Evolutionary Process for Integrating COTS-Based Systems (EPIC). Building, Fielding, and Supporting Commercial-off-the-Shelf (COTS) Based Solutions
Abstract
Government and private organizations are escalating their use of commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) and other pre-existing components in critical business systems. Attempts to exploit these components have often tailed with the use of traditional engineering approaches that involve defining requirements, formulating an architecture, and then searching for components that meet the specified requirements within the defined architecture. Here we describe an alternative approach using the Rational Unified Process (RUP), a risk-based, disciplined, spiral-engineering approach. The Evolutionary Process for Integrating COTS-based systems (EPIC) redefines acquisition, management, and engineering practices to more effectively leverage the COTS marketplace and other sources of pre-existing components. This is accomplished through concurrent discovery and negotiation of diverse spheres of influence: user needs and business processes, applicable technology and components, the target architecture, and programmatic constraints. EPIC codifies these practices in a structured flow of key activities and artifacts. This document provides an overview of the EPIC framework along with its activities and artifacts.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Nov 01, 2002
- Accession Number
- ADA408653
Entities
People
- Cecilia Albert
- Lisa Brownsword
Organizations
- Carnegie Mellon University