Evaluating the performance of architectures in MASCOT

Abstract

Several design methods for software/system architectures have been developed since the origins of Software Engineering. MASCOT remains as one of such preferred design methods in the European defence arena. There are even tools that support MASCOT diagram and textual software/system designs and also their automatic code generation. However, less attention has been paid to non-functional aspects of these designs, e.g. performance evaluation. MASCOTime is a tool prototype for MASCOT, that uses the discrete-event simulation to help analysts to select among several software/system architectures. In order to provide the performance constraints of system designs, MASCOT has been annotated in a transparent way for software engineers. MASCOTime will assist software/system developers to decide which architecture matches the performance and functional requirements on early steps of design. © 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.