Function Points and Service-Oriented Architectures: A reference model for component based architectures

摘要

Software Service Oriented Architectures (SOA) are characterized by the distribution of data processing components on separate and cooperating technology platforms. Unfortunately, this model represents a technology perspective that is not useful to identify software objects to be measured starting from the user's (business) point of view, as required by international standards of functional measurement (ISO 14143). To solve this problem we have defined the concept of Measurable Software Application (MSA). In the proposed model, each MSA must lie in one and only one layer but may use or incorporate services belonging to different layers. In each layer, we can find generalized software components designed to give a specific and reusable support to the implementation of particular functional or non-functional requirements of the business (application) layer. The identification of generalized software components that belong to lower level layers with respect to the business one, is also crucial to quantify the rate of reuse that should be computed in each project measure for the correct calculation of economical reward, as defined in a customer-supplier contract.