A Framework for Identification and Resolution of Interoperability Mismatches in COTS-Based Systems

Software systems today are frequently composed from prefabricated commercial components that provide complex functionality and engage in complex interactions. Such projects that utilize multiple commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) products often confront interoperability conflicts resulting in budget and schedule overruns. These conflicts occur because of the incompatible assumptions made by developers of these products. Identification of such conflicts and planning strategies to resolve them is critical for developing such systems under budget and schedule constraints. In this paper we present an attribute-based framework that can be used to perform automated interoperability assessment to filter out COTS product combinations whose integration will not be feasible within the project constraints. Our framework is built upon standard definitions of both COTS components and connectors and is intended for use by architects and developers during the design phase of a software system. Our preliminary experience in using the framework indicates an increase in interoperability assessment productivity by 50% and accuracy by 20%.