Expectation, experiment and reflection on internet software evolution

Abstract

Dynamic evolution is a challenging requirement of software application systems running in the open, dynamic and uncertain Internet. In this paper, we investigate expectations of Internet software evolution and propose a dynamic software architecture oriented approach. Notably, architecture information is reified as explicit and manipulable entities to support a runtime architecture meta-model, which is causally connected to the system implementation and specification. Moreover, mobile agent technology is exploited to implement the built-in architecture meta-model, supervising all evolutionary behaviors during runtime. A prototype supporting platform named Artemis-ARC is implemented as an attempt to facilitate the development of dynamically evolvable application systems. Based on existing practice, some reflection on Internet software evolution is also illustrated.