Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

SQME: a framework for modeling and evaluation of software architecture quality attributes

  • Regular Paper
  • Published:
Software & Systems Modeling Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Designing a software architecture that satisfies all quality requirements is a difficult task. To determine whether the requirements are achieved, it is necessary to quantitatively evaluate quality attributes on the architecture model. A good evaluation process should have proper answers for these questions: (1) how to feedback the evaluation results to the architecture model (i.e., improve the architecture based on the evaluation results), (2) how to analyze uncertainties in calculations, and (3) how to handle conflicts that may exist between the quality preferences of stakeholders. In this paper, we introduce SQME as a framework for automatic evaluation of software architecture models. The framework uses evolutionary algorithms for architecture improvement, evidence theory for uncertainty handling, and EV/TOPSIS for making trade-off decisions. To validate the applicability of the framework, a case study is performed, and a software tool is developed to support the evaluation process.

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

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11
Fig. 12
Fig. 13
Fig. 14
Fig. 15
Fig. 16
Fig. 17
Fig. 18
Fig. 19

Similar content being viewed by others

Notes

  1. Software quality modeling and evaluation.

  2. Unified modeling language.

  3. Modeling and analysis of real-time embedded systems.

  4. Dependability analysis and modeling.

  5. Security analysis and modeling.

  6. Performance by unified modeling and analysis.

References

  1. Becker, S., Kapova, L.H.: Towards a methodology driven by relationships of quality attributes for QoS-based analysis. In: Proceedings of the 4th ACM/SPEC International Conference on Performance Engineering, 2013, pp. 311–314

  2. Martens, A., Koziolek, H., Becker, S., Reussner, R.: Automatically improve software architecture models for performance, reliability, and cost using evolutionary algorithms. In: Proceedings of the First Joint WOSP/SIPEW International Conference on Performance Engineering, 2010, pp. 105–116

  3. Trubiani, C., Meedeniya, I., Cortellessa, V., Aleti, A., Grunske, L.: Model-based performance analysis of software architectures under uncertainty. In: Proceedings of the 9th International ACM Sigsoft Conference on Quality of Software Architectures, 2013, pp. 69–78

  4. Autili, M., Cortellessa, V., Di Ruscio, D., Inverardi, P., Pelliccione, P., Tivoli, M.: EAGLE: engineering software in the ubiquitous globe by leveraging uncertainty. In: Proceedings of the 19th ACM SIGSOFT Symposium and the 13th European Conference on Foundations of Software Engineering, 2011, pp. 488–491

  5. Xu, J.: Rule-based automatic software performance diagnosis and improvement. Perform. Eval. 69(8), 525–550 (2012)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Esfahani, N., Malek, S., Razavi, K.: GuideArch: guiding the exploration of architectural solution space under uncertainty. In: Proceedings of the International Conference on Software Engineering, 2013, pp. 43–52

  7. Dubois, D.: Possibility theory and statistical reasoning. Comput. Stat. Data Anal. 51(1), 47–69 (2006)

    Article  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  8. Shafer, G.: The Dempster–Shafer Theory. Encycl. Artif. Intell. 2nd edn., pp. 330–331 (2008)

  9. Sedaghatbaf, A., Azgomi, M.A.: Quantitative evaluation of software security: an approach based on UML/SecAM and evidence theory. ISC. Int. J. Inf. Secur. 8(2), 137–149 (2016)

    Google Scholar 

  10. Sedaghatbaf, A., Azgomi, M.A.: Reliability evaluation of UML-DAM models under unertainty. IET Softw. (2018). https://doi.org/10.1049/iet-sen.2017.0077

    Google Scholar 

  11. Group, O.M.: UML Profile for MARTE: Modeling and Analysis of Real-Time Embedded Systems v.1.0 (2009)

  12. Bernardi, S., Merseguer, J., Petriu, D.C.: A dependability profile within MARTE. Softw. Syst. Model. 10(3), 313–336 (2011)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Shafer, G.: A Mathematical Theory of Evidence. Princeton University Press, Princeton (1976)

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  14. Petriu, D.C., Alhaj, M., Tawhid, R.: Software performance modeling. In: Proceedings of the 12th International Conference on Formal Methods for the Design of Computer, Communication, and Software Systems: Formal Methods for Model-driven Engineering, 2012, pp. 219–262

  15. Distefano, S., Scarpa, M., Puliafito, A.: From UML to Petri nets: the PCM-based methodology. IEEE Trans. Softw. Eng. 37(1), 65–79 (2011)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Brosch, F., Koziolek, H., Buhnova, B., Reussner, R.: Architecture-based reliability prediction with the palladio component model. IEEE Trans. Softw. Eng. 38(6), 1319–1339 (2012)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Becker, S., Koziolek, H., Reussner, R.: The palladio component model for model-driven performance prediction. J. Syst. Softw. 82(1), 3–22 (2009)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Bernardi, S., Merseguer, J., Petriu, D.C.: Dependability modeling and assessment in UML-based software development. Sci. World J. 2012, 1–11 (2012)

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  19. Bernardi, S., Merseguer, J., Petriu, D.C.: Dependability modeling and analysis of software systems specified with UML. ACM Comput. Surv. 45(1), 1–48 (2012)

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  20. Räihä, O.: A survey on search-based software design. Comput. Sci. Rev. 4(4), 203–249 (2010)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Aleti, A., Buhnova, B., Grunske, L., Koziolek, A., Meedeniya, I.: Software architecture optimization methods: a systematic literature review. IEEE Trans. Softw. Eng. 39(5), 658–683 (2013)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Walker, M., Reiser, M.O., Tucci-Piergiovanni, S., Papadopoulos, Y., Lönn, H., Mraidha, C., Parker, D., Chen, D., Servat, D.: Automatic optimisation of system architectures using EAST-ADL. J. Syst. Softw. 86(10), 2467–2487 (2013)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Cuenot, P., Chen, D., Gérard, S., Lönn, H., Reiser, M.O., Servat, D., Sjöstedt, C.J., Kolagari, R.T., Törngren, M., Weber, M.: Managing complexity of automotive electronics using the EAST-ADL. In: Proceedings of the IEEE International Conference on Engineering of Complex Computer Systems, ICECCS, 2007, pp. 353–358

  24. Deb, K., Agrawal, S., Pratap, A., Meyarivan, T.: A fast elitist non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm for multi-objective optimization: NSGA-II. In: Parallel Problem Solving from Nature, 2000, pp. 849–858

  25. Koziolek, A., Ardagna, D., Mirandola, R.: Hybrid multi-attribute QoS optimization in component based software systems. J. Syst. Softw. 86(10), 2542–2558 (2013)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Koziolek, A., Koziolek, H., Reussner, R.: PerOpteryx: automated application of tactics in multi-objective software architecture optimization. In: Proceedings of the Joint ACM SIGSOFT Conference and ACM SIGSOFT Symposium on Quality of Software Architectures and Architecting Critical Systems, 2011, pp. 33–42

  27. Meedeniya, I., Moser, I., Aleti, A., Grunske, L.: Architecture-based reliability evaluation under uncertainty. In: Proceedings of the Joint ACM SIGSOFT Conference and ACM SIGSOFT Symposium on Quality of Software Architectures and Architecting Critical Systems, 2011, pp. 85–94

  28. Meedeniya, I., Aleti, A., Grunske, L.: Architecture-driven reliability optimization with uncertain model parameters. J. Syst. Softw. 85(10), 2340–2355 (2012)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Meedeniya, I., Aleti, A., Avazpour, I., Amin, A.: Robust ArcheOpterix: architecture optimization of embedded systems under uncertainty. In: Proceedings of 2012 2nd International Workshop on Software Engineering for Embedded Systems, 2012, pp. 23–29

  30. Filieri, A., Ghezzi, C., Grassi, V., Mirandola, R.: Reliability analysis of component-based systems with multiple failure modes. In: Grunske, L., Reussner, R., Plasil, F. (eds.) Component-Based Software Engineering, pp. 1–20. Springer, Berlin (2010)

  31. Halkidis, S.T., Tsantalis, N., Chatzigeorgiou, A., Stephanides, G.: Architectural risk analysis of software systems based on security patterns. Dependable Secur. Comput. IEEE Trans. 5(3), 129–142 (2008)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  32. Kazman, R., Klein, M., Barbacci, M., Longstaff, T., Lipson, H., Carriere, J.: The architecture tradeoff analysis method. In: Proceedings of the Fourth IEEE International Conference on Engineering of Complex Computer Systems, 1998, pp. 68–78

  33. Kazman, R., Asundi, J., Klein, M.: Quantifying the costs and benefits of architectural decisions. In: Proceedings of the International Conference on Software Engineering, 2001, pp. 297–306

  34. Al-Naeem, T., Gorton, I., Babar, M.a., Rabhi, F., Benatallah, B.: A quality-driven systematic approach for architecting distributed software applications. In: Proceedings of the 27th International Conference on Software Engineering, 2005, pp. 244–253

  35. Saaty, T.L.: The Analytic Hierarchy Process. Applications and Studies, Berlin (1980)

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  36. Lima Junior, F.R., Osiro, L., Carpinetti, L.C.R.: A comparison between fuzzy AHP and fuzzy TOPSIS methods to supplier selection. Appl. Soft Comput. 21, 194–209 (2014)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  37. Ertugrul, I., Karakaşoglu, N.: Comparison of fuzzy AHP and fuzzy TOPSIS methods for facility location selection. Int. J. Adv. Manuf. Technol. 39(7–8), 783–795 (2008)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  38. Sentz, K., Ferson, S.: Combination of Evidence in Dempster–Shafer Theory, vol. 835. Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque (2002)

    Book  Google Scholar 

  39. Merlin, P.M., Farber, D.J.: Recoverability of communication protocols: implications of a theoretical study. IEEE Trans. Commun. 24(9), 1036–1043 (1976)

    Article  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  40. Bernardi, S., Campos, J.: Computation of performance bounds for real-time systems using time Petri nets. IEEE Trans. Ind. Informatics 5(2), 168–180 (2009)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  41. Murata, T.: Petri nets: properties, analysis and applications. Proc. IEEE 77, 541–580 (1989)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  42. Coello Coello, C.A., Dhaenens, C., Jourdan, L.: Multi-objective combinatorial optimization: problematic and context. Stud. Comput. Intell. 272, 1–21 (2010)

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  43. Etemaadi, R., Emmerich, M.T.M., Chaudron, M.R.V.: Problem-specific search operators for metaheuristic software architecture design. In: International Symposium on Search Based Software Engineering, 2012, pp. 267–272

  44. Sedaghatbaf, A.: SQME Tool Web Page (2018). [Online]. Available: http://webpages.iust.ac.ir/azgomi/TwCL/sqme.htm

  45. Gérard, S., Dumoulin, C., Tessier, P., Selic, B.: 19 Papyrus: a UML2 tool for domain-specific language modeling. In: Model-Based Engineering of Embedded Real-Time Systems, pp. 361–368. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg (2010)

  46. DICE Profiles 2016. [Online]. Available: http://dice-project.github.io/DICE-Profiles/

  47. MOEA Framework. [Online]. Available: http://moeaframework.org/

  48. Petriu, D.B., Woodside, M.: An intermediate metamodel with scenarios and resources for generating performance models from UML designs. Softw. Syst. Model. 6(2), 163–184 (2007)

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Trustworthy Computing Laboratory, School of Computer Engineering, Iran University of Science and Technology, Tehran, Iran

    Ali Sedaghatbaf

  2. School of Computer Engineering, Iran University of Science and Technology, Hengam St., Resalat Sq, Tehran, Postal Code: 16846-13114, Iran

    Mohammad Abdollahi Azgomi

Authors
  1. Ali Sedaghatbaf
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Mohammad Abdollahi Azgomi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mohammad Abdollahi Azgomi.

Additional information

Communicated by Dr Juergen Dingel.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Sedaghatbaf, A., Azgomi, M.A. SQME: a framework for modeling and evaluation of software architecture quality attributes. Softw Syst Model 18, 2609–2632 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10270-018-0684-3

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10270-018-0684-3

Keywords

Search

Navigation