Think: View-Based Support of Non-functional Properties in Embedded Systems

Component-Based Software Engineering (CBSE) does not yet fully address non-functional requirements of embedded systems. To reach this goal, we show how to extend a component model like FRACTAL with relevant abstractions such as threads, protection rings, or security domains. The FRACTAL Architecture Description Language (ADL) is extended by means of properties that tag components, bindings, and interfaces of the system architectural definition with execution schemes, dynamic reconfiguration strategies, protection and isolation patterns, or QoS features. Each extension captures a property-specific "system view" offering a sound basis to address some non-functional requirement. These extensions were experimented in the THINK framework, a C-based implementation of FRACTAL. Results show that THINK provides a generic and efficient approach to fully support these extensions thanks to a customizable toolchain.