Construction of file management systems from software components

Domain analysis, a classical approach to the indentification of reusable software modules, relies on in-depth studies of existing systems, published algorithms, and structures to discern generic architectures for large classes of systems. An architecture is a template in which building-block modules can be plugged. Interfaces are standardized to make blocks interchangeable. The authors explain how domain analysis has led them to a building-blocks technology for file management systems (FMSs), and they describe their most recent prototype, an FMS synthesizer. The synthesizer enables a customized FMS to be assembled from prewritten components in minutes at virtually no cost