SURVEY ON SOFTWARE REMODULARIZATION TECHNIQUES

Rajalakshmi M, Bright Gee Varghese R

Abstract: Re-modularization of software systems is a key technique used in testing and maintenance phase of the software development lifecycle. This process helps the developer in reviewing the modules and the interaction between those modules of the developed software systems. Re-modularization process also allows the developer to make the software system more efficient by adding additional features according to their future requirement and enhancement. Based on the review results, the developed software system can be re-modularized, thus finally making the software system to be efficient and less fault-prone. This paper deals with the survey on various methods that are used for re-modularization of software systems. The methods include hierarchical clustering method, automated clustering methods and clustering using Genetic Algorithm (GA).The usage of hierarchical clustering helps in understanding the software domain, software system and the measures used for clustering the software system. Automatic clustering approaches are used in order to group together highly cohesive components, in a module of the software system where the cohesiveness is measured in terms of intra-module links and reduce the coupling between modules which is measured in terms of the inter-module dependencies of the software system. Genetic Algorithm belongs to large class of Evolutionary Algorithm, which generates the solutions to optimization problems using techniques inspired by natural evolution such as inheritance mutation, crossover and selection. In general, Genetic Algorithm requires the genetic representation of the solution domain and the fitness function to evaluate the solution domain. In this survey the working principle of various remodularization methods are discussed and the efficient re-modularization approach is selected based on its features and advantages.

Keywords: Software re-modularization, Hierarchical Clustering and Genetic Algorithm.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.15623/ijret.2013.0212062