define a requirements process suited to their own product family. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Syst Eng 2: 46–55, 1999