Identifying Evolvability for Integration

The seamless integration of commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) components offers many benefits associated with reuse. Even with successful composite applications, unexpected interoperability conflicts can arise when COTS products are upgraded, new components are needed, and the application requirements change. Recent approaches to integration follow pattern-based design principles to construct integration architecture for the composite application. This integration architecture provides a design perspective for addressing the problematic interactions among components within the application environment. However, little attention has been paid to the evolvability of these architectures and their embedded functionality. In this paper, we discuss the need for design traceability based on the history of interoperability conflicts and resolution decisions that comprise the integration architecture. Additionally, we advocate that certain functional aspects of a pattern can be pinpointed to resolve a conflict. Combining these two aspects of integration architecture design, we illustrate that often evolution is possible with minimal changes to the integration solution.