Assessing architectural sustainability during software evolution using package-modularization metrics

Abstract

Sustainability of software architectures is largely dependent on cost-effective evolution and modular architecture. Careful modularization, characterizing proper design of complex system is cognitive and challenging task for insuring improved sustainability. Moreover, failure to modularize the software systems during its evolution phases often results in requiring extra effort towards managing design deterioration and solving unforeseen inter-dependencies. In this paper, we present an empirical perspective of package-level modularization metrics proposed by Sarkar, Kak and Rama to characterize modularization quality through packages. In particular, we explore impact of these design based modularization metrics on other well known modularity metrics and software quality metrics. Our experimental examination over open source java software systems illustrates that package-level modularization metrics significantly correlate with architectural sustainability measures and quality metrics of software systems.