Modularize Architectural Variation Points using Connectors

Connectors mediate the communication among components, resolve conflicts among crosscutting components, and modularize architectural variation points. This activity describes how to specify connectors focusing on the modularization of architectural variation points. The inputs of this activity are the SPL architecture without connectors and the spect-feature view.

The communication between base-level components is realized by base-level connectors. Crosscutting connectors provide the communication between base-level and crosscutting components and between crosscutting components. Crosscutting connectors link crosscutting required interfaces, which exposes component join points, to crosscutting provided interfaces, which specify the provided services of a component.

The modularization of architectural variation points is realized by a special connector called connector-VP. This connector links non-mandatory components (i.e. optional or alternative) to mandatory components. Connectors-VP provide mechanisms to support the architect to place decisions related to product derivation within these connectors. The internal mechanisms that support the modularization of architectural variation points are described in Section 5.8.2.