CharM: a model for characterizing serviced-based architectures

This dataset provides materials used and produced in the context of the research study leading to the paper CharM: a model for characterizing serviced-based architectures.

Research Objective

The main goal of this paper was to develop and evaluate a model for characterizing the architecture of service-based systems, adopting microservices guidelines. The model developed is named CharM and is organized into four dimensions that characterize service-based systems' architecture based on static metrics related to the structural attributes of size and coupling. The CharM was evaluated empirically through two case studies and one survey. This paper presents the result of the evaluation through the survey with 58 participants.

Research Questions

RQ: How to characterize the architecture of SBS to guide architectural decision making?

RQ1: To which extent does the CharM support understanding a service-based architecture?

RQ2: To which extent does the CharM support a service-based architecture maintenance?

RQ3: To which extent does the CharM support communicating a service-based architecture to stakeholders?

RQ4: How easy is it to understand the CharM?

RQ5: Does the participants' experience influences the perceived usefulness and ease of understanding of the CharM?

Material available

charm_evaluation_questionnaire.pdf - this questionnaire was designed to evaluate the use and ease of understanding of the CharM;

CharM presentation YouTube video - an overview presentation of the CharM and its dimensions and metrics, available at: https://youtu.be/VQRqG9hLBSQ;

CharM demonstration YouTube video - a demonstration of a simple application of the CharM on the fictional Pingr System, available at: https://youtu.be/bK9Yg9jmQXY;

charm_related_research_summary.pdf - containing the summary of the related studies' analysis;

charm_acm_checklist.pdf - checklist of the ACM Empirical Standards "Engineering Research" and "Questionnaire Surveys";

charm_evaluation_quantitative_analysis.zip

charm_evaluation_valid_answers.csv - spreadsheet containing the valid answers of the survey participants;

charm_evaluation_quantitative_analysis.ipynb - Python code with the quantitative analysis of CharM's evaluation;

requirements.txt - text file containing the specification of the necessary requirements to execute the Python code.