ABSTRACT
Over more than two decades, numerous variability modeling techniques have been introduced in academia and industry. However, little is known about the actual use of these techniques. While dozens of experience reports on software product line engineering exist, only very few focus on variability modeling. This lack of empirical data threatens the validity of existing techniques, and hinders their improvement. As part of our effort to improve empirical understanding of variability modeling, we present the results of a survey questionnaire distributed to industrial practitioners. These results provide insights into application scenarios and perceived benefits of variability modeling, the notations and tools used, the scale of industrial models, and experienced challenges and mitigation strategies.
- A. Abele, R. Johansson, H. Lönn, Y. Papadopoulos, M. Reiser, D. Servat, M. Törngren, and M. Weber. The CVM framework: A prototype tool for compositional variability management. In VaMoS'10, 2010.Google Scholar
- A. Aldazabal and S. Erofeev. Product line unified modeler (PLUM). 2007.Google Scholar
- T. Berger and S. She. Formal semantics of the CDL language, 2010. Technical Note. Available at http://thorsten-berger.net/cdl_semantics.pdf.Google Scholar
- T. Berger, S. She, R. Lotufo, A. Wąsowski, and K. Czarnecki. Variability modeling in the real: A perspective from the operating systems domain. In ASE'10, 2010. Google ScholarDigital Library
- T. Berger, S. She, R. Lotufo, A. Wąsowski, and K. Czarnecki. Variability modeling in the systems software domain. Technical Report GSDLAB-TR 2012-07-06, Generative Software Development Laboratory, University of Waterloo, 2012. Available at http://gsd.uwaterloo.ca/tr/vm-2012-berger.Google Scholar
- A. Birk. Product line engineering, the state of the practice. IEEE Software, 20(6):52--60, 2010. Google ScholarDigital Library
- R. Bonifácio, L. Teixeira, and P. Borba. Hephaestus: A tool for managing spl variabilities. In SBCARS Tools Session, 2009.Google Scholar
- T. Browning. Applying the design structure matrix to system decomposition and integration problems: a review and new directions. IEEE Transaction on Engineering Management, 48(3):292--306, 2001.Google ScholarCross Ref
- L. Chen and M. Ali Babar. Variability management in software product lines: an investigation of contemporary industrial challenges. In SPLC'10, 2010. Google ScholarDigital Library
- L. Chen, M. Ali Babar, and N. Ali. Variability management in software product lines: a systematic review. In SPLC'09, 2009. Google ScholarDigital Library
- L. Chen and M. A. Babar. A systematic review of evaluation of variability management approaches in software product lines. Information and Software Technology, 53(4):344--362, 2011. Google ScholarDigital Library
- CVL Submission Team. Common variability language (CVL), OMG revised submission, 2012. Available at http://www.omgwiki.org/variability/lib/exe/fetch.php?id=start&cache=cache&media=cvl-revised-submission.pdf.Google Scholar
- K. Czarnecki, P. Grünbacher, R. Rabiser, K. Schmid, and A. Wąsowski. Cool features and tough decisions: A comparison of variability modeling approaches. In VAMOS'12, 2012. Google ScholarDigital Library
- O. Djebbi, C. Salinesi, and G. Fanmuy. Industry survey of product lines management tools: Requirements, qualities and open issues. In RE'07, 2007.Google ScholarCross Ref
- R. Flores, C. Krueger, and P. Clements. Mega-scale product line engineering at general motors. In SPLC'12, 2012. Google ScholarDigital Library
- C. Gillan, P. Kilpatrick, I. Spence, T. Brown, R. Bashroush, R. Gawley, et al. Challenges in the application of feature modelling in fixed line telecommunications. In VaMoS'07, 2007.Google Scholar
- P. Grünbacher, R. Rabiser, D. Dhungana, and M. Lehofer. Model-based customization and deployment of Eclipse-based tools: Industrial experiences. In ASE'09, 2009. Google ScholarDigital Library
- P. Heymans and J.-C. Trigauxf. Software product line: State of the art. Technical Report EPH3310300R0462/215315, Institut d'Informatique FUNDP, Namur, 2003. Available at http://www.inf.ufpr.br/silvia/topicos/artigostrab10/artigo1-S1e2.pdf.Google Scholar
- A. Hubaux, A. Classen, M. Mendonça, and P. Heymans. A preliminary review on the application of feature diagrams in practice. In VaMoS'10, 2010.Google Scholar
- A. Hubaux, Y. Xiong, and K. Czarnecki. A user survey of configuration challenges in linux and ecos. In VaMoS'12, 2012. Google ScholarDigital Library
- H. P. Jepsen and D. Beuche. Running a software product line: standing still is going backwards. In SPLC'09, 2009. Google ScholarDigital Library
- S. H. Khandkar. Open coding. Lecture material, available at http://pages.cpsc.ucalgary.ca/~saul/wiki/uploads/CPSC681/open-coding.pdf, 2009.Google Scholar
- C. W. Krueger. Easing the transition to software mass customization. In PFE'01, 2001. Google ScholarDigital Library
- C. W. Krueger. New methods in software product line development. In SPLC'06, 2006. Google ScholarDigital Library
- R. Lotufo, S. She, T. Berger, K. Czarnecki, and A. Wąsowski. Evolution of the Linux kernel variability model. In SPLC'10, 2010. Google ScholarDigital Library
- S. Mann and G. Rock. Dealing with variability in architecture de-scriptions to support automotive product lines. In VaMoS'09, 2009.Google Scholar
- M. Mendonça, A. Wąsowski, and K. Czarnecki. SAT-based analysis of feature models is easy. In SPLC'09, 2009. Google ScholarDigital Library
- R. Rabiser, P. Grünbacher, and D. Dhungana. Requirements for product derivation support: Results from a systematic literature review and an expert survey. Information and Software Technology, 52(3), 2010. Google ScholarDigital Library
- J. Refstrup. Adapting to change: Architecture, processes and tools: A closer look at HP's experience in evolving the owen software product line. In SPLC'09, 2009. Keynote, available at http://www.sei.cmu.edu/splc2009/files/SPLC2009AdoptingtoChange_Owen_2009_final.pdf.Google Scholar
- M. Reiser, R. Tavakoli, and M. Weber. Unified feature modeling as a basis for managing complex system families. In VaMoS'07, 2007.Google Scholar
- M. Riebisch, D. Streitferdt, and I. Pashov. Modeling variability for object-oriented product lines. In ECOOP'03 Workshop Reader. 2004.Google ScholarCross Ref
- J. Schroeter, S. Cech, S. Götz, C. Wilke, and U. Assmann. Towards modeling a variable architecture for multi-tenant SaaS-applications. In VaMoS'12, 2012. Google ScholarDigital Library
- C. Schwanninger, I. Groher, C. Elsner, and M. Lehofer. Variability modelling throughout the product line lifecycle. In MODELS'09, 2009. Google ScholarDigital Library
- S. She and T. Berger. Formal semantics of the Kconfig language, 2010. Technical Note. Available at http://eng.uwaterloo.ca/~shshe/kconfig_semantics.pdf.Google Scholar
- S. She, R. Lotufo, T. Berger, A. Wąsowski, and K. Czarnecki. The variability model of the Linux kernel. In VaMoS'10, 2010.Google Scholar
- M. Sinnema and S. Deelstra. Classifying variability modeling techniques. Information and Software Technology, 49(7):717--739, 2007. Google ScholarDigital Library
- Software Engineering Institute. Catalog of software product lines. http://www.sei.cmu.edu/productlines/casestudies/catalog/index.cfm.Google Scholar
- M. Steger, C. Tischer, B. Boss, A. Müller, O. Pertler, W. Stolz, and S. Ferber. Introducing PLA at bosch gasoline systems: Experiences and practices. In SPLC'04, 2004.Google ScholarCross Ref
- R. Stoiber and M. Glinz. Modeling and managing tacit product line requirements knowledge. In MARK'09, 2009. Google ScholarDigital Library
- R. Tartler, D. Lohmann, J. Sincero, and W. Schröder-Preikschat. Feature consistency in compile-time-configurable system software: facing the linux 10,000 feature problem. In EuroSys'11, 2011. Google ScholarDigital Library
- C. Thörn. Current state and potential of variability management practices in software-intensive SMEs: Results from a regional industrial survey. Information and Software Technology, 52(4):411--421, 2010. Google ScholarDigital Library
- F. J. van der Linden, K. Schmid, and E. Rommes. Software Product Lines in Action: The Best Industrial Practice in Product Line Engineering. Springer, 2007. Google ScholarDigital Library
Index Terms
- A survey of variability modeling in industrial practice
Recommendations
Classifying variability modeling techniques
Variability modeling is important for managing variability in software product families, especially during product derivation. In the past few years, several variability modeling techniques have been developed, each using its own concepts to model the ...
Variability modeling with the integrated variability modeling language (IVML) and EASy-producer
SPLC '18: Proceedings of the 22nd International Systems and Software Product Line Conference - Volume 1EASy-Producer is an open-source research toolset for engineering product lines, variability-rich software ecosystems, and dynamic software product lines. In this tutorial, we will focus on its (textual) variability modeling capabilities as well as its ...
Variability Modeling with EASy-Producer
SPLC '17: Proceedings of the 21st International Systems and Software Product Line Conference - Volume AEASy-Producer is an open-source research toolset for engineering product lines, variability-rich software ecosystems, and dynamic software product lines. In this tutorial, we will focus on its (textual) variability modeling capabilities as well as its ...
Comments