Supporting Tailorability of Groupware through Component Architectures

Tailorability is generally regarded as a key property of CSCW-systems, because cooperative activities provide for very dynamic and diversified requirements. Extensive tailorability has to be supported by the architecture of the application, which is determined by the design of the groupware platform. This contribution points out the value of a scaleable component architecture for groupware applications and raises some research questions concerning this approach. We propose a model of a tailorable architecture for CSCW-systems, which is based on the component paradigm. The architectural model supports tailoring activities by changing parameter settings of single components, changing the composition of components, and changing the implementation of components. Hierarchical composition of components allows for tailoring operations on different levels of abstraction and complexity. We introduce the concepts ofion and complexity. We introduce the concepts of tailoring constraints, tailoring constructs, and tailoring rights, which allow a controlled evolution of the system.