Catalysis™ — enterprise development process

This course is aimed at the software developer or architect who wants to take a model-based approach to developing enterprise components. The purpose could be to integrate an enterprise or develop kits of components to develop families of applications. Catalysis™ is a software development process co-authored by TriReme's Dr Alan Cameron Wills. Some of these Catalysis™ techniques for component development, are included in UML 1.3. Software development is a team effort, and it is equally important that developers have a language for talking about analyses and designs: a language that is less ambiguous than English, but able to deal in requirements and high level design without being cluttered by the fine detail of program code. This course separates and makes explicit the decisions that make up the architecting component systems. We show how to use the UML notation most effectively both to discuss designs with colleagues, and in documents.

Duration: 5 days

objectives

learn a proven process for creating enterprise components and component architectures;
use UML and OCL, as a common language for talking about requirements, designs, and component interfaces;
practice the main principles of architecting component systems with Catalysis™;
know the major tasks required to develop component models, frameworks, and software; and
understand how to leverage reuse and adaptability from component-based development.

target audience

The course is suitable for analysts and designers wishing to develop skills in modelling component architectures in UML; and managers and architects wishing to learn a development process focused around enterprise components.

prerequisites

Some knowledge of an OO language (such as C++, Java, Smalltalk, Eiffel) is an advantage.

Catalysis™ overview

a model-based approach to developing enterprise components.
business modelling: concepts and tasks
system requirements models
responsibilities and collaborations
persistence, GUI, distribution
component-based design overview
components and interfaces
components kits and architecture
component and reuse culture
patterns in the process

UML

This section introduces those parts of UML relevant to Catalysis™.

static models
objects, types, attributes, snapshots
subtypes
dynamics
use-cases and tasks
event charts
state charts
building a business model
finding use-cases
connecting use-case and class views
the dictionary
UML notation review
uses of business models
architecture of business process
context for software requirements
basis for component interface definition
documentation style

requirements and component specification

This section deals with the specification of requirements of a software component, application, or complete system. More modelling patterns and techniques are investigated.

system context models
high-level operation specs
state charts for system models
meaning of 'model'
how to start abstract and get more detailed
event charts: horizontal and vertical expansion
elaborating models
relating the levels of detail
building a system spec
system context
defining system use-case goals
modelling patterns

component design

This section covers the key design stages: assign responsibilities and collaborations, decouple roles and components.

separating core from GUI, persistence, and other layers
selection of control objects
designing system operations with messages
decoupling, extensibility, reusability
dependencies and visibilities
the class dictionary
translation to code

design patterns

In this section, the usefulness of design patterns as a way of thinking about and describing designs is investigated. Several patterns are discussed, and then a problem is presented which participants model and then sketch a solution for, using the patterns.

two-way link
observer
recursive Composite
state delegation
interface decoupling

domain coupling

The linkage of the 'core(s)' to presentation, persistence, and other layers.

GUI
MVC and reification of use-cases in UI objects
persistence: proxy and building atop object and relational DBs
networks: layering

frameworks

partial models (views) as reusable artefacts
generalization of two example static models
collaborations: generic designs for interactions
roles
synthesis of collaborations

reuse and adaptability

Reuse does not come automatically, and requires not only appropriate technology, but also management and motivation at the corporate level.

management and economics of reuse
component repositories
what's in the repository
components, frameworks, patterns, and plans

component technology

pluggable code and connector protocols
component kits and building tools
component architecture
common models
common couplings
wrapping existing assets
product Vs component building

enterprise components

architectures
J2EE, CORBA, DCOM
3 and n-tier
EJBs
defining interfaces in UML
distributed system building tools
patterns for distributed systems

re-engineering existing systems

business process and existing asset analysis
wrapping Vs re-engineering
low-risk re-engineering path

process patterns

There is no one process that fits all development requirements. Instead, we will look at a basic set of process patterns — patterns that help you plan a component-based development project.

process patterns — introduction
project-level patterns: green field, re-engineering, short-cycle development, small project, large project, critical systems, systems integration, and component development
strategic patterns: technology migration, reuse, re-architecture

Catalysis™ process review

This section reviews the tasks and deliverables involved in a typical Catalysis™ development project.

the main tasks and artefacts
business/conceptual modelling
specification/requirements modelling
architecture
design and implementation
integration and test
short-cycle development
spiral model
phased development
role of prototyping

timetable

Day 1	Catalysis™ overview UML requirements and component specification
Day 2	component design design patterns domain coupling
Day 3	frameworks reuse and adaptability component technology enterprise components
Day 4	re-engineering existing systems process patterns Catalysis™ process review
Day 5	workshop to put Catalysis™ theory into practice on a realistic case study

course exercises

It is a pencil-and-paper course, with group exercises. We can demonstrate a variety of support tools (such as Rose, Select, or Rhapsody). However, we do not recommend using tools for the exercises, as the details of driving them distracts from the main issues of the language and techniques; and they do not promote team working in the class.

course instructor

The course is presented by one of our senior consultants, each of whom has at least ten years' experience in software development, and at least three years' experience as a trainer and consultant in a diverse range of application areas.