A Component-oriented Metamodel for the Modernization of Software Applications

The modernization of a software system is a complex and expensive task and requires a deep understanding of the existing system. The capability of re-factoring a complex application into some high-level views is mandatory to elicit its structure and start localize possible changes. The high number of different implementation technologies imposes a model-based, neutral approach to reconstruct the structure and hide unnecessary details. OMG supports this view and proposes KDM (Knowledge Discovery Metamodel) as means to describe software systems in detail, but unfortunately KDM supports a component-oriented decomposition of the system of interest only partially. To bypass this limitation, the paper proposes the COMO (Component-Oriented MOdernization) metamodel to extend KDM, by borrowing recurring concepts from component-based solutions and software architectures, and to support a proper componentization of the system we want to modernize. The paper presents the main elements of the COMO metamodel and exemplifies them on a simple case study.