Relocation in Mobile Process-Centered Software Development Environments

This paper demonstrates how analysis of a software development process specification can support effective planning for accomodating mobile users of process-centered software development environments. The paper presents a flow graph analysis-based approach to responding to a user who asks to detach from a high-speed wired link, and to continue working through a lower speed interruptible link. We propose the design of an analysis engine that can evaluate the negative consequences of such a request. The purpose of the engine is to evaluate the expected effectiveness of prefetching, caching, and process pruning in mitigating these negative consequences. The engine analyzes a flow graph structure derived from the process specification. The flow graph is annotated with a variety of types of information about the context of the detachment request. The engine takes into account both this context information, and a broad range of other relevant factors, such as speed and reliability of the mobile link, the capabilities of the mobile workstation, the nature and state of the development process and the importance of the detaching user. The paper also describes how predefined heuristics/guidelines can be use to simplify the engine’s analysis, by helping it to eliminate obviously poor choices. A detailed example is used to illustrate the workings of this engine.