Towards Software Architecture and Mechanisms for Improving Runtime Variability of Internetware System

As an emerging software paradigm, Internetware is proposed to handle openness, dynamism of software systems in the context of Internet, which implies that such software systems typically have runtime variability that can be improved dynamically to handle various or even unexpected changes of requirements and open environment. Though many progresses of Internetware software technologies have been made to support the adaptation, evolution, context-awareness, etc. of Internetware, how to construct Internetware systems with the ability to improve their runtime variability is still a great challenge in the literature of software engineering. In this paper, we propose software architecture and mechanisms for Internetware systems to support the improvement of their runtime variability by combining software variability and autonomic computing techniques. The Internetware system is organized as three levels that are consist of variable autonomic elements and Internetware entities, and architecture of these software entities is defined and discussed respectively. Moreover, we put forward a series of runtime mechanisms based on these levels, including module selection, intermediator and horizontal management, to realize operations upon the variation points and variants in software architectures and thus achieve the improvement of runtime variability. We develop a sample of Personal Data Resource Network to depict the requirements and scenario of improving runtime variability, and further study the case based on our proposed approach to show its effectiveness and applicability.     

基于Agent的网构软件构件模型及其实现

网构软件代表了Internet环境下的一种新型的软件形态,但仍然面临着外部环境显式化、软件实体主体化、运行机制自适应等问题.从构件的角度出发,提出了EBDI(electronic business document exchange)结构以表示能够根据环境变化实施自主行为的构件,利用动态绑定关系解释了构件的自适应演化特征.根据形式化的Role模型,描述了构件的运行状态、自主运行及自适应演化运行机制.开发了DAgent-Internetware原型作为网构软件的支撑平台,支持以DAgent为构件的网构软件从设计到实现、部署、运行、演化等一系列流程.     

A software architecture centric engineering approach for Internetware

As a new software paradigm evolved by the Internet, Internetware brings many challenges for the traditional software development methods and techniques. Though architecture-based component composition (ABC) approach is originated in the traditional software paradigm, it supports the engineering of Internetware effectively due to its philosophy, rationales and mechanisms. ABC has three major contributions to the en- gineering of Internetware in detail. First, the feature oriented domain modeling method can structure the “disordered”“software entities” to “ordered Internetware” bottom-up in the problem space. Second, the architecture centric design and analysis method can support the development of self-adaptive Internetware. Third, the component operating platform is a reflective and self-adaptive middleware that not only provides Internetware with a pow- erful and flexible runtime infrastructure but also enables the self-adaptation of the structure and individual entities of Internetware.     

一种情境驱动的网构软件体系架构与支撑环境

本文从网构软件Internet环境下涉及的各类事物和事件情境及情境的整个生命周期出发,以情境驱动为核心,对网构软件的体系结构与支撑环境展开研究,以支持服务实体的自适应、自演化行为。本文研究了Internet环境下服务实体交互与协同关系中的各种情境构成,给出了一个适合网构软件的情境本体定义。在此基础上,给出了一种基于情境感知的网构软件体系架构,并描述了在这一架构下网构软件按需聚合和动态演化的模型与机制。围绕该应用场景,结合服务实体实际运行时的特点及要素,给出了该体系架构下网构软件的支撑环境软件设计。最后,本文给出了一种基于OSGi服务平台的支撑环境参考实现。     

A software architecture centric self-adaptation approach for Internetware

Being one of the basic features of Internetware, self-adaptation means that the software system can monitor its runtime state and behavior and adjust them when necessary according to pre-defined policies. Focusing on the three fundamental issues of self-adaptation, including the scope, operability and trustworthiness, a software architecture （SA） centric approach for Internetware＇s self-adaptation is presented in this paper. All of the self-adaptive actions, i.e. monitoring, analyzing, planning and executing, are performed based on SA. In detail, runtime state and behavior of Internetware are represented and changed in the form of runtime soft- ware architecture. The knowledge for self-adaptation is captured, organized and reasoned in the form of SA so that automatic analysis and decision-making are achieved.     

网构软件中实体发现和排序的TEA方法(英文)

自治软件实体分布在开放、动态和多变的互联网中,它们的协作构成网构软件的基础。动态连接模式是网构软件重要的协作方式。在该模式下,如何选择具有所需质量的软件实体,是一个非常困难的任务。介绍了运行时测试和自动化测试技术,提出网构软件的自动化运行时测试方法。总结网构软件中用于软件实体的发现和排序的解决方法,提出了测试和评估方法TEA。网构软件不知道候选软件实体的质量,通过进行自动化的运行时测试,TEA可以选择具有更高质量的实体。如同网构软件一样,自治软件实体也可以在运行时改变自身结构。通过使用确认断言来评估每次实体调用的结果,TEA可以尽早发现实体变化引起的质量问题。TEA中的软件实体注册机收集每个不同的网构软件反馈的测试和评估结果信息,可以产生按估计质量排序的实体列表。在模拟实验中,TEA产生的有序列表获得最好的评估分数。     

Internetware: An Emerging Software Paradigm for Internet Computing

The Internet is undergoing a tremendous change towards the globalized computing environment.Due to the open,dynamic and uncontrollable natures of the Internet,software running in the Internet computing environment has some new features,which bring challenges to current software technologies in terms of software model,software operating platform,software engineering approaches and software quality.Researchers in China have proposed the term "Internetware" to present the emerging software paradigm.Sponsored by the National Basic Research 973 Program,several research practices have been done on the Internetware in the past decade.This paper summarizes the progress and status of the Internetware researches.A technical solution framework for the Internetware paradigm is proposed from four aspects:the Internetware software model defines what the Internetware is to be;the Internetware middleware determines how to run the Internetware applications;the engineering methodology determines how to develop the Internetware applications;the Internetware quality assurance determines how well the Internetware applications can perform.The paper also discusses the ongoing research issues and future trends of Internetware.     

用抽象质量类型构建高质量网构软件(英文)

在开发基于因特网的软件系统(文中称为网构软件)时,在开发过程的各个阶段都需要考虑软件系统的多种质量属性,这样网构软件的质量才能在软件系统的规约和设计阶段进行推导和预测,从而在部署和运行阶段进一步进行评估和验证。提出了一种新的抽象概念,即抽象质量类型,将软件实体的数据状态、相关的操作、质量属性以及保证质量得以实现的环境封装在一个统一的语法单元中,从而为建模软件实体以及推导其功能和非功能属性提供了一种严格的手段。探讨了基于软件体系结构及软件交互过程的抽象质量类型的组合,这为构建高质量网构软件提供了一定的形式化基础。最后,还描出了一个系统原型来展示如何利用抽象质量类型构造网构软件,并验证和提高网构软件系统的相关质量属性。     

Preface

The vision of ''Internet as a computer'' motivates many technical trends, like pervasive computing, grid computing, service computing and recently, cloud computing, as well as some business trends, like modern service industry, digital economy and smarter planet. These evolutionary changes demand that the software systems which are running on the open and dynamic Internet have to be autonomous, context-sensitive, continuous-reactive, evolutionary, and proactive, and the software entities dispersed on distributed nodes over the Internet will be turned into self-contained, autonomous and adaptive. Thus, like the information Web, i.e. the World Wide Web, these Internet-based software entities will constitute a software Web. That gives birth a new software paradigm. A portmanteau term ''Internetware'' is used to denote the future software-web. An Internetware system will be able to perceive the changes of the open and dynamic environment, respond to the changes, and exhibit the context-aware, adaptive and trustworthy behaviors. The mission of Internetware may challenge many aspects of software technologies, from the operating platforms and the programming models to the engineering approaches. Internetware 2010, the second Asia-Pacific Symposium on Internetware, aims to provide an interactive forum where researchers and professionals from multiple disciplines and domains meet and exchange ideas to explore and address the challenges brought by Internetware. The symposium was held at Suzhou, China, during the 2-4 of Nov, 2010. Thirty three papers were submitted and each of them was reviewed by at least two members of an International Program Committee. Among them, 12 have been accepted (which means an acceptance rate of 36%) for their quality as well as for their interesting terms of discussions for the symposium attendees. This special issue contains 7 revised and substantially extended papers from the 12 based on presentations at the symposium: ......     

Runtime software architecture based on reflective middleware

Copyright by Science in China Press 2004 Since its first literate identification and discussion[1], software architecture (SA) has become an important subfield of software engineering, receiving increasing attention from both academic and industrial communities. SA describes the gross structure of a software system with a collection of components, connectors and constraints[2]. In gen-eral, SA acts as a bridge between requirements and implementation and provides a blue-print for system cons…     

网构软件可信性演化评估分层Petri网模型

对网构软件系统初始化及系统演化时实体间信任关系的建立、演化和评估问题进行了研究。通过结构分析,建立了网构软件系统结构模型,并给出了基于分层Petri网的评估模型;从系统整体组成结构与各实体内部访问控制策略两方面,对网构软件演化过程中的可信性演化情况进行了评估;解决了原有基于信任度量的模型对系统初始化及新建立实体可信性支持不足的问题,并提供了服务实体对客户实体的反向信任机制。     

Enforceable component-based realtime contracts

We present enforceable component-based realtime contracts, the first extension of component-based software engineering technology that comprehensively supports adaptive realtime systems from specification all the way to the running system.To provide this support, we have extended component-based interface definition languages (IDLs) and component representations in repositories to express realtime requirements for components. The final software, which is assembled from the components, is then executed on a realtime operating system (RTOS) with the help of a component runtime system. RTOS resource managers and the IDL-extensions are based on the same mathematical foundation. Thus, the component runtime system can use information expressed in a component-oriented manner in the extended IDL to derive parameters for the task-based admission and scheduling in the RTOS. Once basic realtime properties can thus be guaranteed, runtime support can be extended to more elaborate schemes that also support adaptive applications (container-managed quality assurance).We claim that this study convincingly demonstrates how component-based software engineering can be extended to build systems with non-functional requirements.     

一个适用于网构软件的信任度量及演化模型

网构软件的构建依赖于对开放协同环境中各种异构的、自治的软件服务实体间的有效协同.Internet的开放性与动态性,使得对于诚实的、具有可靠服务质量协同实体的选择难度较大,难以确保网构软件的可信性.软件实体间的信任关系对于保障网构软件的可信性具有重要的指导意义.软件实体间的信任关系通常随协作的进行而不断变化,但现有的信任模型缺乏对实体间信任关系的自动形成与更新的支持,从而无法刻画信任关系的动态性.针对该问题,提出了一个适用于网构软件的信任度量及演化模型.该模型不仅对信任关系度量过程和信任信息传递及合并过程进行了合理抽象,而且还提供了一种合理的方法,用于促进协同实体间信任关系的自动形成与更新.该模型有助于解决开放环境下网构软件的可信性问题.     

面向异构CAD平台的工程辅助绘图系统的研制

工程图是进行工业生产和技术交流的重要文档,而在三维CAD系统中制作标准化的工程图比较烦琐．通过分析UG和Pro／E等系统工程图模块功能的不足,充分考虑不同平台二次开发的差异,借鉴成熟的软件体系和先进的开发工具,提出了一个通用的面向异构CAD平台的工程辅助绘图软件框架;并详细讨论了物理模块部署、逻辑对象构造和实例维护、工程随动约束管理以及产品装配模型访问等关键技术;研究开发了实用系统并在企业中得到应用．     

软件开发方法发展回顾与展望

软件是信息化社会的基础设施,而构造并运用软件的能力成为一种核心竞争力.软件开发方法凝结了系统化的软件构造过程和技术.简要回顾了50年来软件开发方法发展历程中具有重要影响的里程碑,包括基于结构化程序设计和模块化开发的基本方法、面向对象方法、软件复用与构件化方法、面向方面的方法、模型驱动的方法,以及服务化的方法.而后针对Internet的发展普及以及人机物融合应用对软件开发方法提出的挑战,介绍了网构软件的研究和探索,并展望未来人机物融合的软件方法和技术.     

Flourishing creativity in software development via Internetware paradigm

While culture being the software controlling human mind, computer software development becomes one of the most creative activities that human undertake since the civilisation began. The only limitation in software creation is human imagination, and that limit is often self-imposed. The “Internetware”, referring to a software paradigm, aims to satisfy the need of human kind using Internet as an integrated development and execution platform. Such software systems are composed of entities distributed through the Internetwork, allowing connections that would be impossible or difficult to make otherwise. One of the tasks for the Internetware is to accommodate creativity, to understand the general settings of creative design process and to develop programs that can enhance creativity without necessarily being creative themselves. Therefore, it can be summarized that a development environment needs to be built to best support software creation process of six steps including searching, ideating, specifying, coding, testing and evolving. An E-Health application eco-system is used to illustrate the proposed development process model.     

PESOI： Process Embedded Service-Oriented Architecture

1 Introduction Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) has received significant attention recently as major computer and software companies such as HP, IBM, Intel, Microsoft, and SAP, have all embraced SOA, as well as government agencies such as DoD (US depar…     

基于IGES的数据交换接口实现

文章通过对IGES中性标准的分析,设计了一个逆向工程数据处理软件数据交互接口的框架。在此框架基础上,实现了重构模型与各种工程设计软件之间的数据信息交换,并应用于相关软件的编制中。