Modelling Adaptable Distributed Object Oriented Systems Using the HATS Approach: A Fredhopper Case Study

The HATS project aims at developing a model-centric engineering methodology for the design, implementation and verification of distributed, concurrent and highly configurable systems. Such systems also have high demands on their dependability and trustworthiness. The HATS approach is centered around the Abstract Behavioural Specification modelling language (ABS) and its accompanying tools suite. The HATS approach allows precisely specifying and analyzing the abstract behaviour of distributed software systems and their variability. The HATS project measures its success by applying its framework not only to toy examples, but to real industrial scenarios. In this paper, we evaluate the HATS approach for modelling an industrial scale case study provided by the eCommerce company Fredhopper. In this case study we consider Fredhopper Access Server (FAS). We model the commonality and variability of FAS’s replication system using the ABS language and provide an evaluation based on our experience.