ESSENSE
1 like1,060 views
This document presents a Request for Proposal (RFP) for ESSENSE, which seeks submissions for a domain-specific language and a "Kernel of Essentials" to support flexible software engineering methods. The goal is to allow practitioners to define, refine, and customize their processes over time. The RFP outlines problems with traditional rigid processes, desires a framework like those used in agile development, and provides requirements for the Kernel (to define fundamental concepts) and the language (to compose practices into methods and represent work progress).
ESSENSE
- 1. ESSENSE – A Kernel of Essentials for Software EngineeringBrian Elvesæter, SINTEF ICTMethod Engineering – ME’1121 April 2011, Paris, France1
- 2. OutlineRequest for Proposal (RFP)Problem statementDesired solutionObjectives of the RFPRFP development history and teamMethod architecture and the Kernel approachRequirements: The KernelRequirements: The LanguageProposed RFP scheduleQuestions
- 3. Problem statementTraditional software engineering and process engineering approaches areviewed by development teams as beingtoo heavyweight and inflexible.Software processes defined by separate process engineers typicallydo not leave enough flexibility for a development team to customize and tailor the process they use,not just at the beginning, but continuously as necessary over the course of a development effort. As a result, the use of many good practices and processesis often missing or ad hoc in many development efforts,limiting the ability of development teams to be effective and scalablewhile remaining flexible and agile.
- 4. Desired solutionAgile software development is often effectively supported by the use of significant software frameworks that provide:a toolkit of components (libraries and templates)an easy-to-use scripting language for flexibly composing the components. A similar kind of framework is desired for the flexible creation of software development methods.a set of practices out of which methods can be composedTo allow the broadest possible applicability, what needs to be standardized are not the practices themselves, but the common ground of underlying concepts and principles used to define various practices. an easy-to-use practitioner-oriented modeling language (DSL) is needed to define practices based on the common ground and composing them into methods. The goal is to support a development team, i.e. the practitionersin defining, refining and customizing themselves the process they are actually using during the course of a software development effort.
- 5. ESSENSE RFP ObjectivesSolicits submissions for ESSENSEa Domain-Specific Language anda Kernel of Essentials for Software Engineering (aka. the Common Ground)Goal: a language and a kernel that arescalable, extensible, and easy to use, allowing people to describe the essentials of their current and future methods and practices.Tool support: enable methods and practices to be composed, compared, evaluated,tailored, used, adapted, simulated and measuredby practitioners as well as taught and researched by academic and research communities.
- 6. RFP development history & teamVersion 0:December 2010, Issue list, OMG technical meeting, Santa Clara, USAVersion 1a:February 2011, Draft RFPhttp://www.omg.org/cgi-bin/doc?ad/2011-02-01Version 1b:March 2011, Updated RFP, AB review, OMG technical meeting, Washington DC, USAhttp://www.omg.org/cgi-bin/doc?ad/2011-03-01Version 2a/b:May/June 2011, Revised RFP, OMG technical meeting, Salt Lake City, USACore teamArne-Jørgen Berre (SINTEF)Dave Cuningham (Fujitsu UK)Brian Elvesæter (SINTEF)Shihong Huang (FAU)Ivar Jacobson (IJI)Paul McMahon (PEM Systems)Ed Seidewitz (Model Driven Solutions)Ed Seymour (Fujitsu UK)Other contributorsSEMATAdaptive SystemsCordysSOFTEAMESI-Tecnalia...
- 7. Method architectureA method is a composition of practices. Methods are enactable.A practice is a repeatable approach to doing something with a specific purpose in mind. A practice provides a systematic and verifiable way of addressing a particular aspect of the work at hand.The Kernel includes essential elements of software engineering.The Language is the domain-specific language to define methods, practices and the essential elements of the Kernel.
- 8. MethodPracticesA key idea is the existence of a KernelThe Kernel is very small, extracted from a large number of methodsIt contains a starting point (slots) for the things that every process has, e.g. work, team, requirement, software system, opportunity and stakeholder The Kernel is practice and method agnostic.LeadersDevelopersAnalystsTestersProcess engineers
- 9. Kernel: Straw man (illustrative conceptual model)Alphas(Abstract-Level Progress Health Attributes)represent things to work with that subsume and encapsulate work products at a higher level of abstraction.(1) relevant to an assessment of the project’s progress (stated objectives such as deadlines, costs, quality)(2) can be determined (directly or indirectly) in terms of the current state of the project’s work products< describes< supportsorganizes >AlphaWork ProductPatternprogressed by >< supportsproduces >progresses >organizes >< supportsorganizes >Pattern SpaceActivity SpaceActivity< involves< involvesCompetency
- 10. Kernel: Straw man (illustrative concrete syntax)Things to Work withThings to DoUnderstand the NeedEnsure StakeholderSatisfactionAccept the SystemOpportunityRequirementsSystemSpecify the SystemShape the SystemImplementSoftwareTest the SystemRelease the SystemProjectWay of WorkingTeamEstablish ProjectSteer ProjectSupport TeamConclude ProjectCompetenciesPatterns to ApplyCustomerRepresentativeKernelDeveloperAnalystTesterLeadership
- 11. Requirements: The KernelDefinitionExpressed in the Language.Encompass the fundamental concepts in the Software Engineering domain, including definitions of elements and their significant relationships.ConcisenessOnly include a small set of elements that are truly essential.The number of essential elements is expected to be closer to 10 than to 100.ScopeCover from the smallest projects to large systems and systems-of-systems.Broad practice coverageSupport many different practices used by significant segments of the industry.Broad lifecycle coverageAccommodate various lifecycle models used by significant segments of the industry.Broad technology coverageAdaptable to a wide range of software technologies (programming languages, specification languages, graphical notations, software tools) used by significant segments of the industry.ComparisonProvide a basis for the comparison of methods and practices to see which are suitable for a given situation.MeasurementProvide a basis for the measurement of methods and practices, both to enable performance evaluation and to guide evaluation and validation in research.ExtensionAbility to add practices, levels of detail and lifecycle models.
- 12. Requirements: The LanguageDefinitionAbstract syntax model defined in MOF (Meta-Object Facility). Formal static and operational semantics defined in terms of the abstract syntax.Graphical concrete syntax that formally maps to the abstract syntax.Textual concrete syntax that formally maps to the abstract syntax.DescriptionSupport the description of practices and methods in terms of the essential elements of the Kernel.CompositionSupport the composition of practices to describe existing and new methods.Work ProgressAllow the representation of work progress.(For example, describing a practice that involves iterative development requires describing the starting and ending states of every iteration.)EnactmentSupport the enactment of methods, both as used to help plan endeavors and as applied (or executed) as part of the day-to-day activities in real projects.