Software Evolution in the Presence of Externalities

The architecture of service-oriented systems is defined by the services involved and the network of their usage interdependencies. Changes in an individual service may lead to the evolution of the overall architecture, as (a) different or new interactions may become possible and (b) existing partners may leave the network if their dependency needs are no longer satisfied. Therefore, studying the evolution of a service and the impact it may have on services and business partners that depend on it is essential to studying the evolution of software architecture in the age of service-oriented architecture (SOA). In such an environment with different and possibly independent parties, there may exist conflicting goals. For example, one party may aim for evolution, while another may desire stability. In this chapter, we model the interactions and decision-making process during the evolution of a system using a game-theoretic approach, and we explore how variations in the dependencies and the information flow between the service provider and the clients impact the provider’s decision-making process regarding the evolution of the service.

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