Architectures are perhaps the single largest factor in the long-term success of a software project. An architecture may have different aspects or views including how it's components interact at run time and how they are configured and delivered. An architecture provides a "big picture" view of the system which guides all developers as they work out the details of their respective parts; it is invaluable in ensuring that the system is more than just the sum of it's parts. Yet there is little information generally available on how to define architectures that are robust and which stand up to the test of changing requirements and technology.
This workshop seeks to continue the work started during OOPSLA-95 workshop (and the Architecture Handbook workshops than preceded it) where the group identified over 30 patterns describing how they go about architecting systems. Once again, this workshop will provide an opportunity for software system architects from a variety of software backgrounds to compare notes, reflect upon their experiences and generalize them into the pattern form so that others may benefit from their experience.
As in last year's workshop, much of the time will be spent working in very small groups mining the submissions of fellow participants for experiences that resonate with your own. The results will be reviewed by the group and a subset selected for presentation in the poster session. It is hoped that participants will continue to collaborate after the workshop by preparing patterns and pattern languages for submissions to future pattern and architecture conferences and workshops.
Potential participants are asked to submit a position paper describing their experiences defining or studying software systems architectures. The ideal submission will include descriptions of concrete experiences (a.k.a. stories) and generalizations drawn from these experiences. Generalizations expressed in the pattern form (Problem, Context, Forces, Solution) are especially encouraged. Submissions should include topics such as: How you decide what decisions to make and which to defer to the implementors? How do you introduce support for variability? What strategies do you use for dealing with distribution? Do you address it early in the design cycle or leave it as late as possible?
Researchers interested in participating should contact the organizers with proposals describing how they can contribute to advancing the state of the art, possibly through education.
Submissions must be made by electronic mail in plain text or Rich Text Format (RTF) by August 15th. Applicants will be notified by September 1st and submissions will circulated by September 15th.The output of last year's workshop will also be made available to all accepted participants so that we may build upon them, weaving the patterns together into a full pattern language.
Gerard Meszaros, Object Systems Group
Suite 1200, 250 Sixth Avenue SW
Calgary, Alberta Canada T2P 3H7
Telephone: 1-403-290-8985
Fax: 1-403-233-2021
E-Mail:
gerard@osgcorp.com
Bruce Anderson, IBM EMEA Object Technology Practice
Phone/Fax: 44-1206-825487
E-Mail:
bruce_anderson@uk.ibm.com
Gerard Meszaros, Object Systems Group
