On the role of model-driven engineering in adaptive systems

An adaptive software has the ability of modify its own behavior due to changes in its surround context. Despite the importance of these kind of systems, the development of adaptive systems is a complex, error prone, and time consuming task. Several authors have defined a set of challenges to consider when software engineers develop adaptive systems. Although there are several approaches to address these challenges, we believe that a model-driven engineering (MDE) approach is the best suitable solution. The main goal of this paper is to argue that MDE can play a leading role in the development process of adaptive systems, since it can address most of the associated challenges. The paper includes a detailed analysis of the main dimensions in adaptation and thoroughly analyzes the potential of MDE to address each dimension. A final discussion is presented to demonstrate the feasibility and usefulness of the MDE approach in this type of problems.