Using Aspects for Platform-Independent to Platform-Dependent Model Transformations

This paper presents an aspect-based approach for realizing a transformation from platform-independent to platform-dependent models in the context of a model transformation chain that generates queueing-based performance models from UML design models of serviceoriented applications. The purpose of generating such performance models is to evaluate the performance of the system under development in the early software lifecycle phases, in order to insure that it will meet the performance requirements. The paper presents the model transformation chain PUMA4SOA, which transforms automatically a UML model of a service-oriented architecture (SOA) system extended with MARTE performance annotations into an intermediate model, Core Scenario Model (CSM), which in turn is used to generate a Layered Queueing Network (LQN) performance model. Aspect-oriented modeling is used to represent different services offered by the underlying SOA platform to the SOA application. The paper discusses and compares different alternatives for composing the platform aspect models with the platform-independent model (PIM) of the application throughout the model transformation chain.