MDE

Reverse engineering Legacy systems Model Driven Engineering (MDE) Framework Model Driven Reverse Engineering (MDRE) a b s t r a c t Context: Most companies, independently of their size and activity type, are facing the problem of managing, maintaining and/or replacing (part of) their existing software systems. These legacy systems are often large applications playing a critical role in the company's information system and with a non-negligible impact on its daily operations. Improving their comprehension (e.g., architecture, features, enforced rules, handled data) is a key point when dealing with their evolution/modernization. Objective: The process of obtaining useful higher-level representations of (legacy) systems is called reverse engineering (RE), and remains a complex goal to achieve. So-called Model Driven Reverse Engineering (MDRE) has been proposed to enhance more traditional RE processes. However, generic and extensible MDRE solutions potentially addressing several kinds of scenarios relying on different legacy technologies are still missing or incomplete. This paper proposes to make a step in this direction. Method: MDRE is the application of Model Driven Engineering (MDE) principles and techniques to RE in order to generate relevant model-based views on legacy systems, thus facilitating their understanding and manipulation. In this context, MDRE is practically used in order to (1) discover initial models from the legacy artifacts composing a given system and (2) understand (process) these models to generate relevant views (i.e., derived models) on this system. Results: Capitalizing on the different MDRE practices and our previous experience (e.g., in real modernization projects), this paper introduces and details the MoDisco open source MDRE framework. It also presents the underlying MDRE global methodology and architecture accompanying this proposed tooling. Conclusion: MoDisco is intended to make easier the design and building of model-based solutions dedicated to legacy systems RE. As an empirical evidence of its relevance and usability, we report on its successful application in real industrial projects and on the concrete experience we gained from that.

The models transformation is the fundamental key in Model Driven Architecture approach. In Model Driven Architecture there are two transformations kinds: the CIM to PIM transformation and the PIM to PSM transformation. The researchers focused on the transformation from PIM level to PSM level, because there are several points in common between these two levels. However, the transformation from CIM level to PIM level is rarely discussed in research subjects because they are two completely different levels. This paper proposes a model transformation method to master the transformation from CIM to PIM web-based in accordance with the Model Driven Architecture approach. Indeed, the main value of this method is to propose a transformation from business-oriented models to web-oriented models. This method is founded on building a good CIM level via well-defined rules, allowing us to win precious models that facilitate the task of the transformation from CIM to PIM web-based. Then, we define a set of well-selected rules to move from CIM to PIM web-based so as to ensure a semi-automatic transformation. This method conforms to MDA recommendations by considering the business dimension in the CIM level, and by modeling this latter level using UML activity diagram which is one of OMG standards for modeling business process. Nevertheless, we used UML models into the PIM level, because UML is recommended by MDA in this level.

Nowadays the software industry has known a significant growth, while the end-users have become very demanding. In this sense, the model transformation has become one of the essential solutions to ensure competitiveness in the field of the software industry domain. For that, the Object Management Group (OMG) proposes for the Model-Driven Architecture (MDA) approach three abstraction levels, namely Computation Independent Model (CIM), Platform Independent Model (PIM) and Platform Specific Model (PSM). Therefore, our contribution in this paper is to shed more light on the first MDA transformation, which is the transformation from CIM to PIM levels. We propose a disciplined Model-Driven approach for the e-business information system, which generates the IFML (Interaction Flow Modeling Language) model automatically in the PIM level from business value model in the CIM level, using the ATL transformation language. For this purpose, the business value model is illustrated by the E3value model, whereas, the IFML model exhibits the front-end applications content, interface composition, user interaction and control behavior for several kinds of applications, such as web applications, mobile applications and desktop applications.

The adoption of MDE in software development has drastically changed the way of developing software products. It gives a way of automating software development while reducing production time. While software companies need continually to improve and customize their software processes, a quick approach to do so is still lacking. Most of those companies have an organizational process that is used whenever they have an upcoming development project. Reusing the same process for any development project is somehow inadequate. So, tailoring of such a process is necessary to fit projects specificities. However, even if that tailored process can be used for a specific project, it still lacks information about resources needed for execution. In this article, we propose a Y model-based approach that allows tailoring a MDE process model and instantiating it for a specific project in the context of an organization. This approach is made possible by using models transformations. We defined metamodels to express the context and resources of a project. It results in a more optimal use of stakeholder's roles and a better way of producing software. We illustrate our approach with the UWE Process in a context of a maintenance project with J2EE.

Since the Model Driven Architecture (MDA) approach appearance, model's transformation has been considered as one of the main computing keys in the software industry, which grows exponentially to ensure competitiveness. For that, the Object Management Group (OMG) offers for the MDA approach three abstraction levels, which are Computation Independent Model (CIM), Platform Independent Model (PIM) and Platform Specific Model (PSM). Most researchers put much focus on the PIM to PSM transformation because these levels have multiple common points, but they disregard the CIM to PIM transformation. So, our defiance in this paper is to propose a disciplined method that generates the UML2 Sequence diagrams automatically from the E3value model. Therefore, we produce the UML's behavior and interaction model in the PIM level, from the value-based requirements model in the CIM level. The transformations are done automatically using the Atlas transformation language (ATL). The purpose is to reduce the effort, time, and the development cost of projects as all transformations is automated, increasing the chance of being more competitive in the software industry.

Reverse engineering is still a challenging process, notably because of the growing number, heterogeneity, complexity, and size of software applications. While the analysis of their structural elements has been intensively investigated, there is much less work covering the reverse engineering of their behavioral aspects. To further stimulate research on this topic, we propose fREX as an open framework for reverse engineering of executable behaviors from existing software code bases. fREX currently provides model discovery support for behavior embedded in Java code, employs the OMG's fUML standard language as executable pivot format for dynamic analysis, and uses model transformations to bridge Java and fUML. Thus, fREX also aims at contributing to explore the relationship between programming languages (e.g., Java) and executable mod-eling languages (e.g., fUML). In this paper, we describe the proposed fREX framework and its current reverse engineering support covering some core Java features. In addition we discuss how the framework can be used for performing different kinds of dynamic analysis on existing software, as well as how it could be extended in the future.

In this paper, we propose a Round-Trip Engineering-based approach of optimizing the corrective, adaptive, evolutionary or perfective maintenance of applications on the OptimaDev, a MDA engine. It is a method which allows the automatic synchronization of updates between the model of an application and its source code when changes are brought vice-versa to the one or the other. The modifications made either on the model or in the source code and intervening after the source code generation from the MDA engines are not reflected mutually. In the context of the model-driven architectures (MDA), the ideal is to constantly have a model of the application which reflects its source code. Our approach helps to significantly reduce the quota of the total budget of the software development affected to maintenance.

Model Driven Engineering (MDE) is often applied to support software engineering processes (i.e., from reverse to forward engineering, including maintenance and/or evolution tasks). However, as promoted by the Model Driven Organization (MDO) initiative, it can also be relevant in more business-oriented and strategic decision-making activities such as Enterprise Architecture (EA). EA is the process of translating business vision and strategy into effective change by better describing the enterprise's future state and thus enable its evolution. Even if several approaches have already proposed different kinds of support to deal with the company's EA, an integrated MDE framework combining EA data federation, EA standard adaptation and multiple viewpoint support is still missing. This paper reports on our ongoing experience of building the TEAP MDE framework (based on the TOGAF standard and SmartEA tooling) notably addressing these three challenges in an industrial EA context.

Tool development has always been a fundamental activity of Software Engineering. Nowadays, open source is changing the way this is done in many organizations. Traditional ways of doing things are progressively enhanced or even sometimes replaced by new organizational schemes, benefiting as much as possible from the properties of open source (OS). This is especially true in innovative areas such as Model Driven Engineering (MDE) in which new tools are constantly created, developed and disseminated, many of them coming from research teams. This poses some hard questions: What is the actual impact of OS in terms of tool development? How to best take advantage of OS communities? And what are the opportunities for research teams in this context? Capitalizing on experiences in developing MDE OS tools on top of the Eclipse platform and its license model, we try to give some insights on these questions in this paper.

Organizations undertake more and more software modernization projects every day, mostly due to rapid changes in the technological landscape pushing them to evolve their systems before they become obsolete. Such modernization projects are sometimes taken (too) lightly, and start more because of passing fads than motivated by real technological limitations or system problems. In our experience, many managers have a very partial view of the complexity and consequences of these projects.

Toutes approche IDM nécessite l'enchaînement de plusieurs transformations. Cet enchaînement peutêtre vu comme un processus de production de logiciels. Dans le plus simple des cas, cet enchaînement est linéaire : les transformations s'exécutent les unes après les autres. Cependant, il arrive souvent que l'on ait besoin de contrôler l'enchaînement lors de l'exécution : par exemple, on peut vouloir choisir la transformation suivante en fonction du résultat des transformations précédentes. Dans cet article, nous décrivons l'outil PMS+ permettant de spécifier l'enchaînement de transformations en tant que processus de production de logiciels.

Cloud computing has leveraged new software development and provisioning approaches by changing the way computing, storage and networking resources are purchased and consumed. The variety of cloud offerings on both technical and business level has considerably advanced the development process and established new business models and value chains for applications and services. However, the modernization and cloudification of legacy software so as to be offered as a service still encounters many challenges. In this work, we present a complete methodology and a methodology instantiation framework for the effective migration of legacy software to modern cloud environments. 1. Introduction. Nowadays, cloud computing [4] appears as one of the most popular and mature technological and business environments for engineering, hosting and provisioning software applications. A continuously increasing set of cloud-based solutions across the cloud stack layers [11] is available to application owners and developers to tailor their applications and exploit the advanced features of this paradigm for elasticity, high availability and performance. These solutions provide many benefits to new applications but they also introduce constrains to the modernization and migration of legacy applications. We consider legacy applications as software not developed for the Cloud and software in traditional architectural paradigms that cannot be scaled, cannot be measured and does not share resources beyond infrastructure (e.g. database, memory). Often the legacy applications follow monolithic architecture design approaches, implemented in technologies which may be deprecated or cannot easily deal with the notion of " as a Service " and are installed on owned infrastructures. The modernization and adaptation of legacy applications to cloud environments is a great challenge for all involved stakeholders, not only from a technical perspective, but also in business level with the need for adaptation of the business processes and models of the application which will be deployed on the Cloud and offered " as a service ". In this paper, we present a novel model-driven [22] approach for the migration of legacy applications in modern cloud environments which covers all aspects and phases of the migration process, as well as an integrated framework that supports all migration process. Our motivation for this work is the requirements and challenges for the effective migration of legacy software on the Cloud as described in [9]. To this end, the proposed migration methodology considers the following aspects: • Unknown internal structure due to the complexity of the software and the data management processes. • Lack of knowledge for target environment where the application will be deployed and provisioned.

Modeling complex systems involves dealing with several heterogeneous and interrelated models defined using a variety of languages (UML, ER, BPMN, DSLs, etc.). These models must be frequently combined in different cross-domain perspectives to provide stakeholders the view of the system they need to best perform their tasks. Several model composition approaches have already been proposed addressing this problem. Nevertheless, they present some important limitations concerning efficiency, interoperability and synchronization between the base models and the composed ones. As an alternative we introduce EMF Views, an approach coming with a dedicated language and tooling for defining views on potentially heterogeneous models. Similarly to views in databases, model views are not materialized but instead redirect all model access and manipulation requests to the base models from which they are obtained. This is realized in a transparent way for both the modeler and the other modeling tools using the concerned (meta)models.