Designing reconfigurable systems: Methodology and guidelines

Abstract

One of the major challenges when designing software for complex systems relates to a lack of a specific and comprehensive set of rules and methodologies. Even more so, adaptation to field conditions is difficult to model and implement on systems composed of a larger number of devices/components, such as distributed systems or systems of systems. On state-of-the-art technology such as wireless sensor/actuator networks and cyber-physical systems, addressing the lack of a compressive set of rules for their design and realization offers considerable benefits. If successfully realized, it can accelerate and simplify their design and implementation. The main contribution of this chapter is a clear set of rules that are specific for the design of adaptive networked embedded systems. To be more specific, we discuss design-time vs. runtime trade-offs, introduce design patterns for reconfigurable real-time monitoring and control, propose techniques for runtime design space exploration (managing runtime reconfiguration) and a systems engineering process for runtime reconfigurable systems. We provide guidelines for all stages of the architectural process and help system and software designers in choosing wisely specific algorithms and techniques. In conclusion, this chapter introduces a set of rules (methodologies) that are specific for designing adaptive networked embedded systems.