Component-Based Software Architectures

Description

Investigation of the foundations of component-based software systems including terms, construction principles and tools. This includes specifically concepts for component packaging, component versioning, component communication, component models, and flexible component-based software architectures. Two main areas of investigation were the construction of component-based software systems based on microkernel architectures (CCF) and on mobile agent technologies (RSE, Insight).

Partners

  • Siemens München (Corporate Technology, SE 2), mobile agents

  • Siemens Erlangen (ATD MP) for remote diagnosis project

Team

  • Rainer Weinreich (JKU), RSE, Insight, CCF, Architecture Explorer

  • Reinhold Plösch (JKU), RSE

  • Josef Pichler (JKU, Architecture Explorer

Results

  • A microkernel based component framework for rich client applications. The framework is based on a central registry (trader) and supports dynamic extensibility like adding component using drag&drop to an application (Component Composition Framework, CCF)

  • A graphical editor based on the microkernel architecture (GE)

  • A tool for documenting and exploring software architectures based on the rich client microkernel framework (Architecture Explorer)

  • An agent-based middleware and component framework for creating distributed component-based software systems. (RSE)

  • Concepts and tools for configuring and monitoring distributed software systems based on mobile agents

  • Proof of concepts, by applying the developed concepts and tools for remote diagnosis of process automation systems (together with Siemens Erlangen (I&S).

  • Fault tolerant middleware services (based on replication) for distributed agent-based component systems, including a directory service, an event service and a communication service (Insight)

Technologies

  • C, C++, Java, MASIF, FIPA, Aglets, CCF

Publications

  • R. Weinreich, R. Plösch: Remote Configuration of Agent-Based Component Systems, Journal of Object Technology (JOT), Vol. 2, No. 6, November/December 2003, http://dx.doi.org/10.5381/jot.2003.2.6.a1.

  • J. Pichler, R. Plösch, R. Weinreich: MASIF und FIPA: Standards für Agenten Übersicht und Anwendung, Informatik Spektrum, Band 25, Heft 2, April 2002, Springer Verlag, 2002 (in German)

  • R. Weinreich, R. Plösch: An Agent-based Component Platform for Dynamically Adaptable Distributed Environments, Informatica Journal, Special Issue on Component Based Software Development, Vol. 25 Nr. 4, November 2001

  • R. Weinreich, J.Sametinger: Component Models and Component Services - Concepts and Principles, in Component-Based Software Engineering (www.cbseng.com), G.T. Heineman, W.Councill (Ed.), Addison-Wesley 2001.

  • R. Plösch R., R. Weinreich: Ein agentenbasierter Ansatz zur Ferndiagnose und -überwachung von Automatisierungssystemen (in German), Schwerpunktheft der Zeitschrift Wirtschaftsinformatik (www.wirtschaftsinformatik.de) zum Thema Agententechnologie, Heft 2/2001, Vieweg Verlag, 2001.

  • R. Weinreich, J. Pichler: An Integrated Approach for Documenting, Exploring, and Building Framework-Based Software, International Conference on the Technology of Object-Oriented Languages and Systems (TOOLS-37, 2000), Sydney, Australia, 2000, IEEE Computer Society Press 2000.

  • R. Plösch, R. Weinreich: An Agent-Based Environment for Remote Diagnosis, Supervision and Control, Proceedings of the International Computer Science Conference (ICSC 99), Hong Kong, China, Dec. 13-15, 1999, Lecture Notes in Computer Science, Springer-Verlag, 1999, pp 385-392.

  • R. Weinreich: A Component Framework for Direct Manipulation Editors, 25th International Conference on the Technology of Object-Oriented Languages and Systems (TOOLS-25), Melbourne, Australia, IEEE Computer Society Press 1998.