Model Driven Architecture - Reality vs Fiction

Duration:

Half Day

Presenters

Keith Duddy Keith Duddy is the co-leader of the Pegamento Project at DSTC, and has worked extensively with middleware and modelware technology and standards. He has been DSTC's OMG representative for 9 years, and served twice on its Architecture Board. He is the co-author of several papers on middleware systems modelling and mappings, and of the first book on programming for CORBA in the Java Language. He is the FTF chair and editor of the Enterprise Distributed Object Computing (EDOC) modelling standard. He is currently part of the team working on joint submission to the OMG's MOF Query, View, Transformation (QVT) RFP.

Michael Lawley Dr Michael Lawley is the co-leader of the Pegamento Project at DSTC. He has been involved in the modelling of Database and Workflow technologies, as well as the implementation of various engines to interpret these models. He is the chief architect of the DSTC Tefkat model transformation engine, which is the proof of concept of the Pegamento team's submission to the OMG's MOF Query, View, Transformation (QVT) RFP. Michael was a major author of the Business Process Model of the EDOC standard. He has published extensively in the area of modelling and model transformation.

Description

Level: Introductory

Model Driven Architecture (MDA)(TM) is a new paradigm for software engineering which emerged from a number of technologies being standardised within the Object Management Group (OMG). It envisages models of software, at various levels of abstraction, to be the primary artifacts of software engineering. The architecture also places a large emphasis on model transformation for the automated derivation of one model from another, and eventually the derivation of full or partial application code.

The MDA brand was coined in 1999 before even the most basic supporting approaches and technologies were stadardised - even though a number of tools were doing parts of what MDA describes. The academic, standards and tools communities are now racing to make this dream a reality. This tutorial provides an overview of the divergent hype, facts, standards and products that all claim to embody "MDA".

This tutorial starts by describing the MDA approach in theory, covering models, metamodels, modelling languages, model transformation, code generation from models, traceability, potential MDA methodology.

The benefits and risk of this approach are then presented, including an analysis of the current gaps between theory and practice. We also expose the worst oversell, as well point out how the marketing droids fail to understand the big picture vision that MDA may achieve. Examples from academic and commercial literature are presented to illustrate the concepts.

Finally, a range of MDA tools and techniques are profiled and rated.

Managing Change; Understanding Resistance

Duration:

Half Day

Presenter:

Judy Bamberger Judy Bamberger has 20 years' experience developing software, leading teams, teaching, and developing organisation-wide leaders. An independent consultant, she specializes in project management, process definition and improvement, quality techniques (e.g., formal inspections, metrics), team building, facilitation, and managing change.

Ms Bamberger has: Performed numerous assessments (SPA, CBA-IPI, ISO9001, custom-tailored methods) and worked with organisations around the world and at all maturity levels. Created a CMM/CMMI gap analysis method that is highly reliable and cost-effective. This enables her clients to review their strengths and weaknesses against the practices of the CMM/CMMI, provides a likely maturity level rating, and summarises opportunities for improvement - at a fraction of the time and cost of an assessment. The CMMI gap analysis method complies with ARC Class B/C requirements. Assisted her clients with improvement plans based on assessment results, which enabled them to meet their strategic business goals and increase their maturity levels. Trained and coached internal change agents in: basic quality tools, communication skills, managing change and resistance, effective improvement planning, and transition. This enabled her clients to create lasting, positive changes. Ms Bamberger is a key author of the CMM and is an Authorized Lead Assessor. Ms Bamberger teaches project management and an award-winning course that has the students apply basic quality tools in the contexts of a real team, project, and organization. She provides workshops in the CMM, the CMMI, Personal Software Process, and numerous software engineering, management, and leadership subjects.

Description

Level: Introductory

Establishing, rolling-out, or modifying a metrics programme has an impact on the people involved. Imagine what you would think and feel if your company, team, or school said that they were going to measure some of the activities you are doing and the results you are producing! And yet - the success of any metrics programme is dependent on those very same people.

Obviously, it is important to understand some of the fundamentals behind making changes in the way people work, and to understand how people react - something we often call "resistance."

This half-day tutorial will explore some models to help us understand and manage change and resistance. We will use a case study of rolling out a metrics programme - or you can use a real opportunity of your own - to apply these models and to practice some of the tools and techniques that will be introduced in this tutorial.

Goal: See, understand, and apply (i.e., hands-on practice) basic models of change and resistance

Benefit: Get early insight into the "people side" of change programmes - very often neglected until it is "too late"

Relevance: A case study - introducing metrics - is provided, for hands-on practice, and demonstrating the relevance and utility of the models and tools