The Librarian/Integrator Function: The Missing Element of a Product Line Architecture Integrated Development Environment

Large, complex, software intensive weapons systems designed to operate on tomorrow's digital battlefields typically suffer from a lack of theoretical and technical infrastructure at the higher levels of abstraction. These systems are partitioned intosmaller physical components aligned along organizational and/or functional lines within a corporation or among several corporations. The software in turn is distributed among these organizational entities. Despite these divisions, it is desirable that atthe architectural-level pervasive software standards are enforced, and that specific inter-partition communication software design patterns be defined and followed. We propose to develop a preliminary design and key algorithmic components of anarchitectural-level development environment. The final tool set would integrate existing off-the-shelf products with an innovative Librarian/Integrator function to create a comprehensive development environment capable of supporting a product linearchitecture development approach. To be able to meet stringent cost, schedule, and performance goals, more and more large system integrators are turning to product line architectures. However, today's integrated design environments are not well suitedto integrating designs from multiple vendors, such as would be found in mixed COTS, GOTS, and new development environments. The resulting product of this effort is a tool set to support large, software intensive, product line based developmentenvironments such as those required to build future ground system vehicles, e.g., Army's Future Scout. The product is also relevant to other large DoD and commercial development organizations, which have established or are considering product linearchitectures. Representatives of a major developer of ground systems vehicles have agreed with our assessment that such tools are needed and are excited with our approach.