Automated Analysis in Feature Modelling and Product Configuration

Abstract. The automated analysis of feature models is one of the thriv-ing topics of research in the software product line and variability manage-ment communities that has attracted more attention in the last years. A recent literature review reported that more than 30 analysis opera-tions have been identified and different analysis mechanisms have been proposed. Product configuration is a well established research field with more than 30 years of successful applications in different industrial do-mains. Our hypothesis, that is not really new, is that these two inde-pendent areas of research have interesting synergies that have not been fully explored. To try to explore the potential synergies systematically, in this paper we provide a rapid review to bring together these previously disparate streams of work. We define a set of research questions and give a preliminary answer to some of them. We conclude that there are many research opportunities in the synergy of these independent areas