Abstract
A software architecture design captures the main decisions regarding the quality-attribute requirements for a system. When constructing these designs, the architect normally evaluates and combines solutions with different quality-attribute tradeoffs. This exploration of the design space can be seen as a searching problem, in which the architect’s expertise is what directs the search towards a “good-enough” solution. Nonetheless, given complexity of this search, assisting the architect with adequate tool support becomes indispensable. In this context, we have investigated the utility of a planning-based tool approach called DesignBots to explore design alternatives. Specifically, the approach considers quality-attribute issues as goals achievable by combinations of architectural mechanisms, which are generated by a mixed-initiative and hierarchical planning engine. Our experiences with DesignBots show that the planning approach effectively helps architects to explore design alternatives productively.
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Díaz-Pace, J.A., Campo, M.R. (2007). Using Planning Techniques to Assist Quality-Driven Architectural Design Exploration. In: Overhage, S., Szyperski, C.A., Reussner, R., Stafford, J.A. (eds) Software Architectures, Components, and Applications. QoSA 2007. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 4880. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-77619-2_3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-77619-2_3
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