SBIR-STTR Award

Domain Analysis (DA) holds the key for a systematic, formal, and effective practice of software reuse. Proposed approaches and methods for DA assume that domain knowledge exists and is readily usable. Experience indicates, however, that acquiring and structuring knowledge is the bottleneck of DA. A recent methodology developed by reuse, inc. For the stars program (Reuse Library Process Model, RLPM) emphasizes the early analysis aspects of knowledge acquisition and knowledge structuring. The RLPM converts the ad-hoc nature of DA into a repeatable procedure with well defined, tangible outputs. This is a proposal to assess the potential for automation of DA. Existing techniques and tools, in particular those from information retrieval and expert systems development, provide support for activities in the DA process. Many of the tools can be used immediately while certain DA activities may require the creation of new tools. There is, therefore, a definite potential for automating parts of DA provided a basic framework to conduct DA exists. The RLPM will be used as the framework for automating primitive operations. Other methods will be considered and evaluated. The objective in Phase I will be to propose a Domain Analysis And Reuse Environment (DARE) architecture that supports a DA methodology. Clear understanding of the domain analysis process and a framework for standardizing some of its activities. Commercial applications include tailoring of the dare method and environment to support specific domains, development of plug-compatible tools to support specific aspects of dare, and development of domain specific reusable components and architectures dare can use for application development.

Domain analysis (DA), systems analysis for multiple related systems, is necessary for the systematic, formal, and effective practice of software reuse. Proposed approaches and methods for DA assume that domain knowledge exists and is readily usable. Experience indicates, however, that acquiring and structuring knowledge is the bottleneck of DA. Phase I of this study assessed the potential for automating this bottleneck activity. Existing techniques and tools, in particular those from information retrieval and expert systems development, were found to potentially provide support for activities in the DA process. Phase I identified a high level architecture for a domain analysis support system (DARE) which integrates these techniques and tools. Phase I adapted the STARS DA methodology into a step by step repeatable procedure supported by the DARE architecture. The goal of Phase II is to further explore DARE's architecture and subsystems. Some of the subsystems will be implemented and tested. Others, which are less well understood, will be researched, and requirements and designs will be written for them. This proposal details the plan to develop a preliminary prototype for DARE and describes the technology that will be used and developed in the process. Technology transfer, utilization, and commercialization issues are discussed. Anticipated

Benefits:
Clear understanding of the domain analysis process and a framework for standardizing and automating some of its activities. Commercial applications include tailoring of the DARE method and environment to support specific domains, development of interfaces between DARE and other ARPA reuse support tools, and development of domain specific reusable components and architectures DARE can use for application development.