Analysis and verification of the interaction model in software design

One essential aspect in software design and software quality insurance is the complexity of component interdependencies. More complex designs drive the cost of production and maintenance. This paper proposes a new methodology for the analysis and verification of the interaction model of the software design throughout the software development lifecycle. For the analysis, the interaction model is described in an interaction model description language. Analysis techniques are applied to identify critical parts of the software application and to anticipate potential scenarios of failure modes. Coupling, cohesion, and instability metrics are computed on different levels of design refinement. They guide the analysis during the risk assessment of failure modes. The interaction model allows for the verification of the model against the underlying implementation of the software application. We provide tool support for all activities.