PERFORMANCE-RELATED DECISION SUPPORT FOR MODEL-DRIVEN ENGINEERING

• US 20090249281A1
• Filed: 03/28/2008
• Published: 10/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Gilani, Wasif, Fritzsche, Mathias
• Granted Patent: US 8,276,112 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/104
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3447 Performance evaluation by modeling
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3604 Software analysis for verifying properties of programs byte-code verification G06F9/44589
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/865 Monitoring of software

Abstract

A performance analysis model may be determined based on a development model associated with development of a software process, the development model defining an execution of the software process, and the performance analysis model being annotated with performance data characterizing the execution. At least one user-specified performance profile characterizing performance parameters associated with an improved execution of the software process according to the development model may be determined. An assessment computation model may be determined, using the performance analysis model and the at least one user-specified performance profile. At least one performance-based characteristic associated with the improved execution of the software process according to the development model may be determined. A performance assessment model may be determined using the assessment computation model and the performance-based characteristic, for use in modifying the development model based on the performance assessment model to obtain the improved execution of the software process.

Claims

1. A computer program product tangibly embodied on a computer-readable medium and including executable code that, when executed, is configured to cause at least one data processing apparatus to:

determine a development model associated with development of a software process, the development model including nodes and branches joining the nodes to define an execution of the software process;

determine a performance analysis model that includes performance data characterizing the execution of the software process, the performance analysis model being adapted for simulation of the development model therewith;

determine a modification constraint profile characterizing configuration options for implementing the development model;

determine a performance objective profile characterizing performance objectives of the execution of the software process;

annotate the performance analysis model using the modification constraint profile and the performance objective profile to obtain an assessment computation model;

calculate performance assessment data characterizing potential alterations of the development model to obtain improved execution of the software process, based on the configuration options and the performance objectives;

annotate the assessment computation model using the performance assessment data to obtain a performance assessment model; and

provide the performance assessment model for use in determining how to implement the potential alterations of the development model to obtain the improved execution of the software process.

2. The computer program product of claim 1 wherein the performance data of the performance analysis model is obtained from one or both of an actual or simulated execution of the development model.

3. The computer program product of claim 1 wherein the modification constraint profile specifies the configuration options as ones associated with the development model that specify one or both of a possibility or an extent of modification to the development model.

4. The computer program product of claim 1 wherein the performance objective profile specifies one or both of performance requirements or performance improvements of the software process.

5. The computer program product of claim 1 wherein the executable code, when executed, causes the at least one data processing apparatus to:

determine the performance analysis model by querying a model repository to obtain the performance analysis model therefrom and using a query characterizing the performance analysis model for selection thereof;

determine the modification constraint profile by querying a modification constraint profile repository using at least one query characterizing the modification constraint profile;

determine the performance objective profile by querying a performance objective profile characterizing the performance objective profile; and

obtain the performance analysis model, the modification constraint profile, and the performance objective profile as query results.

6. The computer program product of claim 5 wherein the query results are obtained using one or more queries having one or more of a semantic characterization, a syntactic characterization, or a type-level characterization of desired query results.

7. The computer program product of claim 1 wherein the performance assessment data includes a performance metric associated with one of the nodes of the development model and characterizing an extent to which the node negatively affects the execution of the software process and therefore is associated with the potential alterations and the improved execution of the software process.

8. The computer program product of claim 1 wherein the performance assessment data includes a performance optimization associated with selections from among a number of combinations of the potential alterations based on an extent to which each of the selections affects the execution of the software process to obtain the improved execution of the software process.

9. A system comprising:

a user-specified view generator configured to generate a user-specified performance model characterizing performance parameters that are associated with an improved execution of a software process defined by a development model, the development model including nodes and branches joining the nodes to define an execution of the software process;

a composition engine configured to receive the user-specified performance model along with at least one performance analysis model obtained from the development model, the performance analysis model including performance data characterizing the execution of the software process, and further configured to compose an assessment computation model which aggregates the user-specified performance model and the at least one performance analysis model; and

an assessment computation engine configured to receive the assessment computation model and determine a performance-based characteristic associated with the improved execution of the software process, based on the user-specified performance model and the performance analysis model, and further configured to determine a performance assessment model using the performance-based characteristic and the assessment computation model, for modification of the development model based thereon to obtain the improved execution of the software process.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the performance analysis model is suitable for simulation thereof using a visualization tool, and wherein the performance data is determined from one or both of an execution or a simulated execution of the development model.

11. The system of claim 9 wherein the user-specified view generator includes a modification constraint view generator configured to provide a modification constraint view that characterizes configuration options of the development model.

12. The system of claim 9 wherein the user-specified view generator includes a performance objective view generator configured to provide a performance objective view that characterizes one or both of performance requirements and performance improvements associated with the development model.

13. The system of claim 9 wherein the composition engine comprises:

a query interpreter configured to query a development model repository to obtain one or more elements of the development model;

a profile reader configured to read, from a user-specified performance profile repository, at least one user-specified performance profile meta-model that is associated with at least one annotation; and

a profile integrator configured to annotate the one or more elements with the at least one annotation to obtain the assessment computation model.

14. The system of claim 9 wherein the assessment computation engine comprises:

a query interpreter configured to query an assessment computation model repository to obtain one or more elements of the assessment computation model;

a profile reader configured to read, from a performance assessment profile repository, at least one performance assessment profile meta-model that is associated with at least one annotation;

an annotation extension provider configured to determine the performance-based characteristic in association with the at least one annotation; and

a profile integrator configured to annotate the one or more elements with the at least one annotation including the performance-based characteristic to obtain the performance assessment model.

15. The system of claim 9 comprising a performance assessment profile repository configured to store a performance assessment profile, wherein the assessment computation engine is configured to determine the performance assessment model by calculating the performance-based characteristic based on the performance assessment profile and then annotating the assessment computation model using the performance assessment profile.

16. The system of claim 15 comprising a performance assessment view generator configured to provide the performance assessment model including the performance-based characteristic

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the performance-based characteristic includes one or both of an assessment metric or an assessment optimization, and wherein the performance assessment view generator is configured to provide a visualization of the performance-based characteristic using a visualization tool.

18. A method comprising:

determining a performance analysis model that is based on a development model associated with development of a software process, the development model including nodes and branches joining the nodes to define an execution of the software process, and the performance analysis model being annotated with performance data characterizing the execution of the software process;

determining at least one user-specified performance profile characterizing performance parameters that are associated with an improved execution of the software process according to the development model;

composing an assessment computation model using the performance analysis model and the at least one user-specified performance profile;

determining at least one performance-based characteristic associated with the improved execution of the software process according to the development model; and

determining a performance assessment model using the assessment computation model and the performance-based characteristic, for use in modifying the development model based on the performance assessment model to obtain the improved execution of the software process.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein determining the at least one user-specified performance profile comprises:

determining a modification constraint profile, wherein the performance parameters include configuration options associated with the development model.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein determining the at least one user-specified performance profile comprises:

determining a performance objective profile, wherein the performance parameters include performance objectives associated with the development model and constrained by the modification constraint profile.