Automatic Synchronization of Allocation Models with Running Software

Abstract

Software models, source code, and deployed software are multiple views upon the same subject. These views are often created and maintained as coupled artifacts, which have to be synchronized. The synchronization can introduce inconsistencies, ultimately leading to errors in the understanding of the software. Deployment models can be derived from the running software, and model changes can be automatically applied to their origin, when the mapping between deployment models and the actual deployment follows known standards. Such an automated synchronization of models and deployed programs can decrease errors in the understanding of the deployment aspect of the software. This paper presents a prototype that derives Palladio allocation diagrams from running software based on the Java Enterprise Edition via an intermediate language. Changes in the allocation diagrams can automatically be applied to the running software. The extracted diagrams can be the base for performance simulations with the Palladio Simulator.