@misc{12896,
  keywords = {Workshop},
  author = {Razieh Behjati and Shiva Nejati and Arnaud Gotlieb and Tao Yue and Lionel Briand},
  title = {Guided Interactive Configuration of Embedded Software Systems Using Constraint Satisfaction Over Finite Domains},
  abstract = {Modern society is increasingly dependent on highly-configurable software systems, in particular, architecturally configurable software such as that embedded in Integrated Control Systems (ICSs). Configuring ICSs is expensive, time-consuming and error-prone. This is due, in large part, to the fact that the hardware and software configuration processes are, typically, rather isolated from one another, resulting in many configuration errors to be detected only after the integration of software and hardware. In this work, we propose a model-based configuration approach that allows us to configure software in a stepwise manner, to automate some configuration decisions, and to iteratively validate software and hardware configuration decisions. Our approach has two major steps. In the first step (modeling), a generic model describing an ICS family is built. In the second step (configuration), we interactively guide a user to derive a particular product specification complying with the generic model of its ICS family. We use a constraint solver, SICStus Prolog, to evaluate user decisions at each round, to automatically infer configuration decisions and to ensure that software and hardware configurations are consistent. We evaluated our approach by applying it to a real subsea production system. Specifically, we rebuilt a number of existing verified product configurations of our industry partner. Our experience shows that our approach successfully enforces consistency of configurations, can automatically infer up to 50\% of the configuration decisions, and reduces the complexity of making configuration decisions by guiding the user during the configuration process.},
  year = {2012},
  number = {2012-05},
  publisher = {Simula Research Laboratory},
}