Code Parameterization for Satisfaction of QoS Requirements in Embedded Software

The rapid growth of embedded systems urgently requires methods of improving the development process for these systems. Component-based development (CBD) techniques have been widely studied to enhance the productivity of developing complex applications. These techniques can benefit the software development process for embedded systems as well as other application domains. However, applying CBD techniques to embedded software development faces additional challenges. For embedded systems, it is crucial to consider the QoS attributes, such as timeliness, memory limitations, output precision, battery constraints, etc. However, it is often difficult to adjust the QoS properties of a system integrated from components that do not consider QoS properties in the first place. In this paper, we present an overview of a repository-based embedded software development methodology and then focus on component parameterization techniques. The basic concept of the parameterization process is to identify configurable parameters in a component that can be parameterized to achieve QoS tradeoffs. The component is then modified to a reconfigurable one such that its configurable parameters can be adjusted to satisfy different QoS requirements for various applications or for dynamical changing execution environment. A rule base is used to assist the parameter identification process. We also develop delta file technique to facilitate component adaptation and testing tools for QoS data collection. Keywords-embedded system, component parameterization, QoS, Repository system