High level support for performance engineering, and model integration and model transformation

Abstract

This thesis provides high level support for Performance Engineering in software architecture design via two research projects - Argo/MTE and MaramaMTE+. The Argo/MTE project extends the well established ArgoUML tool to support software architecture modelling and performance evaluation. The Argo/MTE research shows how commonly used Components Off The Shelf (COTS) tools can improve the usability and maintainability of an in-house technology, and how the use of standard model representations can improve tool integration. The MaramaMTE+ research integrates the traditional software architecture modelling with the web user behaviour modelling using the Marama meta-tool. The MaramaMTE+ research shows how model integration can extend the applicable domain of a software model; how a meta-tool can support efficient tool extension; and how to support automatic generation of web load testing plans. This thesis provides high level support for Model Integration and Transformation via the research project MaramaCRelation. The MaramaCRelation research provides a structured approach to interconnect domain-specific models. It maintains the rational of an interconnection of domain-specific models; records semantics maintained and lost across the interconnected models; tracks the evolvement of modeling elements through the traceability across the interconnected models; and maintains behavior synchronization across the interconnected models. The thesis has made contributions in software architecture design, software architecture performance evaluation, web load testing, and model integration and transformation. More specifically, the research of the thesis is aimed for improving the automatic support, analysis and design support, and systematic and structured support for Performance Engineering and Model Driven Engineering.