Only recently has the research community started to consider
IntroductionSince Osterweil's proposal [12] for automating the software process a decade ago, there has been significant debate about how to best define, execute, and support software processes.The Software Process community has proposed various modeling formalisms including Petri nets [9], rule-based formalisms [1,8,13], process programming languages [15], event-based representations [3,6,10], object-oriented approaches [6,10] and hybrids. Despite their benefits, systems based on these formalisms create enactable process models which are not interoperable nor reusable with one another. The prevailing solution is to advocate an intermediary standard process representation and provide translations for interoperability and reuse. We do not believe this approach is scalable and defeats the purpose of using heterogeneous process representations. We advocate an object-oriented, component-based philosophy for providing software process interoperability and reuse. This paper presents Open Process Components, a component-based framework for software process definition and enactment. In this framework, components are well-encapsulated representations of process entities that interact in meaningful ways. The framework is solidly founded on mature concepts in the software process field, and yet is extendable so that process models may be customized in a particular domain. A componentized view of process representations results in easier process definition, modularized process enactment, natural interoperability, and greater potential for reuse.
A Component-based Process PhilosophyEnactable software processes are typically not repeatable. Instances vary according to constantly changing demands of specific projects. Fully elaborating a software process model to an enactable level of granularity is often too tedious, time-consuming, and costly [4]. Motivated by the need for interoperability and reuse, we advocate applying component-based techniques to software process modeling. Constructing software process models as sets of interacting components allows interoperability by encapsulating the semantics of existing representations. Reuse is achieved by brokering for predefined components.
We propose two views on process: an organizational view and a personal process view. Information technology applies Automated Worktiow technology to define, execute, and track an organization's automated business processes. Calendaring tools provide a form of personal process view through scheduled work items. However, the personal, or individual, view of the process space has largely been ignored. We maintain that as organizations become increasingly decentralized, a single organization's process space is becoming difficult to recognize. Individuals of the organization are asked to do work that spans organizational, functional, and even geographic boundaries. An integrated view of organizational worktiows and personal processes is needed to address these new demands. In this paper we argue for the need to integrate organizational and personal processes. We then propose a component-based process modeling approach and supporting process architecture that integrates these process spaces. Finally, we describe our recent efforts at developing Java prototype process tools that realize the proposed modeling technique and supporting architecture.
The Division of Computing Studies at Arizona State University at the Polytechnic campus is in the process of instituting a laptop requirement policy for undergraduate and graduate students. The paper describes the motivation and rationale for this policy, the information gathered during the feasibility study, and finally the policy itself as well as a rationale for the decisions. The paper provides others considering similar requirements the experience gained by this organization. The study also considered a campus-wide laptop policy, but concluded there were too many unanswered questions and risks which are both discussed in the paper.
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