Software prototyping is considered to be one of the most important tools that are used by software engineersnowadays to be able to understand the customer’s requirements, and develop software products that are efficient,reliable, and acceptable economically. Software engineers can choose any of the available prototyping approaches tobe used, based on the software that they intend to develop and how fast they would like to go during the softwaredevelopment. But generally speaking all prototyping approaches are aimed to help the engineers to understand thecustomer’s true needs, examine different software solutions and quality aspect, verification activities…etc, that mightaffect the quality of the software underdevelopment, as well as avoiding any potential development risks.A combination of several prototyping approaches, and brainstorming techniques which have fulfilled the aim of theknowledge extraction approach, have resulted in developing a prototyping approach that the engineers will use todevelop one and only one throwaway prototype to extract more knowledge than expected, in order to improve thequality of the software underdevelopment by spending more time studying it from different points of view.The knowledge extraction approach, then, was applied to the developed prototyping approach in which thedeveloped model was treated as software prototype, in order to gain more knowledge out of it. This activity hasresulted in several points of view, and improvements that were implemented to the developed model and as a resultAgile Prototyping AP, was developed. AP integrated more development approaches to the first developedprototyping model, such as: agile, documentation, software configuration management, and fractional factorialdesign, in which the main aim of developing one, and only one prototype, to help the engineers gaining moreknowledge, and reducing effort, time, and cost of development was accomplished but still developing softwareproducts with satisfying quality is done by developing an evolutionary prototyping and building throwawayprototypes on top of it.

This diploma thesis is engaged in identification of configuration object, identification of configuration items and design of configuration management system, which results from ČOS 051605 to ČOS 051611 and was modified according to requirement of Exerion Precision Technology Olomouc, s.r.o., division „Výroba monodílů a podskupin, Olomouc“, Železniční 6, 779 00 Olomouc, Česká republika, focused on configuration management activity „Configuration Identification“ and „Configuration Control – Engineering Changes, Deviations and Waivers“.

Effective management and operation of modern networks heavily rely on efficient network configuration management and infrastructure. Manual configuration management has been proven inefficient, and there is a need to automatize it. Such automatization can be done using YANG, which provides a standardized data modeling language that works across various network devices, offering a vital tool for network management. However, ensuring the performance and dependability of YANG modules requires effective testing. Manually creating configuration files for YANG modules is time-consuming, prompting the need for automated solutions. In this thesis, a prototype was developed to address this challenge by utilizing directed graphs and topological sorting techniques to generate configuration files for YANG modules. The development and evaluation of the prototype demonstrate its efficient time utilization, while acknowledging its limitations in handling complex YANG modules. The findings suggest that incorporating directed graphs and topological sorting in future YANG module testing tools holds promise as an effective approach. / Effektiv hantering och drift av moderna nätverk är starkt beroende av effektiv nätverkskonfigurationshantering och infrastruktur. Manuell konfigurations hantering har visat sig vara ineffektiv, och det finns ett behov av att automatisera den. Sådan automatisering kan göras med hjälp av YANG, som tillhandahåller ett standardiserat datamodelleringsspråk som fungerar på olika nätverksenheter och erbjuder ett viktigt verktyg för nätverkshantering. Dock krävs effektiv testning för att säkerställa prestanda och tillförlitlighet hos YANG-moduler. Manuell skapande av konfigurationsfiler för YANG-moduler är tidskrävande, vilket motiverar behovet av automatiserade lösningar. I denna avhandling utvecklades en prototyp för att möta denna utmaning genom att använda riktade grafer och topologisk sortering för att generera konfigurationsfiler för YANG-moduler. Utvecklingen och utvärderingen av prototypen visar på dess effektiva tidsanvändning samtidigt som dess begränsningar vid hantering av komplexa YANG-moduler erkänns. Resultaten antyder att inkludering av riktade grafer och topologisk sortering i framtida verktyg för testning av YANG-moduler kan vara en effektiv metod.

The Unified Modeling Language (UML) became part of the curriculum in the Department of Computer Science at California State University, San Bernardino (CSUSB) in September 1997. The intent was to integrate the object-oriented paradigm in the undergraduate courses. Subsequently, this use has shifted to the graduate level. The purpose of this thesis is: 1) to determine what the students know about UML, 2) to reveal if the students were using UML, 3) to clarify how students use the UML.

A gerência de configuração vem sendo estudada desde os anos sessenta. Inicialmente, era aplicada da mesma forma para software e hardware, sendo que no final dos anos setenta já havia padrões de gerência de configuração específicos para software. Com a crescente demanda por qualidade de software, as práticas de gerência de configuração vem sendo cada vez mais utilizadas no desenvolvimento de software, uma vez que a gerência de configuração de software é um dos processos fundamentais para se ter qualidade no desenvolvimento e manutenção de software. Embora cada vez mais amplamente utilizado, não existe um consenso de práticas e nomenclaturas sobre as práticas de gerência de configuração. Dessa forma, o objetivo deste trabalho é elaborar um modelo de avaliação do processo de Gerência de Configuração, que permite avaliar as práticas e processos fundamentais para a implantação da gerência de configuração, levando em consideração as práticas e processos descritos nas principais normas internacionais de desenvolvimento de software. Esse modelo de avaliação também permite que as ferramentas disponíveis para gerência de configuração sejam avaliadas, identificando quais práticas e processos elas auxiliam na execução. / The Configuration Management has been studied since the 70’s. In the beginning it was applied in the same way for software and hardware, but in the late 70’s there were some specific configuration management patterns defined for software. The demand for software quality has increased recently, this way the configuration management practices have been more used in software development, because the software configuration management is one of the most important processes to assess quality during software development or maintenance. Although its use is increasing, there is no consensus about the configuration management practices and the names applied to them. The objective of this work is to elaborate an evaluation model for configuration management process, to evaluate the practices and the fundamental processes to perform configuration management, based on the most important software development standards. This evaluation model can also be used to evaluate configuration management tools, identifying what practices and process it help to execute.

A gerência de configuração vem sendo estudada desde os anos sessenta. Inicialmente, era aplicada da mesma forma para software e hardware, sendo que no final dos anos setenta já havia padrões de gerência de configuração específicos para software. Com a crescente demanda por qualidade de software, as práticas de gerência de configuração vem sendo cada vez mais utilizadas no desenvolvimento de software, uma vez que a gerência de configuração de software é um dos processos fundamentais para se ter qualidade no desenvolvimento e manutenção de software. Embora cada vez mais amplamente utilizado, não existe um consenso de práticas e nomenclaturas sobre as práticas de gerência de configuração. Dessa forma, o objetivo deste trabalho é elaborar um modelo de avaliação do processo de Gerência de Configuração, que permite avaliar as práticas e processos fundamentais para a implantação da gerência de configuração, levando em consideração as práticas e processos descritos nas principais normas internacionais de desenvolvimento de software. Esse modelo de avaliação também permite que as ferramentas disponíveis para gerência de configuração sejam avaliadas, identificando quais práticas e processos elas auxiliam na execução. / The Configuration Management has been studied since the 70’s. In the beginning it was applied in the same way for software and hardware, but in the late 70’s there were some specific configuration management patterns defined for software. The demand for software quality has increased recently, this way the configuration management practices have been more used in software development, because the software configuration management is one of the most important processes to assess quality during software development or maintenance. Although its use is increasing, there is no consensus about the configuration management practices and the names applied to them. The objective of this work is to elaborate an evaluation model for configuration management process, to evaluate the practices and the fundamental processes to perform configuration management, based on the most important software development standards. This evaluation model can also be used to evaluate configuration management tools, identifying what practices and process it help to execute.

There are many different programs that can perform Computer Aided Design (CAD). In order for these programs to share data, file translations need to occur. These translations have typically been done by IGES and STEP files. With the work done at the BYU CAD Lab to create a multi-engineer synchronous heterogeneous CAD environment, these translation processes have become synchronous by using a server and a database to manage the data. However, this system stores part data in a database. The data in the database cannot be used in traditional Product Lifecycle Management systems. In order to remedy this, a new database was developed that enables every edit made in a CAD part across multiple CAD systems to be stored as well as worked on simultaneously. This allows users to access every action performed in a part. Branching was introduced to the database which allows users to work on multiple configurations of a part simultaneously and reduces file save sizes for different configurations by 98.6% compared to those created by traditional CAD systems.

Web applications provide the information technology (IT) implementation of business and align IT with business. Retirement of IT applications should ensure stability of business and IT alignment. The current study investigated the alignment gaps created between business and IT resulting from retiring IT software applications. The purpose of this study was to identify IT integration points with business and provide a process-based solution that sustained IT alignment with business after retiring IT applications. The theoretical framework strategic alignment model aided in identifying 3 IT domains as the IT integration points with business: enterprise architecture, configuration management database, and service-level agreement. The research methodology was grounded theory method. A process-in-operation facilitating application retirement generated the data. The grounded theory approach revealed the core category as IT and business alignment and established that the identified IT domains enabled IT alignment with business. The research findings revealed that structured decommissioning, timely repository updates, and 2-way communication between IT and business ensured continued accuracy and reliability of the repositories so business made valid interpretations. The findings may enable employees to realize their self-worth and dignity, leading to increased collaboration and coordination. The positive social change implications of these findings are in the increased alignment between IT and business, resulting in improved overall employee performance.

Ces travaux de recherche concernent le domaine de l’ingénierie des connaissances pour laconception de produits et plus particulièrement les phases amont du couple produit-simulation dansle processus de conception.Au cours de ces différentes phases amont, les acteurs d’un même projet utilisent simultanément denombreuses modélisations géométriques et comportementales du produit. Ils peuvent aussi avoirrecours à plusieurs outils logiciels hétérogènes, communiquant très difficilement entre eux.Dans ce contexte, le partage des connaissances entre les différents modèles métiers apparait commeune nécessité. En effet, concevoir un produit implique une gestion des connaissances d’unegranularité fine en tenant compte de leur niveau de maturité et de leur cohérence.Le recours à de nouvelles méthodes et de nouveaux outils est alors nécessaires dans le but desoutenir l’approche globale PLM et continuer à optimiser et rationaliser le processus de conceptionde produits.Dans ce cadre, nous proposons une approche qualifiée de KCM – Knowledge ConfigurationManagement, basée sur la gestion des connaissances de granularité fine, en configurations. Cetteapproche est de nature à favoriser la collaboration entre les acteurs d’un projet, en améliorant lacapitalisation, la traçabilité, la réutilisation et la cohérence des connaissances, utiliséessimultanément dans plusieurs activités en parallèle du processus de conception.Les principaux résultats de notre travail de recherche se structurent autour de trois axes :· Une méthodologie de gestion des connaissances en configurations qualifiée de KCMethod.· Un méta-modèle, baptisé KCModel, de structuration des concepts manipulés parKCMethod.· Une maquette de faisabilité sous forme d’outil logiciel ADES, permettant d’expérimenteret valider notre approche.L’ensemble des résultats obtenus s’articule autour d’une solution logicielle de nouvelle génération,qualifiée de KCManager, permettant de déployer en entreprise l’ensemble de la démarche proposée. / This research work deals with the field of knowledge engineering for product design, especially theupstream phases of the design-simulation couple in the product design process.In these phases, the project participants use many geometric and behavioural models of the productin parallel, while using multiple heterogeneous software tools, with difficulties to communicatebetween each other. However, especially in the upstream phases of the design process, designing aproduct requires sharing fine granularity knowledge between the different expert models, takinginto account their levels of maturity and consistency. Consequently, new methods and tools arethen needed in order to support the overall PLM approach and continue to optimize and streamlinethe product design process.Thus, in this research context, we propose an approach referred to as KCM – KnowledgeConfiguration Management, based on management of fine granularity knowledge in configuration.This approach is likely to improve collaboration between project participants, improvingcapitalization, traceability, reuse and consistency of the knowledge used simultaneously on severalactivities in parallel within the design process.The main results of our research are structured around three axes :· A methodology for knowledge configuration management qualified as KCMethod.· A meta-model, called KCModel, structuring concepts manipulated by KCMethod.· A model of feasibility, namely ADES software tool, allowing testing and validation ourapproach.The overall results are articulated around a next-generation software solution, described asKCManager, in order to deploy the approach proposed.

The complex business applications are increasingly offered as services over the Internet, so-called software-as-a-Service (SaaS) applications. The SAP Netweaver Cloud offers an OSGI-based open platform, which enables multi-tenant SaaS applications to run in the cloud. A multi-tenant SaaS application is designed so that an application instance is used by several customers and their users. As different customers have different requirements for functionality and quality of the application, the application instance must be configurable. Therefore, it must be able to add new configurations into a multi-tenant SaaS application at run-time. In this thesis, we proposed concepts of a configuration management, which are used for managing and creating client configurations of cloud applications. The concepts are implemented in a tool that is based on Eclipse and extended feature models. In addition, we evaluate our concepts and the applicability of the developed solution in the SAP Netwaver Cloud by using a cloud application as a concrete case example.