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Requirements Tracing to Support Change in Dynamically Adaptive Systems

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Requirements Engineering: Foundation for Software Quality (REFSQ 2009)

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNPSE,volume 5512))

Abstract

[Context and motivation] All systems are susceptible to the need for change, with the desire to operate in changeable environments driving the need for software adaptation. A Dynamically Adaptive System (DAS) adjusts its behaviour autonomously at runtime in order to accommodate changes in its operating environment, which are anticipated in the system’s requirements specification. [Question/Problem] In this paper, we argue that Dynamic Adaptive Systems’ requirements specifications are more susceptible to change than those of traditional static systems. We propose an extension to i* strategic rationale models to aid in changing a DAS. [Principal Ideas/Results] By selecting some of the types of tracing proposed for the most complex systems and supporting them for DAS modelling, it becomes possible to handle change to a DAS’ requirements efficiently, whilst still allowing artefacts to be stored in a Requirements Management tool to mitigate additional complexity. [Contribution] The paper identifies different classes of change that a DAS’ requirements may be subjected to, and illustrates with a case study how additional tracing information can support the making of each class of change.

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Welsh, K., Sawyer, P. (2009). Requirements Tracing to Support Change in Dynamically Adaptive Systems. In: Glinz, M., Heymans, P. (eds) Requirements Engineering: Foundation for Software Quality. REFSQ 2009. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 5512. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-02050-6_6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-02050-6_6

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-02049-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-02050-6

  • eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)

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