Invited presentation I: Lessons learned, new directions, and migration plans for model-driven development of large scale software based systems

Abstract

Model-driven development of software-based systems has only recently witnessed significant progress attributable to the application of approaches such as the Unified Modeling Language (UML) to the task of capturing the architecture details of a system. However, industry has experienced a shortfall in approaches available to architects of large scale distributed, dynamic, and mobile software-based systems. This shortfall is characterized in a number of recently published articles; chief among the reasons highlighted is the lack of precise semantics in available modeling tools. This talk presents an experience-based look at the lessons learned in model-driven development from the perspective of practicing systems and software engineering professionals. Here we explore the measures that we believe should be undertaken to increase the usefulness of modeling tools. In providing direction, we extend an urgent call to the academic community for assistance in developing and refining formal grammars necessary for the development of large-scale, software-based systems. Based on our experience, we offer guidance to the modeling community that we believe could improve the current state of affairs regarding the use of tools as well as promote the evolution of future tool development. Additionally, we offer insight into the problems associated with migrating the use of modeling tools into the software process for companies that employ several hundred systems and software engineers. While the focus of this presentation is biased toward large-scale systems, medium- and small-scale system developers should also be able to achieve considerable benefit from many of the aspects we propose. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2005.