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Classification and comparison of architecture evolution-reuse knowledge – A systematic review

Ahmad, Aakash, Jamshidi, Pooyan and Pahl, Claus orcid logoORCID: 0000-0002-9049-212X (2014) Classification and comparison of architecture evolution-reuse knowledge – A systematic review. Journal of Software: Evolution and Process, 26 (7). pp. 654-691. ISSN 2047-7481

Abstract
Context: Architecture-centric software evolution (ACSE) enables changes in system’s structure and behaviour while maintaining a global view of the software to address evolution-centric trade-offs. The existing research and practices for ACSE primarily focus on design-time evolution and runtime adaptations to accommodate changing requirements in existing architectures. Objectives: We aim to identify, taxonomically classify and systematically compare the existing research focused on enabling or enhancing change reuse to support ACSE. Method: We conducted a systematic literature review (SLR) of 32 qualitatively selected studies, and taxonomically classified these studies based on solutions that enable i) empirical acquisition and ii) systematic application of architecture evolution-reuse knowledge to guide ACSE. Results: We identified six distinct research themes that support acquisition and application of architecture evolution-reuse knowledge. We investigated: a) how evolution-reuse knowledge is defined, classified and represented in the existing research to support ACSE, b) what are the existing methods, techniques, and solutions to support: b) empirical acquisition and c) systematic application of architecture evolution-reuse knowledge. Conclusions: Change patterns (34% of selected studies) represent a predominant solution, followed by evolution styles (25%) and adaptation strategies and policies (22%) to enable application of reuse knowledge. Empirical methods for acquisition of reuse knowledge represent 19% including pattern discovery, configuration analysis, evolution and maintenance prediction techniques (approximately 6% each). A lack of focus on empirical acquisition of reuse knowledge suggests the need of solutions with architecture change mining as a complementary and integrated phase for architecture change execution.
Metadata
Item Type:Article (Published)
Refereed:Yes
Uncontrolled Keywords:Software Architecture; Architecture-Centric Software Evolution; Architecture Evolution-Reuse Knowledge; Systematic Literature Review; Evidence-Based Study in Software Evolution; Research Synthesis
Subjects:Computer Science > Software engineering
DCU Faculties and Centres:Research Initiatives and Centres > Lero: The Irish Software Engineering Research Centre
DCU Faculties and Schools > Faculty of Engineering and Computing > School of Computing
Publisher:Wiley & Sons
Official URL:http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/smr.164...
Copyright Information:© 2014 Wiley Blackwell The definitive version is available at www3.interscience.wiley.com
Use License:This item is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-Share Alike 3.0 License. View License
ID Code:19795
Deposited On:21 Jul 2014 12:21 by Claus Pahl . Last Modified 21 Jan 2021 16:53
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