Software process modeling: a behavioral approach

Recently, the software engineering community has focused its attention on the process of software creation and evolution as well as the products of that process. Much of this attention has concentrated on modeling the software process. Software process models are seen as important vehicles for understanding and reasoning about software creation and evolution activities. Software process models may also provide a basis for structuring automated software environments. Despite this attention and the advantages to be gained through the use of software process models, however, no wholly satisfactory model of the software process has yet emerged. This paper presents an approach to software process modeling which is based on behavioral descriptions of software development activities. The use of behavioral descriptions makes it possible to describe the software process at any desired level of abstraction and, therefore, assists in accommodating aspects of the process which are poorly understood. This approach also provides the ability to reason about the software process and is sufficiently rigorous to provide a basis for structuring automated software environments. An overview of the model is presented, followed by a formal definition. Examples are given to illustrate the application of the model to existing software processes and software methods. Finally, the implications of the model for automated software environments are discussed.