Experience using an expert system to assist an architect in designing for modifiability

ArchE (Architecture Expert) is an rule based system that contains a model of modifiability. The model plus modifiability scenarios that characterize expected change enable ArchE to collaborate with an architect to produce a design of the architecture that supports the expected change. ArchE has been used with real requirements from a manufacturer. This paper describes the model used in ArchE and how the architect and ArchE interact in order to produce a design.