A conceptual model for context-aware dynamic architectures

Dealing with architectural complexity and software evolution imposes new challenges to traditional software development methodologies. One of the key challenges is capturing the context where applications exist so that effective adaptive strategies can be implemented. However, existing architectural approaches for software adaptation perform context acquisition and analysis in an ad hoc way, hard-wiring those specifications in any part of a system´s definition. In this paper we present a conceptual model for context-awareness that can be integrated into existing architectural approaches for autoadaptive systems. Managing context as a separate concern or aspect allows for context models reutilization in different architectural definitions and what is more important allows different implementation infrastructures to be used for context awareness.