FRAME: A Generic Fractal Process Metamodel for Agile Methodologies

The widespread need for flexibility and adaptability in software development processes has resulted in the emergence of Agile practices and principles. Although different in fine-grained detail, all agile methodologies follow a common approach in their processes. To expose the common paradigm behind the design of agile processes, we have developed FRAME (FRactal Agile MEtamodel), a generic fractal process metamodel for agile process frameworks. Recursive application of FRAME at different levels of process design results in the specification of a configurable process framework; this framework serves as a basis for constructing agile methodologies through paradigm-based Situational Method Engineering (SME). In order to explore how FRAME is manifest in existing agile processes, relevant activity patterns have been extracted from seven prominent agile processes, thus forming a repository of concrete FRAME components.