An Eclipse Modelling Framework Alternative to Meet the Models@Runtime Requirements

Models@Runtime aims at taming the complexity of software dynamic adaptation by pushing further the idea of reflection and considering the reflection layer as a first-class modeling space. A natural approach to Models@Runtime is to use MDE techniques, in particular those based on the Eclipse Modeling Framework. EMF provides facilities for building DSLs and tools based on a structured data model, with tight integration with the Eclipse IDE. EMF has rapidly become the defacto standard in the MDE community and has also been adopted for building Models@Runtime platforms. For example, Frascati (implementing the Service Component Architecture standard) uses EMF for the design and runtime tooling of its architecture description language. However, EMF has primarily been thought to support design-time activities. This paper highlights specific Models@Runtime requirements, discusses the benefits and limitations of EMF in this context, and presents an alternative implementation to meet these requirements.