Failure-free coordinators synthesis for component-based architectures

One of the main problems in component assembly is how to establish properties on the assembly code by only assuming a limited knowledge of the single component properties. Our answer to this problem is an architectural approach in which the software architecture imposed on the assembly prevents black-box integration anomalies. The basic idea is to build applications by assuming a "coordinator-based" architectural style. We, then,operate on the coordinating part of the system architecture to obtain an equivalent version of the system which is failure-free. A failure-free system is a deadlock-free one and it does not violate any specified coordination policy. A coordination policy models those interactions of components that are actually needed for the overall purpose of the system. We illustrate our approach by means of an explanatory example and validate it on an industrial case study that concerns the development of systems for safeguarding, fruiting, and supporting the Cultural Heritage. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.