Software Architecture, Configuration Management, and Configurable Distributed Systems: A Menage a Trois

Abstract

Software architecture, configuration management, and configurable distributed systems are three areas of research that until now have evolved separately. Contributions in each field have focused on their respective area of concern. However, as solutions in the three fields tend to center around some notion of a system model, it is worthwhile to investigate their relationship in detail. In particular, the large amount of overlap among the system models developed in each area, combined with the complementary nature of the differences among them, suggests that an approach based on a common system model is viable. In this paper, we illustrate the benefits of using such a unified system model, identify the commonalities and differences among the existing system models, and present some of our initial experiments that we believe will lead to the development of a single system model that is usable in all three fields.This work was supported in part by the Air Force Material Command, Rome Laboratory, and the Advanced Research Projects Agency under Contract Number F30602-94-C-0253. The content of the information does not necessarily reflect the position or the policy of the Government and no official endorsement should be inferred. Report Documentation PageForm Public reporting burden for the collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to Washington Headquarters Services, Directorate for Information Operations and Reports, 1215 Jefferson Davis Highway, Suite 1204, Arlington VA 22202-4302. Respondents should be aware that notwithstanding any other provision of law, no person shall be subject to a penalty for failing to comply with a collection of information if it does not display a currently valid OMB control number.