Understanding Software Connector Compatibilities Using a Connector Taxonomy

Software systems of today are frequently composed from prefabricated, heterogeneous components that provide complex functionality and engage in complex interactions. Software architecture research has revealed the importance of component interactions on our ability to perform software composition. Various development organizations have found interaction mismatches to be both difficult and a core issue behind failed software integration efforts. This paper is aimed at improving the understanding of component interactions, embodied in the notion of software connectors, in order to prevent such failures. Our previous work has resulted in a four-level classification framework for studying the characteristics of connectors. This paper presents a comprehensive taxonomy of software connectors based on the previously published connector classification framework. This taxonomy is used to explain various existing software connectors and study compatibility of connector characteristics, intended to prevent component interaction mismatches.