[论文解读] A Rule-Based Change Impact Analysis Approach in Software Architecture for Requirements Changes

Arda Göknil, Ivan Kurtev+1 more|arXiv (Cornell University)|Aug 9, 2016

Software Engineering Research参考文献 54被引用 9

一句话总结

本文提出了一种基于规则的变更影响分析方法，通过需求关系、变更及R&A（需求与架构）追踪的正式语义，将需求变更传播至软件架构。通过扩展TRIC工具，该方法识别出受需求变更影响的候选架构元素，减少了影响传播中的误报，如工业案例研究所示。

ABSTRACT

Software systems usually operate in a dynamic context where their requirements change continuously and new requirements emerge frequently. A single requirement hardly exists in isolation: it is related to other requirements and to the software development artifacts that implement it. When a requirements change is introduced, the requirements engineer may have to manually analyze all requirements and architectural elements for a single change. This may result in neglecting the actual impact of a change. We aim at improving change impact analysis in software architecture for requirements changes by using formal semantics of requirements relations, requirements changes and traces between Requirements & Architecture. In our previous work we presented a technique for change impact analysis in requirements. The technique uses the formal semantics of requirements relations and changes. Its output is a set of candidate requirements for the impact with proposed changes and a propagation path in the requirements model. In this paper we present a complementary technique which propagates requirements changes to software architecture and finds out which architectural elements are impacted by these changes. The formalization of requirements relations, changes and traces between R&A is used to determine candidate architectural elements for the impact of requirements changes in the architecture. The tool support is an extension of our Tool for Requirements Inferencing and Consistency Checking (TRIC). Our approach helps in the elimination of some false positive impacts in change propagation. We illustrate our approach in an industrial example which shows that the formal semantics of requirements relations, changes and traces enables the identification of candidate architectural elements with the reduction of some false positive impacts.

研究动机与目标

• 为解决需求演化时软件架构中手动、易出错的变更影响分析挑战。
• 通过利用需求关系和变更的正式语义，减少变更传播中的误报影响。
• 通过可追溯性和基于规则的推理，实现受需求变更影响的架构元素的自动化识别。
• 扩展TRIC工具，支持架构级别的变更影响分析能力，以提升一致性和推理能力。

提出的方法

• 该方法利用需求关系、变更及R&A追踪的正式语义，建模需求与架构元素之间的依赖关系。
• 通过基于规则的推理引擎，根据预定义的语义规则，将变更从需求传播至架构。
• 通过可追溯性链接，识别出受给定需求变更影响的候选架构元素。
• 扩展TRIC工具以支持架构级别的影响分析，实现一致性和推理。
• 通过形式化变更语义建模变更传播路径，确保可追溯性和精确性。
• 通过将影响候选对象与形式化关系及变更语义进行验证，减少误报。

实验结果

研究问题

• RQ1 如何利用需求关系和变更的正式语义来改进软件架构中的变更影响分析？
• RQ2 哪些规则和可追溯性机制在将需求变更传播至架构元素方面是有效的？
• RQ3 如何通过形式化建模减少变更传播中的误报影响？
• RQ4 该基于规则的方法在识别受影响的架构组件方面，其精度提升程度如何？
• RQ5 将正式语义集成到架构级别影响分析中，如何提升一致性和自动化水平？

主要发现

• 基于规则的方法成功利用正式语义和可追溯性，识别出受需求变更影响的候选架构元素。
• 该方法通过将候选对象与形式化关系及变更语义进行验证，减少了变更传播中的误报影响。
• TRIC工具的扩展支持了架构级别的自动化推理和一致性检查。
• 工业案例研究证明了该方法在真实世界软件系统中可行性与精确性。
• 对需求变更和R&A追踪的形式化建模，相比人工方法，能够实现更准确、更系统的影响力分析。