Leveraging architectural models to inject trust into software systems

ABSTRACT

Existing software systems have become increasingly durable and their lifetimes have significantly lengthened. They are increasingly distributed and decentralized. Our dependence on them has grown tremendously. As such, the issues of trustworthiness and security have become prime concerns in designing, constructing, and evolving software systems. However, the exact meanings of these concepts are not universally agreed upon, nor is their role in the different phases of the software development lifecycle. In this paper, we argue that trustworthiness is a more broadly encompassing term than security, and that the two are often interdependent. We then identify a set of dimensions of trustworthiness. Finally, we analyze how the key elements of a software system's architecture can be leveraged in support of those trustworthiness dimensions. Our ultimate goal is to apply these ideas in the context of a concrete software architecture project. The goal of this paper is more modest: to understand the problem area and its relation to software architecture.

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INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  D. Software
  D.2 SOFTWARE ENGINEERING
        D.2.11 Software Architectures

Additional Classification:
  D. Software
  D.4 OPERATING SYSTEMS
      D.4.6 Security and Protection

General Terms:
Design, Experimentation, Measurement, Performance, Security