Hybrid Adaptation Policies – Towards a Framework for Classification and Modelling of Different Combinations of Adaptation Policies

The development of self-adaptive systems can greatly benefit from reference frameworks to structure the development process. Current reference frameworks abstract from the adaptation decision – the selection of a specific adaptation based on the goals and options available. This decision is usually based on the three adaptation policies: rule-based, goal-based or utility based. However, concepts from these policies often are combined with each other in different ways to achieve hybrid policies. To structure this combination this paper identifies four types of such combinations. We express these types as patterns within a model that captures the functions, models and relations participating in the adaptation decision.