Architecture Driven Modernization: A Review on Reverse Engineering Techniques based on Models’ Approach

Abstract

Software specifications represent one of the risks that can cause a project to fail if they tend to be modified during development. it is a problem that all companies with an information system or developing software can face regardless of the latter's size. Specification techniques have indeed evolved over the last few years to avoid this type of situation as much as possible. Nevertheless, one can never predict a client's evolutionary needs. To remedy this problem, there is a solution that we consider effective, which is reverse engineering. Reverse engineering is not a new term. Originally, reverse engineering meant analyzing hardware to improve it in the case of a proprietary product or to detect its strengths in the case of a competing product. By projecting these concepts onto the software, we conclude that the goal is to fully understand the system and its structure. And if the goal of reverse engineering on hardware is to duplicate the system, the goal on software is to understand its design for maintenance and support purposes.