Research On Software Architecture Construction Based On Axiomatic Design

This dissertation is supported by the Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No.50575083). Aiming at the problems of design, optimization and evaluation in software architecture (SA) construction processes, an extending research is conducted on Axiomatic Design (AD) to improve the construction quality and efficiency of SA.Firstly, a SA design approach is proposed by utilizing the use case driven SA design method and independence axiom. Based on the analysis on independence axiom and use case driven design method, a new use case driven SA design approach is proposed, which is under the guidance of independence axiom and utilizes UML as the SA modeling tool. A set of rules are defined to extract, decompose and map functional requirements (FRs) and design parameters (DPs) and SA design is processed from horizontal and vertical directions, respectively. This approach starts from use case model, and then FRs and DPs are iteratively decomposed into four levels, they are, use case, activity, interaction and class levels, guided by zigzagging mapping. At each iteration, the relation between FRs and DPs are described by design matrix (DM), and coupling analysis and process are applied on DM to assure the function and structure independence of modules. A practical example, the design of the login module in the bank system, is provided to illustrate this approach.Secondly, a SA optimization approach is proposed by utilizing DM and DSM. Aiming at the deficiency that AD theory does not provide a specific decoupling method, DM and DSM are simultaneously used to optimize SA design. Through effectively integration, the problem of SA optimization is converted into the problem of DSM optimization.In this approach, a complexity metric, that is, position feedback metric is devised for DSM optimization. In addition, structure binary tree and GA are introduced, and three mechanisms, tearing, clustering and partitioning, are comprehensively devised in this approach. A practical example, the design of the information fusion module and operation decision making module in unmanned vehicle controlling system (UVCS), is provided to illustrate the efficiency of the proposed approach.Thirdly, a SA evaluation approach is proposed based on information measurement. Aiming at the feature of multiple selections on SA design solutions, a multiple attributes evaluation approach is proposed, which considers both quality features of SA, such as scale, cohesion and coupling, and information axiom. It is not necessary for the designers to normalize the criteria, but just to calculate the information content for each design solution, and then the optimal solution can be decided. In order to meet the need of information content calculation and design solution evaluation, a suit of SA metrics and the information content formulation are devised. A case study on the evaluation of the design solutions of video controlling module in the UVCS is presented to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach.Finally, the construction of UVCS architecture is progressive conducted based on the above design, optimization and evaluation approaches, which can also verify the integrated effect of above approaches and supplies a demonstration of how above approaches applied to practical SA construction as well. The use case model is firstly developed based on the AD conceptual framework to reduce the design couple and the design is verified by the independence axiom. In the following design iterations, the coupling design is optimized by using the proposed optimization approach, and one or more decoupled design solutions can be obtained. The proposed evaluation approach is utilized to deal with the selection of multiple decoupled design solutions to get the optimal design. Lastly, the SA construction of UVCS is successfully accomplished.