Traceability Based Dynamic Metrics as a Tool for Evaluating Partitioning Decisions in Object-Oriented Architecture

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

This research investigates a new method of assessing predicted performancecharacteristics of Object-Oriented software architectures. As scenariosrepresent the anticipated runtime behavior of a system, they can be used ata very early stage in the design to quantitatively predict aspects of thatbehavior. The proposed approach can be applied earlier than other existingmethods such as simulations and executable designs, and does not requirespecial analytical skills. Early assessment is an important risk mitigationtechnique, that can contribute significantly to the task of building adistributed system with a greater degree of confidence in its ability toperform as required.The research involves formally defining a set of scenario-based metrics anda corresponding system-wide dynamic metrics model. A strongly typedtraceability scheme is defined to support the definition and automatedquerying of relationships between performance requirements, scenarios, andarchitectural components. Scenario invocation rates are specified withinthe context of typical usage patterns, and the relationship betweenscenarios is investigated to determine when performance requirements shouldbe propagated from one scenario to another. A supporting tool is developedand used to capture metrics and validate them against runtime and simulationmeasurements taken from a variety of distributed systems.