This paper presents a method to implement integrated services of networked home electric appliances, which provide more convenient and comfortable living for home users. The conventional methods generally employ a home server to achieve the integrated services. The server controls all the networked appliances in a centralized manner. However, as the number of sophisticated appliances increases, the centralized server suffers from the concentration of load, as well as a decline in the reliability and interoperability. To cope with this problem, we adopt the service-oriented architecture (SOA) for the implementation of the integrated services. In the proposed framework, the appliances export own features as services, and autonomously execute the exported services one another. Thus, the appliances are loosely coupled via the exported services without any centralized home server, which enables more flexible, balanced and reliable integrated services. We first present a framework to design and implement the integrated services based on SOA, and then illustrate a prototype system developed with Web services. We also define three kinds of metrics (i.e., reliability, workload, and coupling), and conduct a comparative evaluation between the proposed and the previous systems.

... used in the industry for software specifications. Once an application has been formally specified, Model Driven Architecture (MDA) techniques can be applied to generate code from such specifications. Since implementing a system based on a faulty design requires additional cost and effort, it is important to analyse the UML models at earlier stages of the software development lifecycle. This paper focuses on utilizing MDA techniques to deal with the analysis of UML models and identify design faults within a specification. Specifically, we show how UML models can be automatically transformed into Alloy which, in turn, can be automatically analysed by the Alloy Analyzer. The proposed approach relies on MDA techniques to transform UML models to Alloy. This paper reports on the challenges of the model transformation from UML class diagrams and OCL to Alloy. Those issues are caused by fundamental differences in design philosophy of UML and Alloy. To facilitate better representation of Alloy concepts in the UML, the paper draws on the lessons learnt and presents a UML profile for Alloy.

Internally, many source code analysis tools make use of graphs. For example, one of the oldest and most widely used internal graphs is the control-flow graph developed for use within a compiler. Work on compilation has also led to the development of the call graph, the procedure dependence graph (PDG), and the static-single assignment (SSA) graph. Compilers are not the only source-code analysis tools to use internal graphs. A variety of software engineering tools incorporate a variety of different graphs.

Process discovery has been shown to be challenging offering limited results, however, most work has been conducted in closed source systems. This paper describes a new approach to process discovery that examines the Internet information spaces of open source software development projects. In searching for an automated solution to the process discovery problem, we first have simulated it by having a human act as an “intelligent spider” searching the Web space for evidence of process activities and reconstructing process fragments based on the clues discovered. The purpose of such an approach is to help reveal the details of our manual process discovery approach. In turn, such knowledge can then be employed to determine the requirements and design of automated process discovery and modeling mechanisms that can be applied to Web-based software development projects.

Process modelling has over the years become an essential skill in Information Systems and Business Process Management practice. Consequently, more and more training programs have evolved, teaching different process modelling languages. Two popular process modelling languages are being compared in this experimental study. Experiment participants received extensive training in one language but not the other, leading to the expectation that learning outcomes would be better in the case of the familiar language. Our study provides empirical evidence that this is not the case. In fact, it is shown that participants achieved similar learning outcomes when confronted with the unfamiliar language. Our results lead to a fundamental question, namely whether it is actually an important teaching decision what sort of process modelling language is being taught. Our findings suggest that education and research in process modelling should focus on aspects other than the style, nature or features of languages and tools.

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We seek to close the gap between software engineering (SE) and human-computer interaction (HCI) by indicating interdisciplinary interfaces throughout the different phases of SE and HCI lifecycles. As agile representatives of SE, Extreme Programming (XP) and Agile Modeling (AM) contribute helpful principles and practices for a common engineering approach. We present a cross-discipline user interface design lifecycle that integrates SE and HCI under the umbrella of agile development. Melting IT budgets, pressure of time and the demand to build better software in less time must be supported by traveling as light as possible. We did therefore not choose to just mediate both disciplines. Following our surveys, a rather radical approach best fits the demands of engineering organizations.

Architecturally-sensitive usability scenarios are important usability concerns that require early consideration in software design so that architectural support can render them easy and cost-effective to implement. Examples include providing the ability to cancel a command, undo commands, aggregate data, etc. This chapter reports on our experiences applying these scenarios to the design of MERBoard, a wall-sized interactive system developed by NASA to assist Mars Rover science teams with collaborative data analysis. We applied the scenarios during a major redesign of the software architecture that introduced usability as a valued quality attribute. In the process, we found that the scenarios were well-received by developers who readily understood how they related to MERBoard, that they applied to a collaborative workspace despite having been initially developed for a single-user desktop system, that they had a real impact on the architecture redesign, and that the scenario consideration process was quick and not too onerous for any of the team members.

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This paper presents the work done to establish guidelines for the creation of readable IT-architecture diagrams and gives some examples of guidelines and some examples of improved diagrams. These guidelines are meant to assist practicing IT-architects in preparing the diagrams to communicate their architectures to the various stakeholders. Diagramming has always been important in information technology (IT), but the recent interest in ITarchitecture, the widespread use of software and developments in electronic communication, make it necessary to again look at the rt of making diagrams'for this particular class and its users. The guidelines indicate how various visual attributes, like hierarchy, layout, color, form, graphics, etc. can contribute to the readability of IT-architecture diagrams. The emphasis is on the outward appearance of diagrams. Some additional support is given for the thinking/reasoning processes while designing or using a set of diagrams and an attempt is made to arrive at a rationale of these guidelines. An evaluation process has been performed with three groups of practicing IT-architects. The outcome of this evaluation is presented. This work is part of a more comprehensive research project on "Visualisation of IT- architecture".