A Bidirectional Framework for Model Synchronization in Component-Based Software Development

In different stages of component-based software development (CBSD), various model notations have been applied with different concerns. Architecture description languages (ADLs) have been proposed to specify the software architecture from a high-level, while UML is widely accepted in detailed design. However, the software model evolution frequently happens because of the dynamic environment and changeable requirements. For reuse and availability concern, the consistency between different model notations is required. In this paper, we propose a bidirectional framework to ensure the model synchronization in CBSD. We apply our framework between xADL and UML class diagram. The tool - Ground Tram with its generic interface - iGRT establishes bidirectional relationship between these two notations. Based on this property, changes on one notation will be propagated to the other one.