| 1 › Matthias Galster › Paris Avgeriou Handling Variability in Software Architecture – Problems and Implications

| 2 Research question ›Variability Primarily addressed in SPLE, but key fact of many systems Characteristic of the architecture of SW systems What problems are experienced while performing variability-related tasks when architecting a SW-intensive system?

| 3 Method ›Exploratory study as part of a SA course at RuG | 3 Step 1: Pre-questionnaire Step 1: Pre-questionnaire Step 3: Post-questionnaire Step 3: Post-questionnaire Step 2: Performing variability-related tasks, Results recorded on worksheet Step 2: Performing variability-related tasks, Results recorded on worksheet Analyze results from tasks: Implicit problems Analyze results from tasks: Implicit problems Analyze feedback from participants: Explicit problems Analyze feedback from participants: Explicit problems Followed by Used to

| 4 Study design – tasks | 4  Create variability model  Suggest binding times Architect taken from  Determine common + varying features  Identify dependencies + types of dependencies  Derive variation points + variants

| 5 Problems #Problem Less experienced Explicitly stated 1Identification of common non-functional characteristics 2Identification of varying functional features X 3Identification of valid variation points XX 4Translation of variation points into variability model 5Translation of variants into variability model 6Identification / characterization of dependencies between variation points X 7Identification / characterization of dependencies between variants X 8 Identification / characterization of dependencies between variation points and variants X 9Modeling of common parts 10 Modeling depencendies between variation points, variation points and variants, and variants 11Identification of binding times for variation points and variants

| 6 Implications – methods and tools ›Problems highlight areas for new where methods / tools ›Management of dependencies high priority ›Transition to architecture models high priority

| 7 Implications – training of architects ›Problems hint to areas in which architects need training ›Variability modeling all architects ›Identifying and characterizing dependencies all architects ›Identification of varying features and variation points less experienced architects

| 8 Implications – architecture description ›Problems point to concerns of stakeholders ›Architecture descriptions should frame Concerns derived from problems

| 9 Thank you for your attention