Requirement emergence computation of networked software

Abstract

Emergence Computation has become a hot topic in the research of complex systems in recent years. With the substantial increase in scale and complexity of network-based information systems, the uncertain user requirements from the Internet and personalized application requirement result in the frequent change for the software requirement. Meanwhile, the software system with non self-possessed resource become more and more complex. Furthermore, the interaction and cooperation requirement between software units and running environment in service computing increase the complexity of software systems. The software systems with complex system characteristics are developing into the “Networked Software” with characteristics of change-on-demand and change-with-cooperation. The concepts “programming”, “compiling” and “running” of software in common sense are extended from “desktop” to “network”. The core issue of software engineering is moving to the requirement engineering, which becomes the research focus of complex system software engineering.

In this paper, we present the software network view based on complex system theory, and the concept of networked software and networked requirement. We propose the challenge problem in the research of emergence computation of networked software requirement. A hierarchical & cooperative unified requirement modeling framework URF (Unified Requirement Framework) and related RGPS (Role, Goal, Process and Service) meta-models are proposed. Five scales and the evolutionary growth mechanism in requirement emergence computation of networked software are given with focus on user-dominant and domain-oriented requirement, and the rules and predictability in requirement emergence computation are analyzed. A case study in the application of networked e-Business with evolutionary growth based on State design pattern is presented in the end.