Software Engineering System and method for Self-Adaptive Dynamic Software Components

• US 20090106733A1
• Filed: 08/07/2008
• Published: 04/23/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Baek, Ock Kee
• Granted Patent: US 8,589,873 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/104
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/20 Software design

Abstract

There is disclosed a software engineering system and method for engineering software components. In an embodiment, the method comprises providing the software component with an input interface, an output interface, and a control interface, the control interface being configurable to receive external conditions or parameters that are specific to an environment or to a domain; and providing one or more externally modifiable adapters, the one or more externally modifiable adapters having environment-specific or domain-specific data, and being configurable to be dynamically bound to the software component in dependence upon external conditions or parameters that are specific to an environment or to a domain in which the software component is to be executed.

Claims

1. A method of engineering a software component, comprising:

providing the software component with an input interface, an output interface, and a control interface, the control interface being configurable to receive external conditions or parameters that are specific to an environment or to a domain;

providing one or more externally modifiable adapters, the one or more externally modifiable adapters having environment-specific or domain-specific data, and being configurable to be dynamically bound to the software component in dependence upon external conditions or parameters that are specific to an environment or to a domain in which the software component is to be executed.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a feedback loop configured to communicate output data from the output interface to the one or more externally modifiable adapters.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising modifying the one or more externally modifiable adapters in dependence upon the output data received via the feedback loop.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selecting an externally modifiable adapter in dependence upon external conditions or parameters that are specific to an environment or to a domain in which the software component is to be executed; and

dynamically binding the selected externally modifiable adapter to the software component in dependence upon external conditions or parameters that are specific to an environment or to a domain in which the software component is to be executed.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the selected externally modifiable adapter is dynamically bound to the software component using dynamic binding capability of a programming language in dependence upon external conditions or parameters that are specific to an environment or to a domain in which the software component is to be executed.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more externally modifiable adapters are human readable and modifiable by a human expert.

7. A system for engineering a software component, comprising:

an input interface, an output interface, and a control interface provided on the software component, the control interface being configurable to receive external conditions or parameters that are specific to an environment or to a domain;

one or more externally modifiable adapters, the one or more externally modifiable adapters having environment-specific or domain-specific data, and being configurable to be dynamically bound to the software component in dependence upon external conditions or parameters that are specific to an environment or to a domain in which the software component is to be executed.

8. The system of claim 7, further comprising a feedback loop configured to communicate output data from the output interface to the one or more externally modifiable adapters.

9. The system of claim 8, further comprising means for modifying the one or more externally modifiable adapters in dependence upon the output data received via the feedback loop.

10. The system of claim 7, further comprising:

means for selecting an externally modifiable adapter in dependence upon external conditions or parameters that are specific to an environment or to a domain in which the software component is to be executed; and

means for dynamically binding the selected externally modifiable adapter to the software component in dependence upon external conditions or parameters that are specific to an environment or to a domain in which the software component is to be executed.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the selected externally modifiable adapter is configured to be dynamically bound to the software component using dynamic binding capability of a programming language in dependence upon external conditions or parameters that are specific to an environment or to a domain in which the software component is to be executed.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the one or more externally modifiable adapters are human readable and modifiable by a human expert.

13. A data processor readable medium storing data processor code that when loaded into a data processor adapts the data processor to perform a method of engineering a software component, comprising:

code for providing the software component with an input interface, an output interface, and a control interface, the control interface being configurable to receive external conditions or parameters that are specific to an environment or to a domain;

code for providing one or more externally modifiable adapters, the one or more externally modifiable adapters having environment-specific or domain-specific data, and being configurable to be dynamically bound to the software component in dependence upon external conditions or parameters that are specific to an environment or to a domain in which the software component is to be executed.

14. The data processor readable medium of claim 13, further comprising code for providing a feedback loop configured to communicate output data from the output interface to the one or more externally modifiable adapters.

15. The data processor readable medium of claim 14, further comprising code for modifying the one or more externally modifiable adapters in dependence upon the output data received via the feedback loop.

16. The data processor readable medium of claim 13, further comprising:

code for selecting an externally modifiable adapter in dependence upon external conditions or parameters that are specific to an environment or to a domain in which the software component is to be executed; and

code for dynamically binding the selected externally modifiable adapter to the software component in dependence upon external conditions or parameters that are specific to an environment or to a domain in which the software component is to be executed.

17. The data processor medium of claim 16, further comprising code for dynamically binding the selected externally modifiable adapter to the software component using dynamic binding capability of a programming language in dependence upon external conditions or parameters that are specific to an environment or to a domain in which the software component is to be executed.

18. The data processor readable medium of claim 13, further comprising code for configuring the externally modifiable adapters to be human readable and modifiable by a human expert.