Model Driven Software Change Impact Analysis
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Solution Overview
Problem
The complexity of managing changes in software systems throughout their lifecycle, particularly due to instability in requirements and the lack of clear impact analysis, leads to project schedule slippage and cost overruns, with existing manual and configuration management tools being inadequate for comprehensive change management.
Innovation Solution
A model-driven software approach that uses a hierarchical structure to analyze and manage changes by capturing business processes, technical architecture, and building blocks, enabling impact analysis and efficient change management through a knowledge repository and standardized processes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual process approaches and configuration management tools are used to manage changes, then change management can be performed, but the process is troublesome and inadequate for comprehensive change management
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an impact analysis module as an intermediary between the change management system and the software system. This module automatically analyzes the impact of proposed changes by examining the software structure, dependencies, and configurations, thereby resolving the contradiction by providing both automated reliability and ease of operation through the intermediary analysis mechanism
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical processes of change management with an automated computer-based system that uses algorithms to analyze impacts, generate reports, and manage change configurations. This substitution eliminates the troublesome manual aspects while providing comprehensive automated change management coverage
2Measurement precision
If thorough impact analysis is performed at early stages, then change impact can be identified, but the process is time-consuming and complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent establishes a comprehensive software model and dependency database during the initial system setup and design phases. This preliminary action creates a structured representation of the software system that enables rapid impact analysis later, resolving the contradiction by performing the heavy modeling work upfront rather than during each change analysis
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a virtual model (copy) of the software system's structure, dependencies, and configurations. This copy serves as a simulation environment where impact analysis can be performed rapidly without affecting the actual system, enabling accurate analysis while minimizing time loss through the use of the replicated model
3Loss of information
If complete documentation of software systems is maintained, then impact analysis can be conducted properly, but the documentation effort is extensive and difficult to maintain
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a system where the software documentation is automatically generated and maintained by the system itself through automated scanning, modeling, and dependency tracking. The system serves itself by continuously updating its own documentation based on actual code changes, resolving the contradiction by eliminating manual documentation efforts while maintaining complete and current system information
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual documentation processes with automated computer-based systems that use static code analysis, dynamic tracking, and database management to maintain comprehensive software documentation. This substitution reduces the complexity of documentation maintenance while ensuring complete and accurate system information is always available
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method for model driven software is disclosed. In one embodiment, the method of handling changes to a software system in a business environment includes capturing customer requirements of the software system in a schema, modeling business-software architecture of the software system in a first level of the schema, modeling design architecture of the software system in a second level of the schema, defining events that connect the first level and second level of the schema, defining links that represent interactions between the user interfaces, defining integration services for each of the events, mapping each element in the first level to a corresponding one of elements in the second level using the events, links and integration services, creating a knowledge repository with a traversable user interface representing the mappings, identifying changes to the software system, and analyzing impact of the changes using the knowledge repository.