Synchronized Architecture Evolution in Software Product Line Using Bidirectional Transformation

In the long-term evolution of a Software Product Line (SPL), how to ensure the alignment between the reference and application architectures is a critical problem. Existing ad-hoc methods for architecture synchronization cannot ensure the completeness. In this paper, we propose a model-driven method for synchronized SPL architecture evolution using bidirectional transformation, a well-developed technique with solid mathematical foundation. Based on the model-based architecture representation, we capture the variability-intensive consistency relations between reference and application architectures and specify them with Beanbag, a declarative language supporting operation-based synchronization. Then, with the generated synchronizer and additional mechanisms, we can achieve coordinated architecture evolution through periodic synchronizations.