Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

VbTrace: using view-based and model-driven development to support traceability in process-driven SOAs

  • Theme Section
  • Published:
Software & Systems Modeling Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

In process-driven, service-oriented architectures, there are a number of important factors that hinder the traceability between design and implementation artifacts. First of all, there are no explicit links between process design and implementation languages not only due to the differences of syntax and semantics but also the differences of granularity. The second factor is the complexity caused by tangled process concerns that multiplies the difficulty of analyzing and understanding the trace dependencies. Finally, there is a lack of adequate tool support for establishing and maintaining the trace dependencies between process designs and implementations. We present in this article a view-based, model-driven traceability approach that tackles these challenges. Our approach supports (semi-)automatically eliciting and (semi-)formalizing trace dependencies among process development artifacts at different levels of granularity and abstraction. A proof-of-concept tool support has been realized, and its functionality is illustrated via an industrial case study.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. ActiveEndpoints (2008) ActiveBPEL Engine. http://www.activevos.com/community-open-source.php. Accessed 3 Feburary 2008

  2. Aizenbud-Reshef, N., Nolan, B.T., Rubin, J., Shaham-Gafni, Y.: Model traceability. IBM Syst. J. Model-Driven Softw Dev 45(3), (2006). doi:10.1147/sj.453.0515

  3. Aleksy, M., Hildenbrand, T., Obergfell, C., Schwind, M.: A pragmatic approach to traceability in model-driven development. In: PRIMIUM (2008)

  4. Alexander, I.: Semiautomatic tracing of requirement versions to use cases—experience and challenges. In: TEFSE’03: 2nd International Workshop on Traceability in Emerging Forms of Software Engineering, (2003)

  5. Antoniol, G., Canfora, G., de Lucia, A., Casazza, G.: Information retrieval models for recovering traceability links between code and documentation. In: ICSM ’00: Proceedings of the International Conference on Software Maintenance (ICSM’00), IEEE Computer Society, Washington, DC, USA, p. 40 (2000)

  6. Antoniol G., Canfora G., Casazza G., Lucia A.D., Merlo E.: Recovering traceability links between code and documentation. IEEE Trans Softw Eng 28(10), 970–983 (2002). doi:10.1109/TSE.2002.1041053

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Bondé, L., Boulet, P., Dekeyser, J.L.: Traceability and Interoperability at Different Levels of Abstraction in Model-Driven Engineering, Springer, Netherlands, pp. 263–273. Applications of specification and design languages for SoCs (2006)

  8. Constantopoulos P., Jarke M., Mylopoulos J., Vassiliou Y.: The software information base: a server for reuse. The VLDB J. 4(1), 1–43 (1995). doi:10.1007/BF01232471

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Eclipse (2006) Eclipse modeling framework. http://www.eclipse.org/emf. Accessed 3 January 2008

  10. Egyed A.: A scenario-driven approach to trace dependency analysis. IEEE. Trans. Softw. Eng. 29(2), 116–132 (2003). doi:10.1109/TSE.2003.1178051

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Evenson, M., Schreder, B.: SemBiz deliverable: D4.1 use case definition and functional requirements analysis, (2007). http://sembiz.org/attach/D4.1.pdf

  12. Frankel D.: Model Driven Architecture: Applying MDA to Enterprise Computing. Wiley, New York (2002)

    Google Scholar 

  13. Galvão, I., Goknil, A.: Survey of traceability approaches in model-driven engineering. In: EDOC, pp. 313–326 (2007)

  14. Gotel, O., Finkelstein, A.: Contribution structures [requirements artifacts]. In: Proceedings of 1995 IEEE International Symposium on Requirements Engineering (RE’95), pp. 100–107, (1995). doi:10.1109/ISRE.1995.512550

  15. Hayes, J.H., Dekhtyar, A., Osborne, J.: Improving requirements tracing via information retrieval. In: Requirements Engineering Conference. Proceedings 11th IEEE International, pp. 138–147 (2003)

  16. Hentrich, C., Zdun, U.: Patterns for process-Oriented integration in service-oriented architectures. In: Proceedings of the 11th European Conference on Pattern Languages of Programs (EuroPLoP 2006), Irsee, Germany, pp. 1–45 (2006)

  17. Holmes, T., Tran, H., Zdun, U., Dustdar, S. (2008) Modeling human aspects of business processes—a view-based, model-driven approach. In: Schieferdecker, I., Hartman, A., (eds) 4th European Conference on Model Driven Architecture Foundations and Applications (ECMDA-FA) 2008. Springer, LNCS, vol. 5095, pp. 246–261

  18. IBM (2006) Travel booking process. http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/bpcsamp/scenarios/travelBooking.html. Accessed 17 April 2008)

  19. Intalio, Inc (2006) Eclipse STP BPMN Modeler. http://www.eclipse.org/bpmn. Accessed 9 May 2008

  20. Kindler, E.: On the semantics of EPCs: a framework for resolving the vicious circle. In: Business Process Management, pp. 82–97 (2004)

  21. von Knethen, A., Paech, B., Kiedaisch, F., Houdek, F.: Systematic requirements recycling through abstraction and traceability. In: Requirements Engineering, 2002. Proceedings. IEEE Joint International Conference on, pp. 273–281, (2002). doi:10.1109/ICRE.2002.1048538

  22. Kozlenkov, A., Zisman, A.: Are their design specifications consistent with our requirements? In: RE ’02: Proceedings of the 10th Anniversary IEEE Joint International Conference on Requirements Engineering, IEEE Computer Society, Washington, DC, USA, pp. 145–156 (2002)

  23. Letelier, P.: A framework for requirements traceability in UML-based projects. In: Proceedings of the 1st International Workshop on Traceability in Emerging Forms of Software Engineering—17th IEEE International Conference on Automated Software Engineering, pp. 32–41 (2002)

  24. Lindvall M., Sandahl K.: Practical implications of traceability. Softw Pract Exp 26(10), 1161–1180 (1996). doi:10.1002/(SICI)1097-024X(199610)26:10<1161::AID-SPE58>3.3.CO;2-O

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Lucia A.D., Fasano F., Oliveto R., Tortora G.: Recovering traceability links in software artifact management systems using information retrieval methods. ACM Trans Softw Eng Methodol 16(4), 13 (2007). doi:10.1145/1276933.1276934

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Lucia, A.D., Oliveto, R., Tortora, G.: Adams re-trace: traceability link recovery via latent semantic indexing. In: ICSE ’08: Proceedings of the 30th International Conference on Software Engineering, ACM, New York, NY, USA, pp. 839–842. doi:10.1145/1368088.1368216 (2008)

  27. Mäder, P., Philippow, I., Riebisch, M.: A traceability link model for the unified process. In: SNPD (3), pp. 700–705 (2007)

  28. Mader, P., Gotel, O., Philippow, I.: Rule-based maintenance of post-requirements traceability relations. In: International Requirements Engineering, 2008. RE ’08. 16th IEEE, pp. 23–32. doi:10.1109/RE.2008.24 (2008)

  29. Maletic, J.I., Munson, E.V., Marcus, A., Nguyen, T.N.: Using a hypertext model for traceability link conformance analysis. In: TEFSE’03: 2nd International Workshop on Traceability in Emerging Forms of Software Engineering (2003)

  30. Marcus, A., Maletic, J.I.: Recovering documentation-to-source-code traceability links using latent semantic indexing. In: ICSE ’03: Proceedings of the 25th International Conference on Software Engineering, pp. 125–135, IEEE Computer Society, Washington, DC, USA (2003)

  31. Mayr, C., Zdun, U., Dustdar, S.: Model-driven integration and management of data access objects in process-driven SOAs. In: ServiceWave, pp. 62–73 (2008)

  32. Mendling, J., Hafner, M.: From inter-organizational workflows to process execution: generating BPEL from WS-CDL. In: OTM Workshops, pp. 506–515, (2005). doi:10.1007/11575863_70. http://www.springerlink.com/content/dkmc5vy9fl4j7j4j/

  33. Mendling, J., Ziemann, J.: Transformation of BPEL Processes to EPCs. In: Proceedings of the 4th GI Workshop on Event-Driven Process Chains (EPK 2005), vol. 167, pp. 41–53, (2005). http://wi.wu-wien.ac.at/home/mendling/publications/05-EPK.pdf

  34. Mendling, J., Lassen, K.B., Zdun, U.: Transformation strategies between block-Oriented and graph-oriented process modelling languages. Technical Report JM-200510 −10, WU Vienna (2005)

  35. Naslavsky, L., Ziv, H., Richardson, D.J.: Towards traceability of model-based testing artifacts. In: A-MOST ’07: 3rd International Workshop on Advances in Model-based Testing, pp. 105–114, ACM, New York, NY, USA (2007). doi:10.1145/1291535.1291546

  36. OASIS: Business process execution language (WSBPEL) 2.0. http://docs.oasis-open.org/wsbpel/2.0/OS/wsbpel-v2.0-OS.pdf (2007)

  37. Oldevik, J., Neple, T.: Traceability in model to text transformations. In: 2nd ECMDA Traceability Workshop (ECMDA-TW), pp. 17–26 (2006)

  38. OMG (2003) Model-driven architecture (MDA) Guide V1.0.1. http://www.omg.org/cgi-bin/doc?omg/03-06-01.pdf. Accessed 2 September 2007

  39. OMG: second revised submission to the MOF Model to text transformation RFP. 2005, Object Management Group. http://www.omg.org/cgi-bin/apps/doc?ad/05-11-03.pdf (2005a)

  40. OMG: unified modelling language (UML) 2.0. http://www.omg.org/spec/UML/2.0 (2005b)

  41. OMG: object constraint language(OCL) 2.0. http://www.omg.org/spec/OCL/2.0 (2006)

  42. OMG: business process modeling notation (BPMN) 1.1. http://www.omg.org/spec/BPMN/1.1 (2008)

  43. openArchitectureWareorg (2002) openArchitectureWare—a modular MDA/MDD generator framework. http://www.openarchitectureware.org. Accessed 23 October 2007

  44. Ouyang, C., Dumas, M., ter Hofstede A.H.M., van der Aalst W.M.P.: From BPMN process models to BPEL web services. In: IEEE International Conference on Web Services, pp. 285–292 (2006)

  45. Pohl, K.: PRO-ART: enabling requirements pre-traceability. In: ICRE, pp. 76–85 (1996)

  46. Ramesh B., Dhar V.: Supporting systems development by capturing deliberations during requirements engineering. IEEE. Trans. Softw. Eng. 18(6), 498–510 (1992). doi:10.1109/32.142872

    Article  Google Scholar 

  47. Ramesh B., Jarke M.: Toward reference models for requirements traceability. IEEE. Trans. Softw. Eng 27(1), 58–93 (2001). doi:10.1109/32.895989

    Article  Google Scholar 

  48. Recker, J., Mendling, J.: On the translation between BPMN and BPEL: conceptual mismatch between process modeling languages. In: Eleventh International Workshop on Exploring Modeling Methods in Systems Analysis and Design (EMMSAD’06), pp. 521–532 (2006)

  49. Spanoudakis, G., Zisman, A.: Software traceability: a roadmap, vol. 3, Handbook of Software Engineering and Knowledge Engineering: Recent Advances edn, World Scientific Publishing, pp. 395–428. http://www.ecsi-association.org/ecsi/main.asp?l1=library&fn=def&id=514 (2005)

  50. Spanoudakis, G., Zisman, A., Pérez-Miñana, E., Krause, P.: Rule-based generation of requirements traceability relations. J. Syst. Softw. 72(2), 105–127 (2004). doi:10.1016/S0164-1212(03)00242-5. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/B6V0N-4B5BH76-1D/2/ee36ef777944b21af3c03a604ec521f7

    Google Scholar 

  51. Stahl T., Völter M.: Model-Driven Software Development: Technology, Engineering, Management. Wiley, New York (2006)

    Google Scholar 

  52. Tran, H., Zdun, U., Dustdar, S.: View-based and Model-driven approach for reducing the development complexity in process-driven SOA. In: Intlernational Conference on Business Process and Services Computing (BPSC), GI, LNI, vol. 116, pp. 105–124 (2007)

  53. Tran, H., Zdun, U., Dustdar, S (2008) View-Based reverse engineering approach for enhancing model interoperability and reusability in process-driven SOAs. In: Mei H (ed.), 10th International Conference on Software Reuse, ICSR 2008, Springer, LNCS, vol. 5030, pp. 233–244. doi:10.1007/978-3-540-68073-4_23

  54. Tran, H., Holmes, T., Zdun, U., Dustdar, S. (2009) Modeling process-driven SOAs—a view-based approach, handbook of research on business process modeling edn, Information Science Reference, chap 2. http://www.igi-global.com/reference/details.asp?ID=33287

  55. W3C (1999) XML Path Language (XPath) 1.0. http://www.w3.org/TR/xpath. Accessed 8 July 2008

  56. W3C (2001) Web Services Description Language 1.1

  57. Walderhaug, S., Stav, E., Johansen, U., Olsen, G.K.: Traceability model-driven software development, information science reference, pp. 133–160. Designing software-intensive systems—methods and principles (2008)

  58. Ziemann, J., Mendling, J.: EPC-Based modelling of BPEL Processes: a pragmatic transformation approach. In: Proceedings of the 7th International Conference “modern information technology in the innovation processes of the industrial enterprises” (MITIP 2005), (2005). http://wi.wu-wien.ac.at/home/mendling/publications/05-MITIP.pdf

  59. Zisman, A., Kozlenkov, A.: Managing inconsistencies in UML specifications. In: Proceedings of the ACIS Fourth International Conference on Software Engineering, Artificial Intelligence, Networking and Parallel/Distributed Computing (SNPD’03), October 16–18, 2003, Lübeck, Germany, ACIS, pp. 128–138 (2003)

  60. Zisman, A., Spanoudakis, G., Pérez-Miñana, E., Krause, P.: Tracing software requirements artifacts. In: Proceedings of the International Conference on Software Engineering Research and Practice, SERP ’03, June 23–26, 2003, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, CSREA Press, pp. 448–455 (2003)

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Information Systems, Distributed Systems Group, Vienna University of Technology, Argentinier Str. 8/184-1, 1040, Vienna, Austria

    Huy Tran, Uwe Zdun & Schahram Dustdar

Authors
  1. Huy Tran
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Uwe Zdun
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Schahram Dustdar
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Huy Tran.

Additional information

Communicated by Prof. Richard Paige.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Tran, H., Zdun, U. & Dustdar, S. VbTrace: using view-based and model-driven development to support traceability in process-driven SOAs. Softw Syst Model 10, 5–29 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10270-009-0137-0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10270-009-0137-0

Keywords

Search

Navigation