SEI Product Line Framework Updated

Version 5.0 of the SEI Framework for Software Product Line Practice, a reference model that describes the essential activities and 29 practice areas necessary for successful software product lines,
is now available.

Version 5.0 has significant changes compared to Version 4 -- changes that reflect trends such as open source, globally distributed development, Service-Oriented Architectures, Model-Driven Development, and Agile development. Additional changes to the Framework include:

• A discussion of contextual factors that influence core-asset development. Product contraints, production constraints, production strategy, and preexisting assets are no longer rigid "inputs" but rather contextual factors.
• more in-depth coverage of the production-plan concept
• new frequently-asked questions (FAQs)
• significant modifications to the following practice areas:
  • "COTS Utilization" was changed to "Using Externally Available Software" and expanded to include open-source software and services as prominent software choices.
  • "Mining Existing Assets" was expanded to include externally available software as a mining source.
  • "Software System Integration" was expanded to discuss continuous, iterative integration, and closer ties have been made to production planning.
  • "Testing" now includes more detailed descriptions of guidelines and test artifacts.
  • "Data Collection, Measurement, and Tracking" was changed to "Measurement and Tracking" and rewritten to emphasize the goals of measurement rather than the mechanics.
  • "Process Definition" was changed to "Process Discipline" and rewritten to emphasize the need for process discipline throughout, which exceeds the ability to merely define processes. This practice area was also expanded to include a treatment of agile approaches and the production process and production method for the product line.
  • "Technical Planning" was expanded to provide more coverage of production planning.
  • "Tool Support" was expanded to discuss tools for automating product derivation.
  • "Building a Business Case" now includes an expanded discussion of using the business case to weigh alternative strategies and coverage of Boehm's economic model for product lines, Constructive Product Line Investment Model (COPLIMO).
  • "Customer Interface Management" now includes a discussion of customer identification.
  • "Developing an Acquisition Strategy" now covers the acquisition of services and other externally available software, as well as acquisition in a global development environment.
  • "Launching and Institutionalizing" now includes a discussion of the SEI Adoption Factory pattern and more coverage of institutionalization.
  • "Operations" now considers a product line concept of operations (CONOPS) to be essential.
  • "Structuring the Organization" now has a clarified relationship with the "Operations" practice area.
  • "Training" includes added sources of product line training.

A second edition of the book Software Product Lines: Practices and Patterns, by Paul Clements and Linda Northrop, will include an updated version of the SEI product line practice patterns and new product line case studies. It has an anticipated publication date of January 2008.

Posted by Jon Erickson at 04:40 PM  Permalink