Research Perspectives Bill Scherlis CMU SCS DoD Software Summit 9 Aug 01

Software Engineering Challenges Context (Boehm) Improved security and survivability Evolutionary acquisition (Clinger-Cohen) Chronic expertise shortage Continued incompatibility with commercial best practice Distribution and embedding at grand scale Dimensions Acquisition  Significant interplay with technology SWE technology  Deep technical ideas becoming significant to practice Transition  New management models

Technology, 1 Assurance  Lightweight methods/tools Small theorems about big programs Adoptable: gentle slope Properties: Functional, safety, mechanical, security The coevolution principle  Examples: Model checking Types Description carrying code (PCC, etc) Concurrency Model reconciliation Chains of evidence Partial chains  Bubble-up vs trickle-down

Technology, 1 Assurance  Lightweight methods/tools Small theorems about big programs Adoptable: gentle slope Properties: Functional, safety, mechanical, security The coevolution principle  Examples: Model checking Types Description carrying code (PCC, etc) Concurrency Model reconciliation Chains of evidence Partial chains  Bubble-up vs trickle-down Design record  Models and links Enriched model space Coevolution, again Generation and understanding Informal and formal Where is design information lost?  Examples: Aspects, subjects, dimensions UML reconciliation  View-oriented programming

Technology, 2 Components  COSE growing, in fact Commercial libraries Larger components Open source elements APIs: 1-way and 2-way  Compositionality Frameworks:EJB, HLA, COM, etc Key to scalability  Challenges Validation Component compliance Frameworks Embedding Small components Functional and structural change

Technology, 2 Components  COSE growing, in fact Commercial libraries Larger components Open source elements APIs: 1-way and 2-way  Compositionality Frameworks:EJB, HLA, COM, etc Key to scalability  Challenges Validation Component compliance Frameworks Embedding Small components Functional and structural change Iteration and evolution  Rapid evolution Functional Structural Enable product line, API compliance, functional change, etc  “Evolution” A composite capability  Enhancers of software malleability COSE Views/aspects/dimensions Understanding Linked design record Analysis, annotation Manipulation, generation

Technology, 3 Teams and people  Diverse collaboration models.gov,.com,.org Corporate source Product line  Dimensions Organizational memory Expression Roles and size Expertise Architecture  Technology for collaboration Information management Integration / reconciliation Awareness / coupling Process management Coordination

Structural challenges, 1 Acquisition process  Leveraged resources Tooling, architecture, product line, commercial components, commercial best practice, etc.  Particular issues Doing the spiral: Lowering risk, increasing frequency Commonalities: Tools, architecture, people, process OTS: Tailorable/managed, assured  Interplay with technology development Assurance, design record, collaboration Iterating safely Assurance in increments Iterating safely Quality for everyone Observing open source

A note on open source What  Myth Anarchy, demagoguery, ideology, many eyes  Reality Architecture, people, process, tools Corporate source Assurance challenges Potential for DoD  Closed blackbox  Opaque whitebox  Transparent whitebox  Adaptable whitebox  Assurable? Dependable open source?  Evolvable/adaptable?  Corporate source? Challenges  Tools, architecture, collaboration

Structural challenges, 2 Innovation process  Work with all of DoD’s “IT supply chain” Leverage points for innovation  Program management Problems vs? solutions  Push and pull Double helix: mutual influence of op concept and tech  Validation Accelerating transition, justifying investment Linking stakeholders early Challenges: Measurement, study subjects, scale up Reality transfer: What is the real problem? The Collaborative Testbed model

Structural challenges, 3 Why invest  Industry won’t do it Commons investments Long-term ROI problems Innovation creates risk  Special needs E.g., security  Double helix Interplay of operational concept and technology