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Applying the ATAM to an Architecture for Decentralized Control of a Transportation System

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Quality of Software Architectures (QoSA 2006)

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNPSE,volume 4214))

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Abstract

For two years, we have been involved in a challenging project to develop a new architecture for an industrial transportation system. The motivating quality attributes to develop this innovative architecture were flexibility and openness. Taking these quality attributes into account, we proposed a decentralized architecture using multiagent systems (MASs). A MAS consists of multiple autonomous entities that coordinate with each other to achieve decentralized control. The typical advantages attributed to such decentralized architecture are flexibility and openness, the motivating quality attributes to apply MAS in this case.

The Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method (ATAM) was used to provide insights wether our architecture meets the expected flexibility and openness, and to identify tradeoffs with other quality attributes. Applying the ATAM proved to be a valuable experience. One of the main outcome of applying the ATAM was the identification of a tradeoff between flexibility and communication load that results from the use of a decentralized architecture.

This paper describes our experiences in applying the ATAM to a MAS architecture, containing both the main outcomes of the evaluation and a critical reflection on the ATAM itself.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Distrinet, KULeuven, Celestijnenlaan 200A, Leuven, Belgium

    Nelis Boucké, Danny Weyns, Kurt Schelfthout & Tom Holvoet

Authors
  1. Nelis Boucké
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  2. Danny Weyns
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  3. Kurt Schelfthout
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  4. Tom Holvoet
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Lehigh University,  

    Christine Hofmeister

  2. School of Innovation, Design and Engineering, Mälardalen University, Västerås, Sweden

    Ivica Crnkovic

  3. Chair for Software Design and Quality, University of Karlsruhe (TH), Am Fasanengarten 5, 76131, Karlsruhe, Germany

    Ralf Reussner

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© 2006 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Boucké, N., Weyns, D., Schelfthout, K., Holvoet, T. (2006). Applying the ATAM to an Architecture for Decentralized Control of a Transportation System. In: Hofmeister, C., Crnkovic, I., Reussner, R. (eds) Quality of Software Architectures. QoSA 2006. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 4214. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/11921998_16

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/11921998_16

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-540-48819-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-540-48820-0

  • eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)

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