A Framework for Managing Dynamic Service-Oriented Component Architectures

Software development is moving from monolithic to modular, dynamically composable applications. Modularity and dynamicity are the basis for software evolution since they provide the means of adapting and updating an application. Currently, service-oriented component models are one of the most advanced technologies for creating dynamic applications. These component models, which inherit concepts from both component-based software engineering and service oriented computing, provide a programming model that both supports and encourages dynamic reconfigurations. Although reconfigurations are possible, it is still difficult to manage a dynamic application's architecture, especially in highly dynamic environments. In this paper, we provide an overview of the benefits of service oriented component models and the main concepts used in their implementations. We provide a model that reifies important concepts and can be used to manage the application's architecture and its dynamic reconfigurations. Finally we propose a generic framework that allows for the creation of specialized architecture managers, capable of both monitoring and controlling dynamic service-oriented component applications.