sei guide to products and services

8/14/2019 SEI Guide to Products and Services

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Guide to Products

and Services


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www.sei.cmu.edu 1-888-201-4479

Guide to Products and Services

The Sotware Engineering Institute 1

Strategy 2

Areas o Work 3

Put The SEI to Work For You 4

How to Use This Guide 5

Acquisition 6

Architecture, Product Lines, and Predictable Assembly 10

Process Improvement and Perormance Measurement 18

Security 25

Interoperability, Dependability, and Misson Success 31

Special Programs

Afliate Program 37

SEI Credentials Program 37

SEI Membership Program 37

SEI Ofce in Europe 38

SEI Partner Network 38

Sotware and Systems Process

Improvement Network (SPIN) 38

Index 39

Abbreviations, Acronyms, and Initialisms and Index 44


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1-888-201-4479 www.sei.cmu.edu

Since 1984, the Carnegie Mellon SotwareEngineering Institute (SEI) has served thenation as a ederally unded research anddevelopment center. The SEI sta hasadvanced sotware engineering principlesand practices and has served as a national

resource in sotware engineering, computer

security, and process improvement. As parto Carnegie Mellon University, which iswell known or its highly rated programs incomputer science and engineering, the SEIoperates at the leading edge o technicalinnovation.

Today, sotware continues to grow in impor-tance and signicance in nearly all aspectso our society, including deense systems,transportation, nance, medicine, manuac-turing, and entertainment.

Sotware aects us all. More than ever, weneed sotware that is built with quality, isdeveloped on time and within budget, and is

usable, maintainable, and capable o evolv-ing to meet evolving needs.

The Software Engineering Institute

The SEI works with deenseand government organizations, industry,and academia to continually improve oursotware-intensive systems.To accomplish this, the SEI

perorms research to explorepromising solutions to sotwareengineering problems

identies and codies technological andmethodological solutions

tests and renes the solutions throughpilot programs that help industry andgovernment solve their problems

widely disseminates proven solutionsthrough training, licensing, andpublication o best practices

The SEIs core purpose is to help

organizations such as yours to improve theirsotware engineering capabilities and todevelop or acquire the right sotware, deectree, within budget and on time, every time.

The SEIs core purpose is to help organizations such as yours improve theirsotware engineering capabilities and develop or acquire the right sotware,deect ree, within budget and on time, every time.


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Create

The SEI addresses signicant andpervasive problems in sotware engineering

and related disciplines by

motivating and perorming research

developing innovative new technologies

identiying and ostering the

development and improvement o emerg-ing or underused technologies

improving and adapting existing solutions

SEI tools and methods are suitable or allorganizations that commission, build, or usesystems that depend on sotware.

The SEI collaborates with innovators and

researchers to implement these activities.

Apply

Because application and validation arerequired to prove eectiveness, applicabil-

ity, and transition potential, the SEI applies,validates, renes, and extends new andimproved technologies and solutions in real-world government and commercial contexts.Rening and extending technologies andsolutions is an intrinsic part o application.

Government and commercial organizationsdirectly benet rom these engagements.

In addition, the experience that SEI stamembers gain through these engagementshelps to identiy

real-world problems that warrant urtherinvestigation in the Create phase

needed transition artiacts andstrategies or encouraging and supportingadoption in the Ampliy phase

The SEI works with early adopters to applypromising tools and methods.

Strategy

Ampliy

The SEI works through the sotwareengineering community and organizations

that depend on sotware to encourage andsupport the widespread adoption o new andimproved technologies and solutions through

courses

licenses or use and delivery

authorizations and certications

workshops and conerences

leadership in proessional organizations

Web-based communication

books and publications

advocacy

Proessionals throughout the world acceler-ate the adoption and impact o sotwareengineering improvements through direct

interaction with the SEI and with SEIPartnersorganizations and individualslicensed by the SEI to deliver SEI services.

The SEI achieves its goals through technology innovation and transition.The SEI creates usable technologies, applies them to real problems, andamplies their impact by accelerating broad adoption.

Create Apply Ampliy


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Areas of Work

For nearly 25 years, the SEI has servedthe nation as a ederally unded researchand development center. The SEI sta hasadvanced sotware engineering principlesand practices and has served as a nationaland international resource in sotware

engineering, computer security, and process

improvement. As part o the world-renownedCarnegie Mellon Universitya globalresearch university o more than 10,000students and more than 4,000 aculty andstathe SEI and its sta operate at theleading edge o technical innovation.

The SEIs technical ocus areas together withits outreach activities are aimed at meetingthe dened sotware engineering needs othe U.S. Department o Deense. Withinthese areas o work, the SEI collaborates

with deense, government, industry, and aca-demic institutions to continuously improvesotware-intensive systems.

The SEI technical programcreated and carried out by world-recognizedleaders in sotware engineering, security, and process improvementconsistso ve technical ocus areas. The SEI also conducts new research into emerging

topics in sotware and systems engineering.

AcquisitionSupport or the DoD, ederal

agencies, and others in

institutionalizing and continuously

improving their ability to acquire,

deploy, and sustain systems

that meet cost, schedule, andtechnical objectives

Architecture, Product Lines,and Predictable AssemblyPractices and techniques or

predictably and efciently

designing, constructing,

and guiding the evolution osotware-intensive systems with

the qualities needed to meet

business and mission goals

Process Improvement andPerformance MeasurementProcess-management practices

and perormance-improvement

and measurement techniques or

sotware and related disciplinesin support o the management,

development, and acquisition o

sotware and systems

SecurityTechnologies, system-development

practices, and system-management

practices that can signifcantly

improve networked systems

security and survivability; includes

CERT, a center o Internet securityexpertise

Interoperability, Dependability,and Mission SuccessTechnology and practices to

achieve system-o-systems

interoperability and to predict and

improve the perormance anddependability characteristics o

embedded and large systems


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Put the SEI to Work for You

By working with the SEI, you benet rom more than two decades o governmentinvestment and participation rom your peers in advancing the practice o sotwareengineering.

Congress established the SEI becausesotware is vital to the national interest.By working with the SEI, you benet roma government investment o more than$800 million and more than two decades oparticipation rom your peers and competi-

tors in advancing the practice o sotware

engineering.

The SEI creates, tests, renes, and dissemi-nates a broad range o technologies andmanagement techniques. These techniquesenable organizations to improve the resultso sotware projects, the quality and behav-

ior o sotware systems, and the security andsurvivability o networked systems.

As an applied research and developmentcenter, the SEI brings immediate benets to

its research partners and long-term benetsto organizations that depend on sotware.The tools and methods developed by the SEIand its research partners are applied daily in

organizations throughout the world.

How the SEI Works with Government

SEI sta members help the U.S. Departmento Deense (DoD) and other governmentagencies solve sotware engineering andacquisition problems. SEI direct support isunded through task orders or governmentwork. Engagements with the SEI are o

particular benet to government programmanagers, program executive ocers, and

senior acquisition executives, particularlythose with long-range programs that willbenet rom strategic improvements that theSEI osters.

The SEI has a well-established process orcontracting with government agencies andwill work with you to meet your needs. Thisprocess is described in more detail atwww.sei.cmu.edu/collaborating

/contracting.html.

For more inormation, write to the SEI [email protected].

How the SEI Works with Industry

The SEI works with commercial organiza-tions that want to develop a strategic advan-tage by rapidly applying improved sotwareengineering technology. The SEI also workswith organizations that want to combinetheir expertise with the SEIs expertise to

mature new technology or the benet o theentire sotware industry. The SEI also sup-

ports a select group o SEI Partnersorga-nizations and individuals that are trained andlicensed by the SEI to deliver SEI productsand services.

For more inormation, write to the SEI [email protected].


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TOOLS & METHODSwww.sei.cmu.edu/tools-methods

Many SEI solutions to the problems

associated with sotware-intensive systemsare available as tools and methods to help

developers and acquirers improve theirpractices.

CUSTOMER ENGAGEMENTSwww.sei.cmu.edu/services

The SEI accepts a limited number o undedengagements to help organizations apply

best practices.

EDUCATION & TRAININGwww.sei.cmu.edu/products/courses

SEI courses, available rom the SEI and romlicensed SEI Partners, are based on matured,validated, and documented solutions topervasive problems.

CONFERENCESwww.sei.cmu.edu/events

The SEI sponsors or cosponsors many

technical conerences, workshops, anduser-group meetings throughout the year.

PUBLICATIONSwww.sei.cmu.edu/publications

Addison-Wesley has published more than 30books by SEI sta members and others in theSEI Series in Sotware Engineering. SEI stamembers have also written books published

by other publishing companies. In addition,the SEI Web site provides ree downloads oalmost 1,000 SEI research reports.

How to Use This Guide

This Guide to Products and Services is organized by the SEI areas o work. It is intended to helpyou and your organization determine how to put the SEIs resources to work or you.

CREDENTIALSwww.sei.cmu.edu/credentials

Participants are guided through a series oSEI courses that help them to develop exper-tise in specic technical areas. Participantsreceive SEI certications or certicates atercompleting the courses.

RESEARCHwww.sei.cmu.edu/collaborating

By investing in technology developmentwith the SEI, organizations contribute to andrapidly adopt the results o research beorethose results are widely available.


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Acquisition

Acquiring systems that meet cost, schedule, and technical objectives

www.sei.cmu.edu/acquisition

Acquiring systems that deliver mission capa-bilities on their promised date is a nationalimperative. However, acquisition programsrequently have diculty meeting aggressivecost, schedule, and technical objectives.

Acquisition program managers are chal-lenged to grasp practical business concernsand to understand topics as diverse as riskmanagement, use o commercial o-the-shel (COTS) components, use o processesand their application, program management,architecture, survivability, interoperability,source selection, and contract monitoring.The SEI has spent more than two decades

developing solutions in these areas.Unortunately, mastery o this inormationand know-how can be daunting or an acqui-sition program manager.

The SEI works directly with acquisition pro-grams to help them achieve their objectives.Teams o SEI experts work in acquisitioncontexts in the Army, Navy, Air Force, andintelligence agencies, as well as other DoDand civil agencies, applying SEI products and

services.

The SEI vision is to acilitate the rapid orma-tion o agile teams composed o acquirers,developers, and operators using SEI tech-nologies to provide high-quality, cutting-edgecapabilities.



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TOOLS & METHODSSolutions to the problems associated with

sotware-intensive systems that help develop-

ers and acquirers improve their practices

Acquisition Strategy Development ToolThe SEI Acquisition Strategy Development

Tool (ASDT) can be used to prole a pro-

grams sotware-acquisition characteristics,

identiy key strategy drivers, identiy specic

strategic choices, and evaluate how those

choices mitigate the programs sotware

risks. Program management oces can

use this Excel-based workbook to ormulate

acquisition strategies or a new program or

to evaluate the appropriateness o strategies

being executed. In addition, an accompanying

technical report, Techniques or Developing

an Acquisition Strategy by Profling Sotware

Risks, provides ASDT users in-depth back-ground inormation and instructions on how to

use the tool to achieve optimal results.

Capability Maturity Model Integration

(CMMI) Acquisition ModuleOne way to improve acquisition practices is to

ensure that the acquisition processes needed

or a technically sound project are dened,

implemented, measured, and maintained.

The Capability Maturity Model Integration

(CMMI) Acquisition Module is a condensed

orm o the CMMI ramework that denes

eective and ecient acquisition practices,

directed both internally toward the acquisition

project and externally toward project monitor-

ing and control o the selected contractors and

suppliers. These practices provide a basis or

acquisition process discipline while balancing

the need or agility.

The CMMI Acquisition Module (CMMI-AM),

Version 1.1 and related materials are available

on the CMMI-AM Web page at

www.sei.cmu.edu/programs

/acquisition-support/cmmi-am.html.

CMMI or Acquisition (CMMI-ACQ)For organizations that want to apply a com-

prehensive suite o CMMI principles to their

acquisition activities, CMMI or Acquisition

(CMMI-ACQ) provides a set o widely

accepted acquisition practices within a proven

improvement structure.

The initial ramework grew out o a col-

laboration between General Motors and the

Sotware Engineering Institute. The CMMI-

ACQ constellation now refects the results o

extensive piloting with other government and

commercial acquirers.

CMMI or Acquisition and related materials are

available on the SEI Acquisition Web page at

www.sei.cmu.edu/acquisition.

CUSTOMER ENGAGEMENTSFunded engagements to help organizations

meet their business and mission objectives

Direct Support

Acquisition Process ImprovementWhether youre using Lean, Six Sigma, Theory

o Constraints, AFSO 21, CMMI, or otherprocess improvement methods, the SEI can

help. The SEI works directly with acquisition

programs and organizations to help dene a

set o measurable improvement objectives,

analyze or improvement, and implement

changes and control mechanisms or long-

term improvement.

Support or Sotware Acquisition and

Systems Engineering ActivitiesThe SEI works directly with program managers

and their stas to help them achieve their

objectives. Teams o SEI technical experts

work in acquisition environments in the Army,

Navy, and Air Force, as well as with other DoDand civil agencies, applying SEI products and

services as well as other industry best prac-

tices. The SEI supports a wide range o activi-

ties that include identiying and mitigating risk,

benchmarking and improving acquisition pro-

cesses, implementing sotware and systems

engineering best practices, and more.

Strategic Planning

Acquisition Strategy Planning

WorkshopDeveloping an acquisition strategy is a

crucial component o acquisition planning.

Acquisition-improvement experts rom theSEI help workshop attendees gain a deeper

understanding o a programs sotware-acqui-

sition characteristics and the drivers that aect

that programs strategic choices. In addition,

participants learn how to use the Acquisition

Strategy Development Tool to either ormulate

acquisition strategies or a new program or

evaluate the appropriateness o strategies that

a program is already executing.

IT Strategic PlanningA well-ounded inormation technology (IT)

strategic plan communicates the mission,

vision, objectives, values, and critical success

actors or the organizations enterprise archi-

tecture and uture products and services.The SEI helps organizations dene and articu-

late an eective IT strategy rom a systems

perspective. SEI experts also consider the

mechanisms or governance and ocus on

aligning the IT strategy with organizational

business objectives.

Pre- and Post-Contract Award

WorkshopsSEI sta members help a programs person-

nel prepare or the request-or-proposal (RFP)

process, reviewing and discussing potential

pitalls and problems. Ater contract award,

the SEI can acilitate workshops between

the government and the selected contractorteam as they dene program-specic pro-

cesses in areas that are key to the success o

the program, such as engineering practices,

program management, communications, and

risk and issue management.

Assessments, Reviews, andEvaluations

Independent Technical AssessmentsIndependent technical assessments (ITAs)

uncover the root causes o problems aect-

ing sotware-intensive programs, and provide

recommendations that maximize a programs

strengths and minimize and mitigate itsrisks. ITAs are typically initiated by a system

program director, program executive ocer,

or other acquisition ocial. ITA teams

comprise SEI sta members and visiting

scientists with a mix o expertise who

conduct a series o interviews with program

stakeholders and deliver a brieng and

recommendations.

Sotware Risk EvaluationsA sotware risk evaluation provides program

managers with a mechanism to anticipate and

address program risks. This evaluation is used

to identiy and categorize specic program

risks emanating rom products, processes,management, resources, and constraints.

The programs sta members participate in

the identication, analysis, and mitigation o

risks that could aect their development eort


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Process AppraisalsA process appraisal is an objective review

o the processes used by a program team

(acquirers, contractors and subcontractors)

to execute a project. Reviews examine engi-

neering, acquisition, integrated product andprocess development, project management,

and support processes. The SEI provides the

Standard CMMI Appraisal Method or Process

Improvement (SCAMPISM) amily o appraisal

methods to identiy strengths, weaknesses,

and risks to assist government programs in

process improvement activities.

Additionally, the SEI oers the SEI Process in

Execution Review (PIER), a SCAMPI appraisal

that helps acquirers evaluate the process

capability o their contractor or contractor

team, and identiy risks and ways to mitigate

them. A PIER can also look at the processes

employed by the acquirer, and at the intersec-tion o processes between the contractor and

the acquirer.

Request or Proposal (RFP) Preparation

and ReviewsThe language used in a ormal request or

proposal (RFP) makes a critical dierence in

the quality o the proposals received and ulti-

mately the success o an acquisition program.

The SEI is adept at developing RFP language,

including sample language or a variety o

specic clauses relevant to sotware-inten-

sive acquisition. For example, some proposals

should specically address the importance

o sotware architecture, process improve-ment, the sotware test and evaluation

approach, sotware measurement needs, and

requirements.

Additionally, the SEI works directly with acquir-

ers to improve RFP processes and capabili-

ties, conducting pre-award workshops to help

identiy and mitigate risks by evolving the RFP

package. Ater the award, the SEI helps estab-

lish expectations and process interactions

between the acquirer and developers.

Source-Selection ReviewsThe SEI supports the proposal-evaluation

phase o the source-selection process by pro-

viding technical reviews o the submissions,

with an emphasis on sotware-related issues.

Experienced SEI sta members help programs

prepare to evaluate proposals, judge them

against the criteria set orth in the solicitation,

assist with past perormance and cost evalua-

tions, and more.

Measurement-Plan EvaluationsEectively monitoring a contract requires that

a program have in place an eective, custom-

ized measurement system. When a programs

measurement system includes consistent

collection o metrics and analysis or decisionmaking and act-based planning, it can operate

as an eective early-warning system or

program problems. The SEI helps programs

create a system or recording metrics data so

that they can use reliable historical data as a

basis or more accurate program estimates.

System and Sotware Requirements

Architecture ReviewsThe SEI works with project stakeholders to

ensure that customer requirements, product

and architecture requirements, and analysis

and validation processes refect the un-

damental needs that drive programs, rom

both mission and business perspectives. Inaddition, the SEI advises programs on how

to manage requirements and architecture

changes, maintain traceability and change

history, and evaluate the impact o changes

rom the viewpoint o the stakeholders.

Quality Assessments o System

Architectures and their Requirements

(QUASAR)The SEI Quality Assessment o System

Architectures and their Requirements

(QUASAR) assessment method provides

a practical way to determine i a systems

architecture, including its subsystems, meets

quality requirements. SEI technical stamembers help architects ormulate claims,

build arguments, and gather evidence to

demonstrate to the program oce and other

stakeholders that their architectures possess

sucient quality.

Testing-Approach EvaluationThe testing approach or a sotware-inten-

sive system has a signicant impact on the

ultimate quality o the delivered system.

SEI experts help to ensure an appropriate

approach to sotware testing by reviewing

the system-test approach. Conducting an

evaluation ensures appropriate test coverage,

traceability to requirements, testing or COTSproducts, visibility into contractor testing,

testing o both quality and unctional require-

ments, and integration o sotware testing into

the overall test strategy.

Sustainment-Readiness ReviewA sustainment-readiness review can help an

organization determine its overall sotware

maintenance plan, whether its sotware is

ready or sustainment, and whether sucient

artiacts exist. Technical experts rom the SEIconduct sustainment-readiness reviews to

identiy potential issues with a project entering

into sustainment and to recommend actions

or preparing a project or sustainment.

Document ReviewsThe quality, completeness, and level o detail

o milestone document deliverables have a

substantial impact on a programs ability to

execute sotware development. Experts in

many dierent areas o systems and sotware

expertise can provide or augment the techni-

cal review o documents produced by both

the program oce and the contractor. Types

o documents that can be reviewed includethose emanating rom the acquisition strategy

as well as the transition and operations plans.

EDUCATION & TRAININGAvailable rom the SEI and licensed SEI

Partners, based on matured, validated, and

documented solutions to pervasive problems

Continuous Risk ManagementThis two-day course introduces project

managers, lead engineers, sotware engi-

neers, quality-assurance sta, hardware

engineers, and sotware engineering process

group members to the concepts and appli-

cation o continuous risk management. The

course provides participants with practical

experience, methods, and tools that help them

implement risk-management practices in their

organizations.

COTS-Based Systems or Program

ManagersThis one-day course covers the major chal-

lenges and opportunities associated with the

use o COTS products in sotware-intensive

systems rom the perspective o the program

manager. It covers practices based on real-

world case studies or establishing a COTS

business case, vendor and supplier rela-

tionships, architecture, license negotiation,

requirements, evaluation, risk management,

and more.

Acquisition, continued


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COTS Sotware Product Evaluation or

PractitionersThis two-day course covers undamental de-

nitions, an overview o some o the basic prin-

ciples o COTS product evaluation, a process

ramework or COTS sotware product evalua-tion, and some useul techniques. Instructors

describe experiences and practices based

on real-world case studies or COTS product

evaluation.

Introduction to the CMMI Acquisition

ModuleThis one-day course is designed or program

managers and their sta members. It

presents the important role that process

and process improvement play in the acqui-

sition o sotware-intensive systems. This

course eatures comprehensive discussion

o the CMMI Acquisition Module, actionable

methods and tips or attendees, and ampleopportunity or questions.

Sotware Acquisition Survival SkillsThis three-day course is designed or program

managers and their sta members and

provides a broad overview o the skills needed

in a program oce to manage sotware

acquisition. It presents a unique acquisition

perspective on key topics in sotware system

acquisition, including risk management,

requirements management, pre-award activi-

ties, systems engineering, sotware architec-

ture, technical evaluation, project metrics, and

process management.

Patterns o Failure in Sotware

AcquisitionThis workshop, designed or acquisition prac-

titioners, is a acilitated exploration o recur-

ring patterns o counter-productive behavior in

sotware acquisition. Led by SEI experts with

experience observing common types o ailure

in actual programs, the workshop employs key

concepts rom systems thinking. Participants

will learn the warning signs and techniques to

recognize and prevent these ailure modes.

PUBLICATIONSSEI reports are available or ree download at

www.sei.cmu.edu/publications.

CMMI Acquisition Module (CMMI-AM),Version 1.1. 2005

Techniques or Developing an Acquisition

Strategy by Profling Sotware Risks. Mary

Catherine Ward, Joseph P. Elm, Susan

Kushner, 2006

Sustaining Sotware-Intensive Systems. Mary

Ann Lapham, Carol Woody (contributor), 2006

QUASAR: A Method or the QUality

Assessment o Sotware-Intensive System

ARchitectureshandbook. Donald Firesmith,

2006


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0 www.sei.cmu.edu 1-888-201-4479

Using proven practices or predictably and eciently designing, constructing,and guiding the evolution o sotware-intensive systems with the qualitiesneeded to meet business and mission goals

www.sei.cmu.edu/programs/pls

The SEI works in the areas o sotwarearchitecture, sotware product lines, andpredictable assembly to eect widespreadproduct line practice, architecture-centricdevelopment and evolution, and predictableconstruction throughout the global sotware

community. The SEI is also studying how

to build and maintain the ultra-large-scalesystems o the uture.

Architecture

Sotware architecture is the key or ensuringthat a system serves an organizations busi-ness and mission goals. The SEI can help you

solve specic architecture problems

create leading-edge architecture tech-niques and methods

improve your organizations architecture

capabilities

The SEIs architecture products and servicesserve as a starting point or establishing a

working relationship to help you answer theollowing questions:

Does your architecture meet your long-termsystem-evolution needs?

Do you have architecture development andevolution strategies that will address long-term uncertainty in your business climate,mission goals, and technology?

Is your system/sotware architecture tacti-cally well positioned or the coming years?

Do you have an approach or improvingarchitectural deciencies?

Is there a seamless connection betweenyour system and sotware architectureapproaches?

Do you know how to measure and improve

the architecture competence o your orga-nization and its key individuals?

Product Lines

Sotware-intensive systems are otenacquired, developed, tested, and maintainedas separate products, even i they have asignicant amount o common unctionalityand code. Such an approach wastes technicalresources, takes too long, and costs

more than necessary. A product line approachto sotware can dramatically reduce devel-

opment cycles, improve return on sotwareinvestments, improve sotware systemintegration, and give an organization more op-tions in the uture.

Making the move to product lines, however,is a business and technical decision andrequires considerable changes in the wayorganizations practice sotware engineering,

technical management, and organizational

management.

The SEIs sotware product line products andservices serve as a starting point or estab-lishing a working relationship to help youanswer the ollowing questions:

What is a systematic way to transition tothe use o sotware product lines?

What are your organizations strengthsand weaknesses with respect to sotwareproduct line development?

Which products in your product line willachieve the highest production savings?

What is your business case or product linedevelopment?

How do you transition rom a amily o ex-isting systems to a sotware product line?

How can you improve your ongoing sot-ware product line eort?

Predictable Assembly

Our condence in sotware architecturalanalysis can be only as high as our condencethat the developed sotware implements thearchitecture.

The SEIs groundbreaking work in predictable

assembly combines the strengths o sot-ware architecture and product lines so that

sotware implementations exhibit predictablequality, by construction, or whole classes osystems. This work enables organizations to

dene design and implementation

standards that, when ollowed, result inpredictable runtime quality

use automation to enorce these standards

dene objective and predictive qualitystandards and measures or sotware com-

ponents developed internally or provided bythird-party suppliers

Ultra-Large-Scale (ULS) Systems

Many systems o the uture will be ultra-large on one or many dimensionsnumbero lines o code; number o people employingthe system; amount o data stored, accessed,manipulated, and rened; number o connec-tions and interdependencies among sotwarecomponents; number o hardware elementsto which they interace. They will be ultra-

large-scale (ULS) systems.

The characteristics o ULS systems, alreadyevident in some o todays largest systems,imply changes in the undamental assump-tions that underlie todays sotware engineer-ing approaches. The SEI led a team o expertsin a study o ULS systems and continues tonurture a community interested in exploring

the associated challenges and promisingresearch to address those challenges.

Architecture, Product Lines, and Predictable Assembly

0 www.sei.cmu.edu 1-888-201-4479


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Architecture

Active Reviews or Intermediate

Designs (ARID)The SEI Active Reviews or Intermediate

Designs (ARID) method is a low-cost, high-

benet method or reviewing a preliminary

sotware design (such as or a component or

subsystem) or suitability in its intended usage

context and environment. The ARID method

relies on assembling the designs stakehold-

ers to articulate what the important usage

scenarios are and then exercising the design

to make sure those scenarios are satised by

the design.

Architecture-Based System EvolutionSEI Architecture-Based System Evolution

methods are used to ensure that a system

continues to serve its business and mission

goals throughout its lietime. These methods

are used or redesigning architectures to

improve deciencies relative to quality attri-

bute and business and mission goals and to

evaluate and design architecture evolution

strategies.

Architecture Competence AssessmentThe SEI Architecture Competence

Assessment instrument is used to determinean organizations competence to perorm

architecture-centric development and evolu-

tion. It determines whether an organization

possesses the ability to grow, use, and sustain

the necessary skills and knowledge to eec-

tively use architecture-based development

practices.

Architecture Expert (ArchE)The SEI Architecture Expert (ArchE) is a rule-

based architecture design assistant that has

knowledge o quality attribute models, how

to analyze an architecture or its quality attri-

bute properties, and how to manage tradeos

among the quality attributes. ArchE makes this

knowledge accessible to every sotware archi-

tect to generate sotware architectures with

predictable quality attribute properties.

Architecture Tradeo Analysis Method

(ATAM) and the System ATAMThe SEI Architecture Tradeo Analysis Method

(ATAM) evaluation process is used or evalu-

ating sotware architectures relative to quality

attribute goals. The ATAM exposes architecturalrisks that potentially inhibit the achievement o

an organizations business goals. The ATAM is

so named because it not only reveals quality-

attribute-specic risks but also provides insight

into how those quality goals interact with, or

tradeo against, each other. A variant o the

ATAM, known as the System ATAM, is used to

evaluate system architectures.

Attribute-Driven Design (ADD) MethodThe SEI Attribute-Driven Design (ADD) method

is a systematic approach to designing a

sotware architecture. It is based on knowing

both the unctional and quality requirements

o systems and knowing the architecturalapproaches that have proven to be successul in

other systems.

Cost Beneft Analysis Method (CBAM)The SEI Cost Benet Analysis Method (CBAM)

is an architecture-centric method or analyzing

the cost benet implications o architectural

decisions while managing uncertainty in uture

business and mission goals. It provides a basis

or inormed decision making about architectural

design and evolution. The CBAM builds on the

ATAM, though an ATAM evaluation is not an

absolute prerequisite.

Mission Thread WorkshopThe SEI Mission Thread Workshop is used to

elicit quality attribute considerations associated

with the existing mission threads o a system

or system o systems (SoS). The resulting aug-

mented mission threads can then be used by

SoS and system architects during the develop-

ment and evaluation o the SoS, system, and

sotware architectures. This workshop is based

on the SEI Quality Attribute Workshop (QAW).

Quality Attribute Workshop (QAW)The SEI Quality Attribute Workshop (QAW) is

used to elicit key quality attribute goals and

architecture-development plans. It can be con-

ducted prior to the development o a sotwarearchitecture.

Views and Beyond Approach to

Architecture DocumentationThe SEI Views and Beyond approach to archi-

tecture documentation is based on the concep

o architectural views. This approach involves

selecting a set o relevant views based on thearchitecture and its stakeholders, documenting

those views, and then documenting inormatio

that applies across views. The approach covers

practical inormation such as how to choose th

set o views to document, how to document a

view, how to document the inormation beyon

views, how to judiciously combine views in th

documentation to increase understanding and

decrease the workload, and how to document

architectural constructs using popular notation

and languages, including the Unied Modeling

Language (UML).

Product Lines

Framework or Sotware Product Line

PracticeThe SEI Framework or Sotware Product Line

PracticeSM Web-based reerence model aids

organizations in sotware product line endeav-

ors. It provides comprehensive inormation

about essential activities and practices as

gleaned rom studies o organizations that hav

built product lines; rom direct collaborations o

sotware product lines with customer organiza

tions; and rom leading practitioners in sotwa

product lines. There is also an Acquisition

Companion to this ramework that was devel-

oped to aid acquirers in the Department o

Deense. The ramework is available atwww.sei.cmu.edu/productlines

/ramework.html . The acquisition companion

is available at www.sei.cmu.edu

/productlines/companion.html.

Sotware Product Line Acquisition:

A Companion to a Framework or

Sotware Product Line PracticeThis Web-based reerence model complements

the SEI Framework or Sotware Product Line

Practiceby adding acquisition-specic inorma-

tion. It is a description o the technical and man-

agement areas in which an organization must

be competent to successully acquire and eld

a product line o sotware or sotware-intensivesystems. The acquisition companion is available a

www.sei.cmu.edu/productlines

/companion.html. The ramework is available

at www.sei.cmu.edu/productlines

/ramework.html .

Adoption Factory PatternAs one o the SEIs product line practice

patterns, the Adoption Factory pattern provide

a generic product line adoption roadmap to

guide an organizations transition to a product

line approach. This roadmap is dened in

terms o phases, ocus areas, and product line

practice areas.


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Product Line AnalysisThe SEI Product Line Analysis method is

requirements engineering or a product line;

it is the link between the recognition o a

business opportunity and the design o a

product line architecture. It incorporates theviews o multiple product line stakeholders in

a requirements model that includes the unc-

tional eatures o products and the sotware

quality attributes (e.g., perormance, modiabil-

ity) o both the product line and its products.

The requirements model created by Product

Line Analysis identies common requirements

across the product line and their allowed

variants. It also serves as a undamental com-

munications mechanism between developers

and other stakeholders o a product line.

Product Line Technical Probe (PLTP)The SEI Product Line Technical ProbeSM

(PLTPSM

) method is a comprehensive diag-nostic method or examining an organizations

readiness to adopt or ability to succeed with

a sotware product line approach. The PLTP

uses a series o structured interviews o small

peer groups within the organization ollowed

by data analysis and results reporting. The data

collection, analysis, and reporting are based on

the SEI Framework or Sotware Product Line

Practice.

Product Line Quick Look (PLQL)The SEI Product Line Quick Look (PLQL)

method is used to gather initial inormation

about an organizations readiness to adopt or

ability to succeed with a sotware productline approach. The PLQL provides a high-level

raming o the organization and its product line

eort. The inormation gathered can then be

used to plan more specic assistance rom the

SEI or other activities needed to progress in

product line adoption. The PLQL can also serve

as the onsite portion o the preliminary phase

o the SEI Product Line Technical Probe.

Structured Intuitive Model or Product

Line Economics (SIMPLE)The SEI Structured Intuitive Model or Product

Line Economics (SIMPLE) method is an

easy-to-use aid or calculating the costs and

benets o various sotware product line alter-natives. Dierent strategies and approaches

can be compared and the most advantageous

one chosen.

Options Analysis or Reengineering

(OAR)The SEI Options Analysis or ReengineeringSM

(OARSM) method is a systematic, architecture-

centric approach or identiying and mining

reusable sotware components within large,complex sotware systems. OAR enables

users to screen candidate sotware compo-

nents; identiy the best candidates or reuse;

analyze, isolate, and aggregate candidate com-

ponents; and estimate the level o diculty,

cost, and eort required to mine and rehabili-

tate the sotware components selected.


ComFoRT Model-Checking Reasoning

FrameworkThe SEI ComFoRT model-checking reasoning

ramework can veriy whether a system will

satisy key behavioral invariants expressed asclaims. I a claim is not preserved, ComFoRT

displays the execution trace that violates the

claim. ComFoRT is based on Copper, a state-

o-the-art sotware model checker, and can be

applied to SEI Construction and Composition

Language (CCL) specications or suitably

restricted C-language code.

Lambda-star Perormance Reasoning

FrameworkThe SEI Perormance Reasoning Framework

(Lambda-star) can be used to predict the

timing behavior o assemblies in hard, rm,

and sot real-time settings. Perormance

models draw on generalized rate monotonicscheduling theory and queuing theory and are

constructed automatically rom CCL specica-

tions. Timing predictions have validated statis-

tical condence intervals.

Pin Container TechnologyPin is a simple but robust container technol-

ogy designed or embedded and hard real-

time applications. It supports a strict orm o

container-based component encapsulation,

deployment, and composition. Pin supports

a zero-coding, assembly-through-connection

style o development and is implemented

using nonproprietary real-time operating-

system services specically adapted tosupport UML statechart semantics.

Construction and Composition

Language (CCL)The SEI Construction and Composition

Language (CCL) is used to speciy Pin compo-

nents and assemblies. It supports the syntac-

tic and behavioral specication o components

in an executable subset o UML statecharts,

generates complete component and assembly

implementations, and provides tool developers

with C, Java, and XML access to annotated

abstract syntax trees.

Predictable Assembly Starter KitThe SEI Predictable Assembly Starter Kit is an

Eclipse-based interactive development environ-

ment that provides a user-riendly integration

o CCL, Pin, and reasoning rameworks. In

addition, the starter kit denes plug-in interacesand conventions or the development and intro-

duction o new reasoning rameworks, code

generators, simulators, documentation genera-

tors, and other such tools. It provides users

with a unctional prediction-enabled component

technology (PECT). The starter kit can be used

to learn about or teach predictable assembly, to

explore the easibility o predictable assembly

in nontrivial application settings, or to serve as a

model or building a custom PECT.

CUSTOMER ENGAGEMENTSFunded engagements to help

organizations apply best practices

Architecture

Architecture ReconstructionsSEI architecture experts use the ARMIN recon-

struction tool and a dened architecture-recon-

struction process to develop graphical illustra-

tions o architectural views rom input source

code.

Architectural Assistance and CoachingSEI architecture experts use the tools and

methods itemized above to provide technical

assistance and coaching in sotware architec-

ture requirements, design, documentation, evo-

lution, and cost/benet analysis.

Sotware and System Architecture

EvaluationsSEI teams conduct sotware and system archi-

tecture evaluations using the ATAM. The SEI

team documents the results in a report provided

to the customer organization.

Product Lines

Product Line Executive SessionDuring the hal-day Product Line Executive

Session, a product line expert rom the SEI

provides an overview o sotware product lines

to a designated group o managers rom the

organization. The SEI expert acilitates a dis-

cussion about sotware product lines and the

potential or the organizations adoption o the

approach.

Architecture, Product Lines, and Predictable Assembly, continued


15/48


Customized Product Line SolutionThe SEI collaborates with organizations to

develop a customized product line solution,

tailoring existing methods and approaches as

necessary to t specic product or organiza-

tional needs.

Product Line Diagnosis Using the

PLQL or the PLTPThe SEI perorms product line diagnostics

using either the Product Line Quick Look

(PLQL), which is a one-day high-level exami-

nation, or the more extensive Product Line

Technical Probe (PLTP), which takes a week.

The SEI team documents the results o

the diagnostics in a report provided to the

customer organization.

Product Line Adoption/Action

Planning WorkshopThe Product Line Adoption/Action PlanningWorkshop is a natural ollow-up to the

Product Line Technical Probe (PLTP). The PLTP

produces a portrayal o the state o an orga-

nizations product line practices. The planning

workshop helps translate that portrayal into

a plan o action. The workshop is a tailored,

acilitated work session in which an SEI team

works with a customer team, typically over

two days, to produce a product line adoption

plan or an action plan.

Tailored Management Assistance on

Product Line EortsThe SEI provides tailored management

assistance to support developing a productline adoption plan, business case, operating

concept, acquisition strategy, training plans,

and appropriate data collection, metrics, and

tracking mechanisms. The ollowing services

are among those oered:

Product Line Concept o Operations

Workshop: During this two-day working

session, SEI product line experts work with

product line managers to develop a product

line concept o operations (CONOPS).

Product Line Business Case Workshop:

During this two-day working session, SEI

product line experts use the Structured

Intuitive Model or Product Line Economics(SIMPLE) to help product line managers

develop a product line business case.

Product Line Acquisition Support: SEI

experts work with an acquisition organization

to develop requests or proposals; an acqui-

sition strategy; statements o work; and

contractor planning, tracking, and monitoring

that are specic to a product line eort.

Product Line Measurement Workshop:

This three-day working session guides par-

ticipants in dening meaningul measures

aligned with their sotware product line goals

and developing an action plan or obtaining

these goals within the context o the pro-cesses in their product line eorts.

Tailored Technical Support on Product

Line EortsThe SEI provides tailored technical assistance

to support scoping and product line analysis,

architecture denition, architecture evaluation,

mining assets, migration planning, component

development, and testing.

Product Line Analysis and Scoping

Workshop: During this one-week working

session, SEI experts guide an organization

through a product line analysis that results in

a preliminary set o product line artiacts that

include a use case model, a eature model,

an object model, a domain- and organization-

specic dictionary, and a preliminary scoping

document.

Product Line Architecture Support: SEI

product line experts help an organization to

dene a product line architecture with appro-

priate variation mechanisms as well as to

document and evaluate the architecture.

Product Line Variability Management

Workshop: During this two- to three-day

session, SEI product line experts guide an

organization in understanding the goal o

variability in a product line approach and

help the organization determine appropriatevariation points, variation mechanisms, and

variability-management strategies and tool

support.

Product Line Production Planning Workshop:

During this two-day session, SEI product line

experts guide an organization through the

initial development o a product-production

strategy and provide tools and directions or

applying that strategy to the creation o a

production method and a production plan.

Conguration Management Practice

Workshop: During this two-day session, SEI

product line experts lead a product line orga-

nization through the initial steps in develop-

ing or rening its conguration managementpractices or its sotware product line eort.


Quality by Construction ClinicThis clinic is a ocused, two-day interac-

tive workshop or gathering initial inorma-

tion about an organizations readiness toadopt methods and technology or predict-

able assembly. The goal o the clinic is to

help organizations identiy the strengths and

weaknesses o their current methods and

technologies vis--vis predictable assembly

and to identiy specic opportunities to pilot

predictable assembly technology in a practical

setting.

Predictable Assembly Starter

EngagementsThe SEI provides tailored technical assis-

tance to organizations interested in adopting

the methods and technology or predictable

assembly. Examples o the kinds o assistanceoered include

upgrading legacy systems to enable predict-

able assembly: The SEI can help organiza-

tions evolve existing sotware systems and

product lines to support the predictable

runtime behavior o new (and possibly third-

party) system congurations.

dening standards or trust and certica-

tion o third-party sotware: The SEI can

help organizations understand the value o

achieving a specied level o condence in

third-party sotware behavior and introduce

standards and technologies to achieve that

level o condence. introducing sotware model checking to

obtain up-to-provable trust in sotware: The

SEI can help organizations introduce model

checking technology to analyze, validate, and

potentially certiy the correctness o execut-

able design specications and source code.

introducing state-o-the-art perormance

analysis or a spectrum o real-time per-

ormance requirements: The SEI can help

organizations introduce perormance analysis

techniques to make systems predictable or

a range o sot to hard real-time perormance

requirements.

developing analysis models and construc-

tion rules to guarantee predictable runtime

quality: The SEI can help organizations intro-

duce comprehensive solutions or specic

runtime quality attributes or high-criticality

systems. These solutions range rom predic-

tive models to coding rules and their enorce

ment mechanisms.


16/48


EDUCATION & TRAININGAvailable rom the SEI and licensed SEI

Partners, based on matured, validated, and

documented solutions to pervasive problems

Architecture

ATAM Evaluator TrainingThis two-day course prepares sotware archi-

tects to conduct a sotware architecture evalu-

ation using the Architecture Tradeo Analysis

Method (ATAM), a proven, highly eective

method or systematically evaluating sotware

architectures or tness o purpose.

ATAM Leader TrainingThis two-day course ocuses on the social and

leadership skills needed to successully lead

an architecture evaluation using the ATAM.

The course presents ATAM acilitation require-ments and challenges and, to meet those

challenges, general acilitation and consulting

principles.

Documenting Sotware ArchitecturesThis two-day course provides in-depth

coverage o eective practices or document-

ing sotware architecture that meet the needs

o the entire architecture stakeholder commu-

nity. It presents the inormation in the context

o prevailing prescriptive documentation

models.

Sotware Architecture Design and

AnalysisThis two-day course provides in-depth

coverage o the concepts needed to design

and analyze a sotware architecture eectively.

The essential considerations or dening

any architecture are careully examined and

then illustrated through application o the

Attribute-Driven Design method or sotware

architecture.

Sotware Architecture: Principles and

PracticesThis two-day course emphasizes the impor-

tance o the business or mission context in

which systems are designed and introduces

participants to sotware architectures in a real-world setting.

Product Lines

Sotware Product LinesThis two-day course introduces sotware

product lines and the basic concepts behind

them. It covers the essential technical and

management practices needed to succeed

with sotware product lines and provides

guidelines and patterns or applying product

line techniques. Case studies illustrate the

concepts.

Adopting Sotware Product LinesThis two-day course describes a practical,

phased, pattern-based approach to planning

and orchestrating sotware product line

adoption. The goal o the course is or partici-

pants to know what is involved in product lineadoption and how to plan or it.

Developing Sotware Product LinesThis two-day course provides participants

hands-on experience in understanding and

applying the practice areas needed or

sotware product line mastery. It provides

an in-depth treatment o the concepts and

essential ideas covered in the Sotware

Product Lines course, through the use o a

comprehensive sotware product line example

that includes a complete set o assets and

artiacts.

PLTP Team TrainingThis two-day course prepares participants to

be team members on a Product Line Technical

Probe (PLTP). The course involves hands-on

exercises so that participants learn the PLTP

process and practice the skills necessary to be

a contributing PLTP team member.

PLTP Leader TrainingLeading a PLTP requires an in-depth under-

standing o product line technical and man-

agement practices, a thorough understanding

o the PLTP process, excellent organizational

skills, and superior acilitation skills. This two-

day course uses several hands-on exercises to

prepare participants to lead a PLTP.


Principles o Predictable AssemblyThis two-day course introduces participants

to the undamental concepts o predictable

assembly. The course covers the relationships

between sotware architecture and sotware

component technology and between predict-

ability by construction and sotware product

lines. Course participants explore a practice

model or predictable assembly that spans

design, implementation, analysis, prediction,

and validation activities. Participants learn how

to impose smart constraints on developersthat guarantee that system runtime behavior

will be analyzableand predictableby

construction.

CONFERENCESEvents sponsored or cosponsored by the SEI

Sotware Architecture Technology

User Network (SATURN) WorkshopThe SEI Sotware Architecture Technology

User Network (SATURN) Workshop is an

annual two-day conerence that brings

together engineers, architects, technical

managers, and product managers who are

using the architecture-centric methods and

approaches developed and promulgated by

the SEI. Attendees exchange their experiences

and best practices and discuss ideas, issues,

and needs with regard to sotware architec-

ture practices.

Sotware Architecture Workshop

or Educators

The SEI Sotware Architecture Workshopor Educators is a three-day gathering or

educators who teach college and university

computer science and sotware engineering

courses and who would like to teach and use

sotware architecture principles and prac-

tices. SEI instructors present the Sotware

Architecture: Principles and Practices course.

Attendees then jointly determine ways to

incorporate these concepts and methods into

academic courses.


(ATAM) Lead Evaluator WorkshopThe annual SEI ATAM Lead Evaluator

Workshop provides an update on the ATAMand its application. The workshop is mandatory

or all certied SEI ATAM Lead Evaluators.

DoD Product Line Practice WorkshopThis workshop is a orum or sharing

Department o Deense (DoD) product line

practices and experiences and or discussing

ways in which specic product line practices

are accomplished within the DoD.

Sotware Product Line Conerence

(SPLC)The annual SEI Sotware Product Line

Conerence (SPLC) eatures a rich and

varied program, with ample opportunities oreveryone rom sotware product line novices

to experts. Recent conerences ocused on

critical issues in product line engineering

such as architecture, quality assurance, and

business and economics. Tracks include dedi-

cated tutorials, workshops, panels, and paper

sessions. The conerence also includes the

induction o organizations into the Sotware

Product Line Hall o Fame, as well as birds-o-

a-eather sessions.



17/48


PUBLICATIONSBooks are available rom Addison-Wesley

(www.awproessional.com/seiseries) and

book retailers. SEI reports are available or ree

download at www.sei.cmu.edu/publications.

Architecture

BooksSotware Architecture in Practice, Second

Edition. Len Bass, Paul Clements, and Rick

Kazman, Addison-Wesley, 2003

Documenting Sotware Architectures: Views

and Beyond. Paul Clements, Felix Bachmann,

Len Bass, David Garlan, James Ivers, Reed

Little, Robert Nord, and Judith Staord,

Addison-Wesley, 2002

Evaluating Sotware Architectures: Methods

and Case Studies. Paul Clements, Rick

Kazman, and Mark Klein, Addison-Wesley,

2001

ReportsUsing the SEI Architecture Tradeo Analysis

Method to Evaluate WIN-T: A Case Study. Paul

Clements, John Bergey, and Dave Mason,

2005

Attribute-Driven Design (ADD), Version 2.0.

Rob Wojcik, Felix Bachmann, Len Bass, Paul

Clements, Paulo Merson, Robert Nord, and Bill

Wood, 2006

System Architecture Evaluation Using theATAM. Mike Gagliardi and Bill Wood, 2007

Quality-Attribute-Based Economic Valuation

o Architectural Patterns. Ipek Ozkaya, Rick

Kazman, and Mark Klein, 2007

Evaluating and Improving Architecture

Competence. Len Bass, Paul Clements, Rick

Kazman, and Mark Klein, 2007

Progress Toward an Organic Sotware

Architecture Capability in the U.S. Army.

Stephen Blanchette Jr. and John Bergey, 2007

Making Architecture Design Decisions: An

Economic Approach. Rick Kazman, Jai Asundi,

and Mark Klein, 2002

ATAM: Method or Architecture Evaluation.

Rick Kazman, Mark Klein, and Paul Clements,

2000

Product Lines

BooksSotware Product Lines: Practices and

Patterns. Paul Clements and Linda Northrop,

Addison-Wesley, 2001

ReportsProduct Line Acquisition in a DoD

Organization: Guidance or Decision Makers.

John Bergey and Sholom Cohen, 2006

The Structured Intuitive Model or Product

Line Economics (SIMPLE). Paul C. Clements,

John D. McGregor, and Sholom G. Cohen,

2004

Sotware Product Line Adoption Roadmap.

Linda M. Northrop, 2004

Product Line Analysis or Practitioners. GaryChastek and Patrick Donohoe, 2003

Sotware Process Improvement and Product

Line Practice: CMMI and the Framework or

Sotware Product Line Practice. Lawrence G.

Jones and Albert L. Soule, 2001

Testing a Sotware Product Line. John D.

McGregor, 2001

A Case Study in Successul Product Line

Development. Lisa Brownsword and Paul

Clements, 1996

Preparing or Automated Derivation o

Products in a Sotware Product Line. John D.

McGregor, 2005

Guidelines or Developing a Product Line

Production Plan. Gary Chastek and John D.

McGregor, 2002


BooksBuilding Systems rom Commercial

Components. Kurt Wallnau, Scott Hissam, and

Robert Seacord, Addison-Wesley, 2001

ReportsPackaging Predictable Assembly with

Prediction-Enabled Component Technology.

Scott Hissam, Gabriel Moreno, Judith Staord,

and Kurt Wallnau, 2001

Predictable Assembly o Substation Automa-

tion Systems: An Experiment Report. Scott

Hissam, John Hudak, James Ivers, Mark

Klein, Magnus Larsson, Gabriel Moreno, Linda

Northrop, Daniel Plakosh, Judith Staord, Kurt

Wallnau, and William Wood, 2002

Sotware Component Certifcation: 10 Useul

Distinctions. Kurt Wallnau, 2004

Perormance Property Theories or Predictable

Assembly rom Certifable Components. Scott

Hissam, Mark Klein, John Lehoczky, Paulo

Merson, Gabriel Moreno, and Kurt Wallnau,

2004

Overview o ComFoRT: A Model Checking

Reasoning Framework. James Ivers and Nata-

sha Sharygina, 2004

Certifed Binaries or Sotware Components.

Sagar Chaki, James Ivers, Peter Lee, Kurt

Wallnau, and Noam Zeilberger, 2007

Ultra-Large-Scale Systems

BooksUltra-Large-Scale Systems: The Sotware

Challenge o the Future. Linda Northrop, Peter

Feiler, Richard P. Gabriel , John Goodenough,Rick Linger, Tom Longsta, Rick Kazman, Mark

Klein, Douglas Schmidt, Kevin Sullivan, and

Kurt Wallnau, Sotware Engineering Institute,

2006

CREDENTIALSSEI certifcates and certifcations awarded

on the completion o qualifcation criteria

established by the SEI

Sotware Architecture Certicates

Sotware Architecture Proessional

A sotware proessional earns the SEISotware Architecture Proessional Certicate

by completing the courses Sotware

Architecture: Principles and Practices,

Documenting Sotware Architectures,

Sotware Architecture Design and Analysis,

and Sotware Product Lines. This our-course

sequence provides both the needed breadth

and depth in sotware architecture concepts

and practices. Beginning with an introduction

to sotware architecture undamentals, partici-

pants gain experience in eective architecture

documentation, design, and analysis tech-

niques and then learn how these techniques

can be used when adopting a product line

approach to sotware.


(ATAM) EvaluatorA sotware proessional earns the SEI ATAM

Evaluator Certicate by completing the

courses Sotware Architecture: Principles and

Practices and ATAM Evaluator Training. This

two-course sequence prepares a qualied

sotware proessional to perorm SEI-autho-

rized ATAM architecture evaluations.


18/48


ATAM Lead EvaluatorA sotware proessional becomes a certied

SEI ATAM Lead Evaluator by completing the

courses Sotware Architecture: Principles

and Practices, Documenting Sotware

Architectures, Sotware Architecture Designand Analysis, ATAM Evaluator Training, and

ATAM Leader Training and by successully

leading an ATAM architecture evaluation

observed by an SEI ATAM expert. This ve-

course sequence and eld exercise provide

qualied sotware proessionals with the tech-

nical depth and social techniques needed to

lead an SEI-authorized ATAM evaluation o a

sotware architecture. SEI-authorized ATAM

Lead Evaluators must attend yearly ATAM

Update Workshops to maintain their skills and

status.

Sotware Product Line Certicates

Sotware Product Line ProessionalA sotware proessional earns this certicate

by completing the courses Sotware Product

Lines, Adopting Sotware Product Lines, and

Developing Sotware Product Lines. This three-

course sequence provides the needed breadth

and depth in sotware product line concepts

and practices to apply sotware product line

practices proessionally.

Product Line Technical Probe (PLTP)

Team MemberA sotware proessional earns this certicate

by completing the courses Sotware Product

Lines, Adopting Sotware Product Lines,Developing Sotware Product Lines, and

Product Line Technical Probe Team Training.

This our-course sequence prepares a qualied

sotware proessional to perorm SEI-autho-

rized Product Line Technical Probes.

PLTP LeaderA sotware proessional becomes a certied

SEI PLTP Leader by completing all ve courses

in the SEI Product Line curriculum and by

successully leading a PLTP observed by an

experienced PLTP Leader. This ve-course

sequence and eld exercise provide quali-

ed sotware proessionals with the technical

depth and social techniques needed to eec-tively lead SEI-authorized PLTPs.

RESEARCHEngagements in technology

development with the SEI

ArchitectureArchitecture-Based System EvolutionSEI architecture-based system evolution

methods are based on understanding the

orces that drive system evolution, evaluat-

ing the evolvability o an architecture, and

managing the uncertainty associated with an

organizations uture business and mission

needs and technology capabilities. The SEI

architecture team is looking or industrial

collaborators to explore these areas, includ-

ing applying economic theories (such as the

theory o real options) and multi-attribute

analysis methods (such as conjoint analysis) to

understand architecture evolution rom a cost/benet perspective.

Connection o Architecture-Centric

Methods with Other Sotware

Technologies and ParadigmsThe SEI is now integrating its sotware archi-

tecture methods and connecting them with

other sotware development paradigms and

emerging technologies. The SEI architecture

team is looking or industrial collaborators to

pilot the integrated methods and to explore

the connections with existing sotware and

system development paradigms. The SEI is

also looking or collaborations exploring con-

nections with aspects, service-oriented archi-tecture, open source, model-driven architec-

tures, J2EE, or .net.

Experiments with ArchEThe SEI is looking or collaborators interested

in using ArchE to architect small- to medium-

sized sotware systems. ArchE currently has

demonstrated its utility or small architectures.

The SEI team is eager to apply ArchE to larger

scale problems. The SEI is also looking or

collaborators who are interested in extending

ArchE with new reasoning rameworks.

Architecture Competence

The SEI is looking or collaborating organiza-tions to investigate what it means or an orga-

nization to have architecture competence and

how this competence can be evaluated.

Quality Attribute ModelsThe SEI is looking or partners to develop

and use quality attribute models in reliability,

security, scalability, usability, and testability.

Also o interest is the exploration o the rela-

tionship between quality attribute models,

business goals, and architecture and design

patterns.


Product Lines

Product Line Adoption StrategiesThe SEI seeks partners to explore eective

product line adoption strategies and to apply

SEI pattern-based adoption approaches. Alsoo interest are adoption strategies that exploit

Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI),

architecture-centric, and Six Sigma initiatives.

Product Line Economic ModelsThe SEI is developing product line economic

models and looking or organizations that

would like to pilot or contribute to their

development.

Production Planning and Product

DerivationDeveloping core assets is only part o the

product line equation. Products in a sotware

product line are developed rom the core

assets according to the dictates o a produc-

tion plan. Product planning and product deri-

vation practices are oten immature, even or

experienced product line organizations. The

SEI is seeking industrial partners engaged

in product line eorts to perect production

planning and product derivation approaches.

Product Line Variability Mechanisms

and Automated Support or VariabilityTo accommodate the varying eatures and

quality attributes o the products in a sotware

product line, the core assets must have vari-

ability mechanisms. Choosing appropriate

variability mechanisms and tracing, and auto-

mating their use are among the most dicult

technical challenges in a product line approach.

The SEI is seeking collaborators to conduct

applied research on real systems in the area o

variability mechanisms.

Connection o Sotware Product Lines

with Other Sotware Technologies and

ParadigmsSotware product lines happen in the context

o other sotware development and business

paradigms. The SEI product line team is

looking or industrial collaborators to explore

and pilot sotware product lines in the context

o any o the ollowing: open source, aspect-

oriented programming, model-driven develop-

ment, service-oriented architectures, global-

ization strategies, systems o systems, agile

development, and ultra-large-scale systems.


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Developing or Validating Automated

Methods or Predicting Sotware

QualityAlthough the SEI develops novel theories or

sotware quality, its preerred approach is

to adapt (that is, restrict) existing theories to

new settings and, in this way, leverage domain

knowledge to achieve greater automation.

The SEI is interested in collaboration on com-

bining runtime verication (including binary

sandboxing) with static program analysis

and verication (including certiying model

checking) to obtain certiable trust that

sotware components satisy saety, security,

and resource-consumption policies.

Developing PECTsA prediction-enabled component technology

(PECT) is a sotware manuacturing inrastruc-

ture or enorcing quality standards that lead to

predictable sotware systems. The SEI is inter-

ested in developing and documenting practi-

cal techniques or incrementally building and

deploying PECTs.

Developing High-Integrity

Trust Mechanisms or Sotware

ComponentsHow can sotware components be specied,

packaged, and distributed in a way that yields

an objective basis or trust? The SEI is investi-

gating technologies such as certiying model

checking and practical variations o proo-

carrying code and seeks research collabora-

tions to develop and demonstrate these and

related technologies.

Developing Proos o Feasibility o

Predictable AssemblyPredictable assembly seeks to achieve

predictable sotware quality by construction.

Achieving this goal will require signicant

investment in tool inrastructure. The SEI is

interested in working with collaborators to

develop and demonstrate a staged rollout

o PECT.

Ultra-Large-Scale Systems

ULS System Research AreasThe SEI seeks partners to explore some o

the promising research areas and topics

related to ULS systems. The SEI is especiallyinterested in continuing its work in computa-

tional mechanism design, which uses game

theory and economic models; in understand-

ing the role o architecture in ULS systems;

and in exploring eective human involvement

in ULS systems.

ULS Systems Research RoadmapThe SEI seeks partners in completing a

roadmap that details the published ULS

system research agenda.


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Process Improvement and Performance Measurement

Enabling organizations to guide the development and acquisition o products and services throughquantitatively managed processes that are repeatable, predictable, and continuously improving interms o cost, schedule, process perormance, and product and service quality

www.sei.cmu.edu/programs/sepm

Capability Maturity Model Integration

(CMMI)

When organizations want to improve theway they do business, they oten ocus onsecuring the best people, methods, andtools. Processes are the means or coor-dinating those resources. Improving an

organizations processes provides an eec-tive way to lower costs, improve quality, anddeliver products and services predictably on

budget and on time. Developed by a teamwith members rom industry, government,and the SEI, the Capability Maturity ModelIntegration (CMMI) approach comprisesbest practices that organizations can useto improve their processes. CMMI orDevelopment (CMMI-DEV) is or organiza-tions that develop products or services.

CMMI or Acquisition (CMMI-ACQ) is or

organizations that acquire products and ser-vices. CMMI-DEV integrates disciplines suchas sotware and systems engineering andcan dovetail with the use o other processimprovement methods, such as the SEI TeamSotware Process(TSP) methodology, thePeople CMM, ISO 9000, agile methods, andSix Sigma. CMMI-ACQ integrates acquisition

best practices rom industry and governmentacquisition standards and experience.

People CMM

Todays organizations must develop and man-age their human capital in an environment orapid change and increased competition. ThePeople Capability Maturity Model (PeopleCMM) enables organizations to develop andmanage their workorces in a structured waywith clearly dened work commitments andperormance objectives. Organizations expe-

rience a smoother transition to CMMI whenthey also use the People CMM because theyocus on improving the capability and com-petencies o the organization, developing an

eective ramework to support work groups orteams, motivating improved perormance, anddetermining critical emerging competenciesneeded to accomplish uture business plans.

Team Sotware Process (TSP) and

Personal Sotware Process (PSP)

Improving organizational perormancerequires a bottom-up as well as a top-downocus. The SEI Team Sotware ProcessSM

(TSPSM) methodology is transorming cost,schedule, and perormance quality or builderso sotware and systems. Organizations meettheir critical business needs by deliveringessentially deect-ree sotware on time andwith substantial increases in productivity. TheTSP also serves as a powerul accelerator orthe CMMI approach. Through the applicationo TSP, organizations have advanced their

maturity in much less time than reported aver-ages. The TSP couples with the SEI PersonalSotware ProcessSM (PSPSM) methodology toprovide a strategy and operational proce-dures or using disciplined sotware processmethods at team and individual levels. ThePSP brings substantive changes to the peror-mance o individual engineers. Their deect-

injection rates, or example, decline signi-cantly as they progress through the processlevels. PSP-trained engineers plan their workbased on personal data, measure their work,

and use their results to continually improve.

Sotware Engineering Measurement

and Analysis

The SEIs work in measurement and analysisprovides organizations with qualitative andquantitative tools and techniques to measureand analyze the results they are achieving atthe project, process, program, and enterprise

levels. Used in conjunction with other SEItechnologies, in particular CMMI and TSP, andmeasurement best practices, perormance

measurement enables organizations to char-acterize their current state, how well projectsare perorming, and the impact their improve-ment eorts produce. Most sotware mea-surement programs ail within the rst twoyears o operation, usually rom organizational

shortcomings: poor planning, lack o manage-

ment buy-in, and excessive data collection.Measurement and analysis techniques helporganizations identiy problems, track theireorts to improve sotware processes, lowercosts, reduce deects, maintain schedule, andgather return-on-investment inormation.

International Process Research

Consortium (IPRC)

The International Process ResearchConsortium (IPRC) is a orum or members othe sotware and systems process community

to jointly explore tomorrows challenges andleverage their knowledge and resources todevelop solutions more quickly and eec-tively. IPRC members come rom around theworld to meet with experts rom a varietyo infuencing disciplines. They explore theprocess implications o emerging technologi-cal, societal, environmental, political, eco-

nomic, and business trends. The IPRCs threestrategic goals provide long-term guidanceor the consortiums activities: (1) to provideresearch leadership in response to emerging

trends, (2) to generate real-world impact, and(3) to have international relevance. Currently,IPRC members are developing cost-eectivemethods or achieving process improvementin small settings, where organizations oten

lack resources and expertise. On the horizonis the development o guidance or navigatingthe multiple-standards environment, whereorganizations must simultaneously conorm tomultiple improvement standards and regula-tions, such as ISO, Six Sigma, CMMI, andSarbanes-Oxley.



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CMMI

CMMI ModelsCMMI models comprise best practices that

organizations can use to improve their pro-

cesses. CMMI or Development (CMMI-DEV)

integrates disciplines such as sotware and

systems engineering and can dovetail with the

use o other improvement methods such as

the SEIs Team Sotware Process (TSP) meth-

odology, the People CMM, ISO 9000, agile

practices, and Six Sigma techniques. CMMI

or Acquisition (CMMI-ACQ), which is sched-

uled to be published in November 2007, inte-

grates acquisition best practices rom industry

and government acquisition standards and

experience. CMMI models can also enable

organizations to achieve benchmark ratings

that can be used to compare one organiza-

tions process capability with the capabilities

o its competitors.

CMMI ModulesCMMI modules build on relevant best prac-

tices extracted rom CMMI and dene eec-

tive and ecient practices or an area o

interest in a specic environment. The CMMI

Acquisition Module contains eective and

ecient acquisition practices specically

designed or government acquisition projects.

Unlike CMMI models, CMMI modules do not

contain inormation to help guide implementa-

tion o the best practices nor can they be used

to achieve benchmark ratings.

Standard CMMI Appraisal Method orProcess Improvement (SCAMPI)

SCAMPI Class A MethodThe Standard CMMI Appraisal Method or

Process Improvement (SCAMPISM) Class A

method is the CMMI appraisal method that

provides the most reliable and repeatable

rating results o the three SCAMPI methods.

SCAMPI Class A is the only class o SCAMPI

method that can produce ratings against the

goals o a CMMI model.

SCAMPI Class B and C MethodsSCAMPI Class B and C appraisal methods are

CMMI appraisal methods that provide inorma-

tion about the strengths and weaknesses o

an organization. These methods require ewer

resources, smaller teams, and less evidence

than the SCAMPI Class A appraisal method.

The Class B and C methods can help an organi-

zation analyze its processes and plan a process

improvement approach. They do not produce a

rating against the goals o a CMMI model.

People CMM

People CMMThe People Capability Maturity Model (People

CMM) is a collection o best practices that

enables organizations to address success-

ully their critical people issues. Based on the

best current practices in elds such as human

resources, knowledge management, and

organizational development, the People CMM

comprises the practices that organizations canuse to improve their processes or managing

and developing their workorces.

Sotware Engineering Measurementand Analysis

Goal-Question-Indicator-Measure

(GQIM) MethodThe SEI Goal-Question-Indicator-Measure

(GQIM) method helps organizations dene

measures and indicators that are aligned with

the organizations business processes and

support the measurement requirements o

the CMMI Measurement and Analysis process

area. GQIM also helps organizations produce

action plans or implementing the measure-

ment and analysis activities that will produce

the measures they need. The GQIM method

is used to determine success, progress, and

analysis indicators that show traceability rom

an organizations high-level business goals

down to the precise data collected, ensuring

relevance and traceability rom goals to the

data collected.

Sotware Engineering Inormation

Repository (SEIR)The Sotware Engineering Inormation

Repository (SEIR), available at

seir.sei.cmu.edu/seir , is a ree, community-

based Web site that provides a orumor its 38,000 members to access materials

on product development and acquisition

methods and technologies and to exchange

inormation concerning development and

acquisition improvement activities. Registered

members exchange questions and tips and

contribute experiences and examples to help

each other with their implementation eorts.

Measurement and Analysis

Inrastructure Diagnostic (MAID)The SEI Measurement and Analysis

Inrastructure Diagnostic (MAID) tool can be

used by organizations to help improve the

quality o the data generated by their measurement and analysis activities and increase its

value to the organization. Based on the CMMI

Measurement and Analysis process area, ISO

15939, and Six Sigma methodologies, MAID

characterizes the perormance o a measure-

ment system and identies opportunities t

sei guide to products and services

Documents