1. Simon: Modeling and Analysis of Design Space Structures
Computer Science
Department of
School of Engineering
and Applied Science
University of Virginia
Yuanfang Cai, Kevin Sullivan, University of Virginia, {yc7a,
The structure of the coupling relation on design decisions is a key factor influencing the evolvability properties and the economic value of a design. However, we lack the basic science and tools to rigorously address the fundamental problem of reasoning the economic implications of design coupling structures. The work of Baldwin and Clark is an important step toward a theory of the relationship between structure and value.
In order to enable rigorous validation and perhaps the eventual use of their ideas for software engineering, we formalize their ideas by formally modeling software designs using Augmented Constraint Networks (ACNs). We have been developing a set of analysis methods based on the formalization, including the automatic derivation of Design Structure Matrices (DSMs) and quantifiable Design Impact Analysis (DIA). Simon is our prototype tool supporting ACN modeling and DSM/DIA analysis.
Design Modeling: Augmented Constraint Network
1. Constraint Network
2. Cannot Influence Relation
3. Multiple Clustering
View 2:
Task Assignment
View 1:
Random
Variables: Design dimensions or environment factors
Can influence
Cannot influence
View 3:
Design Rule
Domain: Design choices or environment conditions
Some design decisions dominate other decisions;
Environment factors are often out of designer’s control
Constraint: Relations among design decision
or environment conditions
One design can be viewed from multiple perspectives
Design Analysis
(1) Design Structure Matrix (2) Design Impact Analysis
Evolution Paths
Changed Design Decisions
Automatically Derived DSM
with Rigorous Semantics
New Design
1. Given a design
2. Change some decisions
3. Review the consequences
All the variables that depend on the given variable
Results
Automatically generated DSMs are consistent with the DSMs we published previously [sullivan01], but reveal subtle errors in the manual versions
Automate Parnas’s qualitative analysis of KWIC with quantifiable results.
All the variables on which the given variable depends