Variability Models in Large-Scale Systems: A Study and a Reverse-Engineering Technique

Abstract: Highly configurable systems can easily have thousands of configuration options, together with intricate configuration constraints. Variability models—higher-level representations of options and constraints—facilitate the development of large, highly configurable systems. Since models are difficult to create and to maintain, we strive to support both activities, automating them as much as possible. To this end, we present an empirical study of real-world variability models, and static code-analysis techniques that support reverse-engineering and consistency-checking of such models. Introduction. Customizing software systems is becoming increasingly important. A com-mon approach is to introduce configurations options, set at build or startup time, to tailor a system to specific needs (e.g., hardware, functionality, performance). Large systems can easily have thousands of such options, together with intricate configuration constraints among them. Declaring options and constraints in higher-level representations, so-calle