Building Systems from Commercial Components(Paperback) [Paperback]

Kurt Wallnau (Author), Scott Hissam (Author), Robert C. Seacord (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0201700646 | ISBN-13: 978-0201700640 | Publication Date: August 4, 2001 | Edition: 1

Commercial software components can dramatically reduce the cost and time required to develop complex business-critical systems. However, integrating them offers stiff challenges that are not well understood by most software practitioners, and there have been many spectacular failures. Now, a team of authors from the Software Engineering Institute draws upon the lessons presented by both the failures and the successes, offering a start-to-finish methodology for integrating commercial components successfully. The authors examine failed integration projects, identifying key lessons and early warning signs, including the failure to account for loss of control over engineering design and production. Drawing upon both successes and failures, they present proven solutions for establishing requirements, evaluating components, creating flexible system designs that incorporate commercial components; and managing multiple concurrent design options linked to external market events and feasibility proofs. They also show how to build "just-in-time" competency with commercial components and integration.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

There is a growing gap between the theory and the practice of component-based software design. The theory largely assumes that the design task is to develop specifications for software components; in reality, however, most component-based design relies on preexisting components, which have preexisting specifications. With more and more software being developed from commercially available components, it is increasingly critical to recognize the novel challenges and unfamiliar constraints inherent in such design. Describing a number of proven techniques, this book provides much-needed guidance on how to build component-based systems in a real working environment.

Building Systems from Commercial Components is divided into three parts:

• Part I identifies the design challenges posed by commercial components, presents specific engineering techniques that meet those challenges, and describes workflows for incorporating those techniques into an existing development process.
• Part II features an extended case study of a project from the authors' own experience, with each chapter illustrating the challenges posed by commercial components and the techniques used to meet those challenges.
• Part III provides advice on how to get started using the techniques described in the book, and makes some predictions about the future course of component-based development.

This book is intended for anyone who practices, or wishes to practice, component-based software development. System architects, chief engineers, project managers, chief technology officers, and front-line software engineers and programmers will each find here something of immediate value. The authors, through their work at the Software Engineering Institute, are able to share a broad and practical understanding of both the problems you will face and the solutions you will require as you design component-based systems.

0201700646B06072001

About the Author

Kurt C. Wallnau is a senior technical staff member at the Software Engineering Institute (SEI). He was team lead for the SEI's commercial off-the-shelf (COTS)-based systems project, and now leads the predictable assembly from certifiable components project. He designed and taught the CMU/MSE course in component-based development methods, and has over 20 years experience in research and industry.

Scott A. Hissam is a senior technical staff member at the SEI and adjunct faculty member at the University of Pittsburgh. He has over 15 years of software development experience, including project leadership positions at Lockheed Martin and Bell Atlantic.

Robert Seacord began programming (professionally) for IBM in 1982 and has been programming in C since 1985, and in C++ since 1992. Robert is currently a Senior Vulnerability Analyst with the CERT/Coordination Center at the Software Engineering Institute (SEI). He is coauthor of Building Systems from Commercial Components (Addison-Wesley, 2002) and Modernizing Legacy Systems (Addison-Wesley, 2003). The CERT/CC, among other security-related activities, regularly analyzes software vulnerability reports and assesses the risk to the Internet and other critical infrastructure.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 432 pages
• Publisher: Addison-Wesley Professional; 1 edition (August 4, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0201700646
• ISBN-13: 978-0201700640
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,890,763 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Let there be components, October 24, 2001

By 

Chih-wei Ho (Taipei, Taiwan) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Building Systems from Commercial Components(Paperback) (Paperback)

I found most of my projects are more or less concerned about system integration since last year, and found some difficulties. Depending on the components from other vendors became a great challenge, for my experience was mostly based on designing/implementing components from scratch. This book provides a new point of view to look at the development process. The authors suggest how designs should be adapted to face the fact that the components we are to assemble are in control of others' hands, and describe several techniques for component-based development. A case study (which is a really big one) are provided for the readers to see how these techniques can be applied. The authors are true software engineers, and their in-depth knowledge and experience are presented now in their precise writing style. Software development is changing its face now. Components are everywhere, and computing is moving on the way to ubiquity. I am sure this book is a good guide for the managers and developers in this trend.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars very practical, February 18, 2003

By 

Judy A. Powers (Albany, New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Building Systems from Commercial Components(Paperback) (Paperback)

I found this book to provide some very practical advice on a very difficult problem--dealing with the myriad versions of COTS products and the problems integrating them while dealing with dead-line driven schedules. Unlike other software engineering books Building Systems from Commercial Components takes a practicioners view and details out specific techniques that can be used in evaluating and integrating COTS products. I highly recommend this book.

5.0 out of 5 stars Very Practical but with a true theoretical backbone, August 27, 2001

By 

Craig Landy (Chicago, IL USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Building Systems from Commercial Components(Paperback) (Paperback)

I found the book to be a surprisingly interesting read...rare for heavy-duty material that takes on the topic of the design of software systems from commercial software. It contains a unique mix of practical ideas, analytical techniques, and theoretical underpinnings. In the process it offers a number of insights into modern software development practice that provide a refreshing perspective on the complexities faced by today's software engineers. I greatly enjoyed reading it. I believe there is a broad constituency of practicing software engineers, developers and academics who would gain a great deal from this book. Really nice piece of work!