A model for recording early-stage proposals and decisions on using COTS components in architecture

Abstract

Large networked systems can include the whole technological spectrum of embedded systems from deeply embedded applicationspecific systems to software intensive applications including COTS component intensive subsystems. Significant up-front and early-stage architectural design is required for COTS component acquisition and evaluation. COTS related architectural decisions, constraints and knowledge must be communicated from design processes to component acquisition and business processes and vice versa. This paper describes a model for identifying and recording constraints, possibilities and needs for COTS components in architecture. The decision model associates COTS component needs with elements in the first part of the software architecture to be designed. Decisions related to a specific architectural model are listed in a table form. A decision includes a reference to the related architectural model element or to a separate variation point model that describes relationships between architectural elements and the results of the decision. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2003.