Architectural Design Rewriting (ADR, for short) is a rule-based formal framework for modelling the evolution of architectures of distributed systems. Rules allow ADR graphs to be refined. After equipping ADR with a simple logic, we equip rules with preand post-conditions; the former constraints the applicability of the rules while the later specifies properties of the resulting graphs. We give ...

Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) using Web services is considered as the state-of-the-art for distributed systems integration. However, despite the growing interest and the enormous potential of SOA, the uptake of this approach is still slow particularly for mission critical systems. This is partly because the focus is still on the definition and refinement of specifications rather than defi...

Some man-made objects are geometrically simple in that they resemble idealized forms such as lines, planes, cubes, or polyhedra. Ever since Euclid invented geometry, people have been content with the idea that all objects can be classified as compositions of regular geometric shapes. The architecture found inspiration by the Euclidean geometry and by the properties of the symmetry. The analogy ...

Architectural designs are not just collections of 3D objects. Architects have both high-level aesthetic design intent, and intent for the functionality of the building; these must eventually translate into real-world construction materials and processes. Physical prototypes are still essential for the architect and their clients to get a feel for whether designs “work”. An exciting recent devel...

Growing and executable system architecture has a significant role in successful production of large and distributed systems. Assessing the effect of different decisions in architecture design can decrease the time and cost of software production, especially when these decisions are related to non-functional properties of system. Performance is a non-functional property which relates to timing b...

Software evolution is an increasingly challenging and compelling concern for every developed software system because of the changes in the requirements, the technology, etc. When software evolution is carried out, software architecture emerges as one of the cornerstones that should be considered from two different points of view: as an artifact for the evolution, as it helps the architect plan ...

The use of domain-specific languages and development tools, such as those found in product-line development kits, have been shown to reduce programming and debugging costs considerably. At the same time, general-purpose Commercial, Off-The-Shelf (COTS) tools are improving rapidly. Moreover, providing security, privacy, reliability, and other Quality of Service (QoS) properties normally has litt...

Of all the possible architectural approaches to improving the dependability of software-based systems, only systems designed to be self-healing are able to adapt themselves at runtime in response to changing environmental or operational circumstances. In this paper, we discuss the basic functional requirements for self-healing systems, and explore a number of major issues related to architectur...

Software architectures are critical in the successful development and evolution of software-intensive systems. While formal and automated support for architectural descriptions has been widely addressed, their evolution is equally crucial, but significantly less well-understood and supported. In order to face a recurring evolution need, we introduce the concept of evolution pattern. It formalis...