Lecture Notes in Computer Science 1500 Edited by G. Goos, J. Hartmanis and J. van Leeuwen

Transcription

1 Lecture Notes in Computer Science 1500 Edited by G. Goos, J. Hartmanis and J. van Leeuwen

2 3 Berlin Heidelberg New York Barcelona Hong Kong London Milan Paris Singapore Tokyo

3 Jean-Claude Derniame Badara Ali Kaba David Wastell (Eds.) Software Process: Principles, Methodology, and Technology 13

4 Series Editors Gerhard Goos, Karlsruhe University, Germany Juris Hartmanis, Cornell University, NY, USA Jan van Leeuwen, Utrecht University, The Netherlands Volume Editors Jean-Claude Derniame LORIA Blv. des Aiguillettes, P.O. Box 239 F Vandoeuvre Cedex, France Badara Ali Kaba Polytechnical University of Bobo-Dioulasso 01, P.O. Box 1091, Bobo-Dioulasso 01, Burkina Faso David Wastell University of Manchester, Department of Computer Science Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, UK Cataloging-in-Publication data applied for Die Deutsche Bibliothek - CIP-Einheitsaufnahme Software process : principles, methodology, and technology / Jean-Claude Derniame... (ed.). - Berlin ; Heidelberg ; New York ; Barcelona ; Hong Kong ; London ; Milan ; Paris ; Singapore ; Tokyo : Springer, 1999 (Lecture notes in computer science ; Vol. 1500) ISBN CR Subject Classification (1998): K.6.3, D.2, K.6 ISSN ISBN Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg New York This work is subject to copyright. All rights are reserved, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, re-use of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilms or in any other way, and storage in data banks. Duplication of this publication or parts thereof is permitted only under the provisions of the German Copyright Law of September 9, 1965, in its current version, and permission for use must always be obtained from Springer-Verlag. Violations are liable for prosecution under the German Copyright Law. c Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 1999 Printed in Germany Typesetting: Camera-ready by author SPIN / Printed on acid-free paper

5 Foreword Jean Claude Derniame 1 Software process technology is an emerging and strategic area that has already reached a reasonable degree of maturity, delivering products and significant industrial experiences. This technology aims at supporting the software production process by providing the means to model, analyse, improve, measure, and whenever it is reasonable and convenient, to automate software production activities. In recent years, this technology has proved to be effective in the support of many business activities not directly related to software production, but relying heavily on the concept of process (i.e. all the applications traditionally associated with workflow management). This book concentrates on the core technology of software processes, its principles and concepts as well as the technical aspect of software process support. The contributions to this book are the collective work of the Promoter 2 European Working Group. This grouping of 13 academic and 3 industrial partners is the successor of Promoter, a working group responsible for creating a European software process community. Promoter 2 aims at exploiting this emerging community to collectively develop remaining open issues, to coordinate activities and to assist in the dissemination of results. The title Software Process Modelling and Technology [Fink94] was produced during Promoter 1. Being project based, it presented the main findings and proposals of the different projects then being undertaken by the partners. The present book is more ambitious for two reasons: it is principles oriented and it is intended to reflect our common understanding of the key concepts. In order to produce it, we have adopted, from the beginning, an explicit book writing process and we have also described it with one of the available formalisms. This is used as an example in Appendix C to illustrate the discourse and to defend the thesis that software process technology can be exploited in other related domains. Each chapter has specific editors and contributors, and contributions have been discussed and amended before being integrated. The global editing has been decomposed into two facets, with the syntactic and semantic editing undertaken by Ali Kaba and myself, and a complete revision to transform our Esprit English into one more correct, with thanks to the IPG at Manchester for their enormous contribution. Nancy, France December Coordinator of the Promoter and Promoter 2 Working Groups. Promoter is a research working group funded by the ESPRIT programme under reference WG The members can be reached at promoter@loria.fr.

6 Contributors Ilham Alloui University of Savoie at Annecy (F) Vincenzo Ambriola University of Pisa (I) Denis Avrillionis LSR-IMAG Laboratory (F) Selma Arbaoui University of Orleans at Issoudin (F) Noureddine Belkhatir LSR-IMAG Laboratory (F) Antonio Carzaniga Polytechnic of Milan (I) Reidar Conradi Norwegian Technical University (N) Pierre-Yves Cunin LSR-IMAG Laboratory (F) Samir Dami LSR-IMAG Laboratory (F) Jean-Claude Derniame LORIA (F) Wolfgang Emmerich University College London (UK) Gregor Engels University of Paderborn (D) Jacky Estublier LSR-IMAG Laboratory (F) Christer Fernstrom Xerox XRCE (F) Anthony Finklestein University College London (UK) Alfonso Fuggetta Polytechnic of Milan (I) Claude Godart LORIA (F) R. Mark Greenwood University of Manchester (UK) Luuk Groenewegen Leiden University (NL) M. Letizia Jaccheri Norwegian Technical University (N) Jens Jahnke University of Paderborn (D) Ali Badara Kaba University of Bobo-Dioulasso (BF) Peter Kawalek University of Manchester (UK) Patricia Lago Polytechnic of Turin (I) Jacques Lonchamp LORIA (F) Carlo Montangero University of Pisa (I) Minh Nguyen Norwegian Technical University (N) Elisabetta di Nitto Polytechnic of Milan (I) Flavio Oquendo University of Savoie at Annecy (F) Ian Robertson University of Manchester (UK) Wilhelm Schaefer University of Paderborn (D) Hala Skaf LORIA (F) Brian Warboys University of Manchester (UK) David Wastell University of Manchester (UK)

7 Contents 1 The Software Process: Modelling and Technology Introduction The Perspective of this Book Processes and Process Models A Simple Example: Software Change Process Modelling Basic Elements Process Model Levels Process Model Views Process-sensitive Software Engineering Environments Meta-Process Conclusion Software Process Standards, Assessments and Improvement Introduction Standard Processes ISO PSS ISO Assessment Methods The Capability Maturity Model Bootstrap SPICE Summary Improvement Methods Quality Improvement Paradigm The Personal Software Process Total Quality Management Standards and Software Process Technology

8 VIII Contents 3 Process Modelling Languages Introduction Requirements on Process Modelling Languages Process Elements PML Requirements and Meta-process Phases Possible PML Technologies from Other Languages/Domains Project Management Formal Specification Languages Informal Design Notations Programming Languages Database Languages CASE Tools and Tool Integration Mechanisms WorkFlow and Groupware The PML Design Dilemma: One or Many PMLs? Process Modelling Languages in the Promoter Context The Survey Method EPOS SPELL SOCCA Merlin OIKOS ALF ADELE-TEMPO SPADE PEACE E PADM Discussion Other PMLs APPL/A MARVEL Process Weaver Possible Groups of PMLs and PSEEs Conclusion Meta-Process Introduction Overview Meta-Process and Quality Improvement Existing Meta-Processes Requirements for a Meta-Process A Model of the Meta-Process Introduction Control and Problem Solving Consistency Management

9 Contents IX Task Decomposition Method Specialisation Remarks on the Model PROMOTER Reference Model (PRM) Model Structure Method Specialisation Task Decomposition Consistency Management Validation of the PRM with Respect to Requirements Empirical Justification of PRM Introduction The Customisation of PRM as QIP The Customisation of PRM as PRISM The Customisation of PRM as Process Life-cycle Experience from Empirical Justification Validation with respect to CMM Introduction Consistency Management Task Decomposition View Method Specialisation View Validation of PRM with respect to Implementation Introduction ProcessWise Integrator The Model The Scenario Conclusion Requirements Managing the Process Improvement Process Looking at other Meta-Processes Why Use a PRM? The Way Forward Architectural Views and Alternatives Basic Components A Reference Model for Architectures in PSEEs Dialog Management Process Management Workspace Management Repository Management Communication Management Tools Architectures for Distributed PSEEs Determinant Requirements on Architectures for Distributed PSEEs Architectural Alternatives for Distributed PSEEs

10 X Contents 5.3 Example Architecture: The Distributed PSEE Merlin Instance View on the Merlin Architecture Type View on the Merlin Architecture Cooperation Control in PSEE Introduction Objective An Illustrative Example Organisation of the Chapter Moving from Traditional to Advanced Applications ACID Properties From ACID to Non-ACID From Flat to Nested From Closed to Open Hierarchical versus Layered Homogeneous versus Heterogeneous From Transient to Persistent Available Advanced Transaction Models Summary and Analysis Impact of Cooperation Control on the Architecture of PSEE Impact of the Repository on Consistency Maintenance Workspaces: an Abstract Level to Support Flexibility Predefined Synchronisation Strategies Layer The Knowledge Management Layer The Interface Layer Current Work The COO System The MERLIN System The ADELE System The SPADE System Other Facets of Cooperation Conclusion The Human Dimension of the Software Process Introduction Three Organisational Contexts of Software Development In-house Development in ACME Stores : the Fetish of Methodology Case B: Implementing Quality Management in a Software House (Columbine) Case C: User Involvement in the Development of a Medical Workstation General Remarks on the Cases The Social Dynamics of the Software Process MIS Research on the Software Process

11 Contents The Contribution of Software Psychology Process Modelling and Enactment: Some Practical Experiences The Human Role in the Software Process: Dowson s framework Dowson's Framework User Interaction User Interaction, Learning and the Meta-Process Interpersonal Interaction A Human-Centred Approach to Software Process Support The Need for an Ecological Approach in Software Process Research Synergy with Computer Supported Cooperative Work The Limits of the Process Enactment Paradigm The Software Process is a Learning Process Conclusion XI 8 Software Process: Key Issues and Future Directions Introduction Summary of Key Issues Process Modelling Languages The Meta-Process PSEE Architecture Cooperation Control Social Aspects Wider Applications Future Trends Evolution of Software Development Practice Technology Evolution Application Domain Evolution Appendix A Lifecycle (Sub) Process Demonstration Scenario (ISPW 9) A.1 Background A.2 Introduction A.3 Problem Reporting and Change Process A.4 Sub-scenarios B Annotated Bibliography on PSEE/PML B.1 PMLs B.1.1 Japanese and American PSEEs B.1.2 European PSEEs

12 XII Contents C Case Study Demonstrating the Wider Applicability of the PSEE Paradigm C.1 Introduction C.2 Informal Formulation of the Example C.3 A Preliminary Discussion of the Example C.4 A First Level of Process Modelling C.5 A Top-Down LCPS Model for the Example Process C.6 Discussion of the Example Process Models C.7 Conclusion D Assessment Framework for PSEEs D.1 Product D.2 Activity D.3 Workspace D.4 Cooperation D.5 Process and Meta-process Support D.6 Process Tracking and Time Constraints D.7 Human and Social Aspects: Costs and Benefits Glossary References Index