Showing papers on "Software as a service published in 1998"

Software implementation installer mechanism

Abstract: A method and mechanism for automatically installing software implementations such as applications and COM classes as they are needed from an external source. When a software implementation is needed, the mechanism first looks to the local system (e.g., registry) for that software implementation, and if found, returns the information such as a local path needed to use the software implementation. If the implementation is not found, the mechanism looks to another source, such as a CD-ROM or a centralized class store of a network, to locate the needed implementation. When located, the implementation is downloaded and locally installed from the source, and a local path is returned in a manner that is essentially transparent to the user. Software implementations such as application products may be divided into features and components to improve on-demand installation thereof.

CyberDesk: a framework for providing self-integrating context-aware services

Abstract: Applications are often designed to take advantage of the potential for integration with each other via shared information. Current approaches for integration are limited, affecting both the programmer and end-user. In this paper, we present CyberDesk, a framework for self-integrating software in which integration is driven by user context. It relieves the burden on programmers by removing the necessity to predict how software should be integrated. It also relieves the burden from users by removing the need to understand how to make different software components work together.

Process for transparently enforcing protection domains and access control as well as auditing operations in software components

Abstract: An original software component is modified in accordance with a site's security policy provisions prior to being executed by a component system or computer at the site. The original software component is intercepted by an introspection service running on a server or on the component system prior to execution on the component system. The introspection service analyzes the software component by parsing it, and based on the information it determines, a security policy service instructs an interposition service how to modify the software component so that it conforms to the security policy service requirements. The interposition service thus produces a modified software component by inserting code for security initialization and for imposing security operations on the original component operations. When the modified software component is executed, an enforcement service follows the security operations that were injected into the software component, which instruct the enforcement service on associating component system objects with security identifiers. For example, a security identifier is associated with the software component. In addition, the enforcement service determines when and how to perform access checks, protection domain transfers, and auditing during execution of the modified software component. Any of the services noted above can be executed by the computer intended to execute the software component or by a separate server.

Method for identifying and obtaining computer software from a network computer using a tag

Abstract: Creators of computer software provide the most up-to-date versions of their computer software on an update service. A user who has purchased or downloaded free computer software calls an update service or a network service provider (e.g., an Internet provider) on a periodic basis. The update or network service automatically inventories the user computer to determine what computer software (e.g., a network browser) may be out-of-date, and/or need maintenance updates. If so desired by the user, the update service computer automatically downloads with a secure software transfer process and installs computer software to the user computer. By making periodic calls to an update or network service, the user always has the most up-to-date computer software immediately available. The update or network service may also alert the user to new products (i.e. including new help files, etc.), and new and enhanced versions of existing products which can be purchased electronically by a user and transferred immediately from the update or network service. When an upgrade is available, a tag in a hypertext document indicates an upgrade should be automatically downloaded from a location provided in the tag when the hypertext document is browsed by a computer having a browser.

Information rich glyphs for software management data

Abstract: Three high-dimensional glyphs for viewing software project management data assist in perhaps the most challenging engineering task in modern times managing large software projects. In data exploration, glyphs refer to graphical objects or symbols that represent data through visual parameters that are either spatial (positions x or y), retinal (color and size), or temporal. Common examples of graphical objects include the bars in a bar chart or the points within a scatter plot. We focus on glyphs for visualizing software project management data. Any large-scale project will have many different classes of resources (lab equipment, staff time, machine cycles, disk resources, interim deliverables, and customer commitments) that must be scheduled and tracked. Inevitably, problems will arise and solutions must be found. To support the management process, information systems collect and maintain large status databases. We aim to support and improve the understanding of this information through visualization. Our glyphs are designed to expose patterns among sets of software artifacts and to help identify differences between items.

Parallel changes in large scale software development: an observational case study

Abstract: An essential characteristic of large scale software development is parallel development by teams of developers. How this parallel development is structured and supported has a profound effect on both the quality and timeliness of the product. We conduct an observational case study in which me collect and analyze the change and configuration management history of a legacy system to delineate the boundaries of, and to understand the nature of, the problems encountered in parallel development. The results of our studies are: 1) that the degree of parallelism is very high-higher than considered by tool builders; 2) there are multiple levels of parallelism and the data for some important aspects are uniform and consistent for all levels and 3) the tails of the distributions are long, indicating the tail, rather than the mean, must receive serious attention in providing solutions for these problems.

Hypertext: the next maintenance mountain

Abstract: Hypertext documents are quickly becoming large, complex, and unwieldy. The paper considers whether lessons learned from software maintenance can be applied to the problem. Since software maintenance is a major problem and since hypertext documents share many of the characteristics of software: structure, development process, and economic value, maintaining hypertext documents is also likely to become a major problem requiring immediate action.

Teaching Web development technologies in CS/IS curricula

Abstract: The advent of the World Wide Web changes the way we do things. It also greatly changes how computer software are built. While this profound evolution of software development has caused many in the software industry to change their way of developing software, it has not caused many in the academics to change their way of teaching computing. This paper describes a course that teaches web development technologies. The contents of the course, the experience gained, and related educational resources are presented.

Outsourcing of application software: a knowledge management perspective

Abstract: Summarizes results from an exploratory field study of application software acquisition decisions and outcomes. We argue that outsourcing for application software is easiest when the objective is to obtain knowledge codified in artifacts such as packaged programs and their documentation. It is more complex when the objective is to get access to tacit knowledge about information technology or business processes held by professionals, and most problematic when the firm depends on learning or inventing new knowledge specific to the business process.

Software quality management in turbulent times – are there alternatives to process oriented software quality management?

Abstract: There is a widely accepted paradigm of successful software development, called process oriented software quality management (PSQM). The proponents of PSQM claim that it has a significant impact on some essential parameters of a software producer's competitiveness. However, case studies of some well known software producers reveal a rather different management style. Since the management style is a means to influence the essential parameters of a company's competitiveness, which are influenced by the competitive conditions, two questions arise. 1. Do the investigated software producers employ a different management style by accident or is their management style an appropriate answer to their specific competitive conditions? 2. If their management style is an appropriate answer to their competitive conditions, what is specific about these conditions and about the appropriate management style? It is argued, that their management style is a form of concurrent engineering, which rather conforms the needs of a software producer in a turbulent environment, while PSQM on the other hand rather conforms the needs of a software producer in a placid environment. This means, there is no universal process management and environmental dynamics is a contingency factor to be considered in the configuration of process management.

The changing face of freeware

Abstract: Whether it's called freeware or open source software, the popularity of software that is either given away or provided at a nominal price along with its source code is growing rapidly. There are numerous examples of popular open source software, including the Linux operating system and the market leading Apache Web server. With its increasing popularity, freeware is beginning to challenge long held concepts about software development and distribution. Developers give away software for a number of reasons. Netscape recently turned Navigator into open source software in an effort to regain market share captured by Microsoft's Internet Explorer (which is also distributed at no cost but without the source code) and to boost the sale of Netscape's server software and related products. Developers also give away software and source code to get users to sample their creations or to encourage independent programmers to enhance a product. In addition, many developers give away software because they support an open, independent "freeware culture" in which software is available to all developers, who can then use, adapt, and improve it as they see fit.

Software Deployment Extending Configuration Management Support into the Field

Abstract: Traditionally, configuration management has only addressed the needs of the software development process. Once a software system leaves the development environment and enters the field, however, there still is a signifi- cant role for configuration management. Activities such as release, installation, activation, update, adaptation, deactivation, and de-release constitute the "deployment lifecycle"; these activities need careful coordination and planning in their own right. This article discusses the dimensions of software deployment, argues why current solutions are not sufficient, and presents two research systems that specifically address software deployment.

Improving software product management process: implementation of a product support system

Abstract: The software industry has progressively developed towards a product business in recent years Companies have increasing difficulties in managing all the delivered "old" product versions and the development of the "new" product versions efficiently at the same time Software configuration management (SCM) provides some capable means for managing these problems, but it has also some limitations Software product management (SPM) is an approach developed for modelling the software change process from the point of view of a software product

Applying the Agent Paradigm to Network Management

Abstract: Network management systems are large, distributed software systems that can suffer from the scalability and flexibility issues common in today's technology Software agent technology offers the promise of a solution to these problems A set of agent concepts have been adopted and used to construct an experimental system in the network management domain of ATM performance management An evaluation of the system confirms that the software agents approach allows development of scalable network management systems that are cheaper to build, change and discard

An adaptable generation approach to agenda management

Abstract: As software engineering efforts move to more complex, distributed environments, coordinating the activities of people and tools becomes very important. While groupware systems address user level communication needs and distributed computing technologies address tool level communication needs, few attempts have been made to synthesize the common needs of both. This paper describes our attempt to do exactly that. We describe a framework for generating an agenda management system (AMS) from a specification of the system's requirements. The framework can meet a variety of requirements and produces a customized AMS appropriate for use by both humans and software tools. The framework and generated system support evolution in several ways, allowing existing systems to be extended as requirements change. We also describe our experiences using this approach to create an AMS to support a process programming environment.

Towards better software projects and contracts: commitment specifications in software development projects

Abstract: Any software development project requires commitments from its participants. These commitments can include money, resources, deadlines, and specified functionality for the end product. The authors have developed a framework and a set of guidelines to support the specification of such commitments. They have evaluated the framework empirically in a series of case studies. The studies indicated that the framework addresses commitment specification issues that are normally not covered in project contracts and that the specification framework was considered beneficial by project representatives.

Software commerce broker over the Internet

Abstract: This article proposes an architecture of SCB (Software Commerce Broker) which aims at trading software packages and components over the Internet. Component-based software engineering is coming into real development paradigm due to widespread distributed objects environment and componentware. Since software can be distributed over the Internet, a Web-based commerce of software components and packages over the Internet is emerging. To realize Web-based software commerce, we develop a prototype of SCB, which collects information on software components worldwide over the Internet and provides a set of electronic catalogues of software components in a semi-formal specification language SCL (Software specification and Commerce Language). Furthermore, SCB provides play mechanism on which customers in remote locations can play the component through the Web. SCB is under evaluation in the Next Generation Software Engineering Program of Software CALS (Continuous Acquisition and Life-cycle Support) project in Japan.

The India option: perceptions of Indian software solutions

Abstract: A survey of US software developers has been conducted to determine how Indian software is perceived in terms of quality and productivity and to determine if, in fact, many MIS managers view it as a viable option. We find that Indian software solutions (ISS) are an option for many US firms. However, the growth in offshore sourcing is not expected to increase at the rapid rates of the past. There are several reasons for this. First, the Indian software industry has not matured to the level of offering a variety of services including off-the-shelf packages. Bodyshopping/personnel remains the main attraction, although the industry has made strides in offering customised software. Second, the range of user experiences with ISS varies considerably. Those using the bodyshopping option have significantly better experiences than those using the customised software option. This has implications for how users perceive the quality of ISS products and Indian programmers, and whether they want to commission ISS in the future. Third, a lack of infrastructure support is cited as the most negative aspect of doing business with India. Infrastructure problems include power cuts, traffic, and the need for modern international airports.

Requirements for Software Deployment Languages and Schema

Abstract: Software distribution via networks provides timeliness and continual evolution that is not possible with physical media distribution methods. Organizations such as Microsoft, Marimba, and the Desktop Management Task Force are strengthening their efforts to package software systems in ways that are conducive to network distribution. The result of these efforts has led to the creation of software description languages and schema, but they do not address deployment issues in a complete, systematic fashion. The contribution of this paper is to define and explore the requirements for software deployment languages and schema.

Software agents for ATM performance management

Abstract: Software agent technology offers the promise of more scaleable and flexible network management systems. A set of concepts has been developed from this technology and used to construct an experimental system in the domain of ATM performance management. Evaluation of the system confirms that a software agent approach offers concepts which will be key to developing network management systems that are cheaper to build, change and discard.

Why software developers refuse to improve

Abstract: Many developers fail to acknowledge that there are more productive environments. When a software organization loses a bidding contest, the losers roll their eyes heavenward and tell each other, "Better luck next time". Well, this is the reality: There are software development organizations that are more productive than others. "Luck" is not the whole story; you need to look for ways to improve. Use valid process; there are a dozen or so well-regarded methodologies. We especially need to reach two audiences. Sponsors, those who finance new ideas, need information tailored to the functions they perform in adopting and financing new ways of working. Practitioners those actually applying the new ideas, need detailed books, manuals, short courses, helpful supervision, and mentoring. They also need software tools to do what tools can do better than people. Even after simplification, there will still be a lot of changes to implement. Leading companies understand that implementation takes: Investment money up front (sometimes for years before payback begins); a champion; dedicated people, and consistent management, dedicated to long-term financial support. The accomplishment to which the idea leads has to be evident to all, and demonstrated by some type of metrics. The ultimate drivers that influence practitioners and management alike to sue a difficult course are results that establish the course's success.

An Architecture of Software Commerce Broker over the Internet

Abstract: This article proposes an architecture of SCB (Software Commerce Broker) which aims at trading the software packages and components over the Internet. Component-based software engineering is coming into real development paradigm due to wide spreading of distributed objects environment and componentware. Since software can be distributed over the Internet, a Web-based commerce of software components and packages over the Internet is emerging. To realize Web-based commerce of software, we develop a prototype of SCB which collects information on software components worldwide over the Internet and provides a set of electronic catalogues of software components in a semi-formal specification language SCL (Software specification and Commerce Language). Furthermore, SCB provides play mechanism on which customers in remote locations can play the component through the Web. SCB is under evaluation in the Next Generation Software Engineering Program of Software CALS (Continuous Acquisition and Life-cycle Support) project in Japan.

Installation, licensing, configuration management and maintenance system for component-based multi-user software systems

Abstract: A supplier has a computer (2) with data storage (6,7) including the required data, software modules (8,9,10,11) with the required functions. A customer has a computer (1) which includes corresponding data storage (4) and a software module (5), and communicates with the supplier's computer. After a customer has confirmed his selection, the requested software components are installed via a communication network,

Outsourcing for software applications development: issues, implications and impact.

Abstract: Information technology has become one of the fastest-growing, fastest-changing markets in the world. The high demand on software applications and services is forcing more companies to turn to outsourcing to meet their customer needs. We de ne software outsourcing as contracting out software services, operations, products or development of applications. This paper presents an overview of outsourcing in software development. In particular, we attempt to isolate some of the motivating factors for outsourcing software development, we examine the issues and concerns which arise from outsourcing software development and discuss their implications. Both the technical and management aspects of these issues are addressed. Further, the impact of outsourcing on software development processes is discussed. We conclude by drawing attention to the issues and technical factors which in uence the outsourcing decision.

Flexible billing tools meet customer demands

Abstract: As energy suppliers face increasing demands from customers under competition for more informative billing services, the information technology tools used by suppliers to deliver these services must become more flexible. The system described in this article shows how utilities can adopt these new tools today, to the benefit of their customers tomorrow. Energy Interactive, Inc. developed a software system called the Energy Billing Options Support System (Energy BOSS) as a key-customer billing system. It can operate on its own or as a complement to an existing customer information system. A description is given of the software components. The primary focus is on the software's implementation, including discussions of software architecture, database structure, hardware and database platforms, distributed processing, and other design issues.

Software information collecting system

Abstract: PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a system for managing the information of a software installed to a client in a server in a network system. SOLUTION: By a software information obtaining means 113 of a client 110, the information of a software installed to the client 110 is obtained and new installation information and uninstallation information are stored in a software information change table 117. Information of the software information change table 117 is transmitted to a server 100 by a software information transmission means 111 and a software information management means 101 of the server 100 registers information of the newly installed software to a software management table 105 and eliminates information corresponding to the uninstalled software based on received information. COPYRIGHT: (C)1999,JPO

Beyond Dilbert: creating cultures that work [software industry]

Abstract: The author discusses some of the problems related to the software crisis. The world needs far more software than we can produce. Clearly, the current market demands and the increasing rate of technology change create an unrelenting pressure. We face a related crisis in our workplace cultures. Many software jobs have such high stress and punishing hours that they crush morale, deplete personal lives, and compromise health. The author considers some solutions to the problems of today's software workplace.

Comdesign principles for ‘next wave’ educational tools: the development of the webmcq assessment system

Abstract: A recent trend towards increasing use of computers and the World Wide Web (“the Web”) in higher education is currently merging with an earlier trend towards using multiple choice questions in assessment. The use of computers in conjunction with such assessments greatly enhances their potential effectiveness. The Web further enhances the ability to distribute assessment material widely, allows inclusion of multi-media content, and enables a level of interactivity and data collection not possible with paper-and-pencil assessments. With these possibilities in mind, the WebMCQ system was conceived as a means of presenting multiple choice questions to students, and potentially providing immediate feedback on their responses so that WebMCQ could be used as a learning tool in the first instance, and also as a summative assessment tool. The development of software such as WebMCQ is part of a much broader shift made possible by extensively-networked computers and the emergence of the internet. It will be argued in this paper that new models of distribution and utilisation of software are now poised to bring about a major shift in the way software is perceived. Rather than a traditional view of software as a product that is installed on individual computers, the features of WebMCQ led developers to adopt a new distribution model, whereby software resides on a central server and is accessed by subscribers to a service. It is this shift from perceiving software as a product to perceiving software as a service that has potential to bring about enormous changes to software design and utilisation and which, it is argued, will result in the arrival of ‘next wave’ software. Among a host of benefits to consumers will be vastly superior ease of use and convenience, leading to adoption of new software on a massive scale. Next wave software will force software developers to adopt new ways of designing, distributing and supporting software. To illustrate some of the new design principles that future developers will need to consider, the paper includes a discussion of five core design principles used in the development of WebMCQ: ease of use, flexibility, consistency, accessibility, and integrity. Each of these issues are discussed in detail, and several predictions are made about how each may impact upon future software developments. It is concluded that the arrival of next wave software will herald a revolutionary shift in the way educational professionals perceive and use Information Technology.