Introduction to Software Product Lines

1. Software Product
Lines
Paulo Gandra de Sousa
pagsousa@gmail.com
May 2008

2. Credits
Parts of this presentation are from previous SEI
presentations available at
http://www.sei.cmu.edu/productlines/presentations.html

3. A Software Product Line is
a set of software-intensive systems
sharing a common, managed set of
features
that satisfy the specific needs of a
particular market segment or
mission
and that are developed from a
common set of core assets
in a prescribed way

4. Software Product Lines

5. Explore
Commonality & Variability
to achieve
Economy of Scope

6. SPLs are not:
 Fortuitous small-grained reuse;
 Single-system development;
 Just component-based;
 Just service-based development;
 Just versions of a single product;
 Just a configurable architecture;
 Just a set of technical standards.

7. Product lines
=
Strategic Reuse

8. What’s different about reuse
in SPLs?
 Business dimension
 Iteration
 Architecture focus
 Preplanning
 Process and product
connection

9. Key concepts

10. Essential activities

11. Core Asset Develoment

12. Attached process

13. Production plan

14. Product Development

15. Management

16. Essential activities

17. Practice areas

19. Necessary changes

20. Costs
 Architecture
 Software Components
 Test Plans, Test Cases, Test Data
 Business Case and Market
Analysis
 Project Plans
 Tools and Processes
 People, Skills, Training

21. Example Benefits
 Productivity
 Quality
 Cost
 Labor needs
 Time to market
 Ability to move into new markets

22. Economics of product lines

23. In summary
 Software product lines epitomize the
concept of strategic, planned reuse.
 The product line concept is about more
than a new technology. It is a new way
of doing one’s software business.
 There are essential product line
activities and practices areas.

24. At the heart of sucessful SPLs
 A pressing need that addresses the
heart of the business
 Long and deep domain experience
 A legacy base from which to build
 Architectural excellence
 Process discipline
 Management commitment
 Loyalty to the product line as a
single entity

25. Entry Criteria for SPL
 Are there multiple systems with sufficient
commonality?
 Does the organization have articulated goals
it is trying to achieve with a software product
line approach?
 Do the benefits of successful product lines
match the goals of the organization?
 Is there sufficient support within the
organization to launch a software product line
adoption effort?

27. Thank you
Software Product Lines
Paulo Gandra de Sousa
May 2008