A Model-Driven Approach for Software Process Line Engineering

Abstract

It has become increasingly preferable to construct bespoke software development processes according to the specifications of the project at hand; however, defining a separate process for each project is time consuming and costly. One solution is to use a Software Process Line (SPrL), a specialized Software Product Line (SPL) in the context of process definition. However, instantiating an SPrL is a slow and error-prone task if performed manually; an adequate degree of automation is therefore essential, which can be achieved by using a Model-Driven Development (MDD) approach. Furthermore, we have identified specific shortcomings in existing approaches for SPrL Engineering (SPrLE). To address the identified shortcomings, we propose a novel MDD approach specifically intended for SPrLE; this approach can be used by method engineers and project managers to first define an SPrL, and then construct custom processes by instantiating it. The proposed approach uses a modeling framework for modeling an SPrL, and applies transformations to provide a high degree of automation when instantiating the SPrL. The proposed approach addresses the shortcomings by providing an adequate coverage of four activities, including Feasibility analysis, Enhancing the core process, Managing configuration complexity, and Post-derivation enhancement. The proposed approach has been validated through an industrial case study and an experiment; the results have shown that the proposed approach can improve the processes being used in organizations, and is rated highly as to usefulness and ease of use.

Keywords

• method engineering
• software process line
• software process variability
• model-driven development
• software process improvement