Dynamic, auto-adaptive software product lines using the ABS language

Abstract

Modern software systems must support a high degree of variability to adapt to a wide range of requirements and operating conditions. While static adaptation based on software product lines is becoming more common, dynamic adaptation is less well-explored. However, runtime adaptation has a host of advantages ranging from downtime avoidance to performance improvements. Auto-adaptation is a particularly promising form of runtime adaptation that enables a running program to adapt autonomously, in swift response to changing conditions in the running environment. This paper focuses on the design of a programming language facility to support the runtime auto-configuration of dynamic software product lines (DSPL). We implement this facility for the Abstract Behavioural Specification (ABS) language by introducing a dynamic, reflection-based meta-programming facility for ABS, called MetaABS and a runtime environment that readily supports dynamically auto-adapting systems written in MetaABS.