Large System Software Visualization

This project addresses the problem of lifecycle management of large scale software systems. In systems with a large code base, system and software engineers often struggle with maintaining a consistent view of the system architecture and software. WW Technology Group will develop techniques that capture missile defense agency (MDA) software code bases and system architectures into an open, machine readable format, the Avionics Architecture Description Language (AADL). With the system information in a machine readable format, we then specify techniques and tools that provide users with needed views of the system architecture, data flows and relationships. The views include perspectives that can be aligned with the major component interrelationships, whether they be performance, fault and error handling, or security. In this activity, we leverage the general concept of concern graphs, allowing users to view the traceable threads through the system. The techniques identified in this project represent a combination of automated analysis techniques combined with user customizable assignment of subsystem attributes and characteristics. Engineers responsible for performing the engineering of the system can minimize the time spent on tedious manual tasks while leveraging their knowledge of the system behavioral characteristics, including performance, security, and error handling.