!"#$%#&'()%*#*$'$&$)$'$&$%!$+$'$,Strategies for Implementing a Product LineApproach to Software Reuse at the NRODaniel R. VanderwarkerSoftware Engineering DepartmentThe Aerospace CorporationChantilly, VA 20151GSAW 200213-15 March 20022!"#$%#&'()%*#*$'$&$)$'$&$%!$+$'$,Purpose of Briefing• Summarize and describe a study conducted to develop a business casefor strategic software reuse within the NRO• Summarize study’s recommended implementation strategies forachieving a product line approach to software reuse within NRO• Present some of the benefits of product line implementation asdocumented in study• Present some of the business, technical and organizational issues andconsiderations addressed in study• Summarize study conclusions and recommendations3!"#$%#&'()%*#*$'$&$)$'$&$%!$+$'$,Business Case Study•Origin– Acquisition Steering Group (ASG) action item was assigned to determinea business case for software reuse within the NRO• Purpose and Scope– Determine degree of experience with strategic software reuse amongprograms and projects specific to various NRO directorates– Develop a business case for strategic software reuse at the NRO• Participants– Former CCT program manager, SEI and Aerospace4!"#$%#&'()%*#*$'$&$)$'$&$%!$+$'$,Terminology and Assumptions• Software Product Line: Set of software-intensive systems sharing acommon, managed set of features that– Satisfy specific needs of a particular market segment or mission– Are developed from a common set of core assets in a prescribed way• Fielding a software product line involves– Core asset development (domain engineering)– Product development (application engineering)• For each software product line there is a pre-defined guide or plan thatspecifies the exact product building approach– Predominant activity is integration rather than programming• Software product line approach is strategic and systematic– Looks beyond a single product or contract– Value of core assets realized through the products developed from them5!"#$%#&'()%*#*$'$&$)$'$&$%!$+$'$,NRO Acquisition Philosophy: Current State• Define intelligence needs / mission requirements and trust contractor“community” to provide the “best” technical solution• Perception that contractor is responsible for technical solution, and canbe held accountable for not meeting mission requirements– In typical acquisition, Government liable for incurred costs• Contractor community sensitive about sharing of technical data that isconsidered contractor “owned” or proprietary– Each contractor competes against the others for NRO business– Little sharing (exploitation of commonality) across NRO contractor base– Stovepipes discourage information and technology sharing• Sense of technology reuse is left to the selected, individual contractor– Software reuse primarily “opportunistic” and left to contractor discretion– Contractor has little incentive to perform strategic reuse of software assets– Contractor increases value of his contract by “reinventing” the software6!"#$%#&'()%*#*$'$&$)$'$&$%!$+$'$,Strategic Reuse through Software ProductLines within NRO: Preferred State• Software product lines have been institutionalized• Preferred state characteristics for software development / acquisition atNRO are realized– Reliable mission performance and operations (maintain or improve these)– Lower development, operations and maintenance costs– Lower costs for transition/readiness and system upgrades• Business case contends that strategic reuse through product lines couldeffect a situation that delivers these preferred state characteristics– Cost justification specifics of NRO business case study are beyond thescope of presentation– Presentation focuses on strategies and considerations for implementing aproduct line approach to software reuse at the NRO7!"#$%#&'()%*#*$'$&$)$'$&$%!$+$'$,Strategies for Achieving Preferred State• Fund and acquire core assets– Core asset development• Identify potential users and provide incentives for them to developsystems from core assets– Product development• Provide the infrastructure to sustain the effort– Management of the product line effort• Fund the sustainment of core assets and products– Long-term sustainment of the product line8!"#$%#&'()%*#*$'$&$)$'$&$%!$+$'$,Fund and Acquire Core Assets• Supports fundamental product line activity of developing core assets• Important issues to address include:– Funding strategy for core asset development– Organizational structures and processes for core asset development andmaintenance– Engineering or acquisition of the core assets• Key question:– How will the product line assets be paid for equitably?9!"#$%#&'()%*#*$'$&$)$'$&$%!$+$'$,Identify Users and Provide Incentives• Supports product line activity of developing products from core assets• Benefits realized from strategic reuse are strongly tied to the number ofprograms that participate– Important to proactively pursue potential users of core assets; make iteasy for them to participate– NRO could provide incentives for compliance with product line effort,along with disincentives for non-compliance• Important issues to address include:– Reuse liability– Asset ownership (including intellectual rights and artifacts)– Contracting– Seeking sponsorship by senior NRO leadership to make a product lineapproach a condition of participation– Organizational structures and processes10!"#$%#&'()%*#*$'$&$)$'$&$%!$+$'$,Provide Infrastructure to Sustain Effort• Supports product line activity of managing the product line effort• Important issues to address include:– Incentives for government and contractor community to embrace strategicsoftware reuse– Disincentives for non-compliance– Cross-organizational management practices (joint boards, joint RFCs, etc.)– Training and education programs for government and contractor personnel• Training programs would include:– General advocacy training to provide basis for informed buy-in– Program management training for the acquisition office– Technical training for contractors, including general training in productline technology and training specific to the asset base11!"#$%#&'()%*#*$'$&$)$'$&$%!$+$'$,Fund Sustainment of Assets and Products• Supports product line activity of long-term sustainment of product line• Important issues to address include:– Evolution of product