Dan Cosma - Publications

Ph.D. Thesis

• Dan-Călin Cosma: Reverse Engineering Object-Oriented Distributed Systems, "Politehnica" University of Timisoara, presented in public session on May 18, 2009

Papers and books

• ViMC--Interactive Tool for Measuring Software Applications (DOI PDF)
  Authors:
  Dan C. Cosma, Oana Gugea, Tamara Avramovic
  Published at:
  2018 22nd International Conference on System Theory, Control and Computing (ICSTCC), Sinaia, Romania
  Abstract:
  Modern software applications are complex, and their maintenance implies elaborate analysis tools that reveal their structure and functionality, for purposes like software understanding or quality assessment. This paper introduces ViMC, a tool we have developed to support software engineers in analyzing the structure of object-oriented software applications, by focusing on measuring the various aspects that define the properties of the entities within a software project. The tool provides a set of predefined software metrics that can be applied to sets of classes and packages within a given software application, while allowing the user to dynamically create new metrics, as needed. The definition of custom metrics is done either through programming, or by interactively combining existing metrics via a user interface.
• Understanding Web Applications Using Component Based Visual Patterns (DOI PDF)
  Authors:
  Dan C. Cosma, Petru F. Mihancea
  Published at:
  2015 IEEE 23rd International Conference on Program Comprehension (ICPC), Florence, Italy
  Abstract:
  This paper introduces our approach for high-level system understanding that uses software visualization to analyze the presentation layer of Web applications. The technique is driven by static analysis, relies on state-of-the art concepts, and is technology-aware, so that it focuses on those precise particularities of the application's presentation layer that define its Web presence. By combining an approach initially developed for software testing with visualization, the essential structural dependencies between and within the Web components are extracted and reviewed. Initial evaluation shows that the technique is able to provide a comprehensive view that is very useful in spotting new and interesting visual patterns that give significant insight for software comprehension.
• Reverse Engineering Object-Oriented Distributed Systems (DOI PDF)
  Author:
  Dan C. Cosma
  Published at:
  Proc. of 26th IEEE International Conference on Software Maintenance (ICSM 2010) - Doctoral Symposium track, September 12-18, 2010, Timisoara, Romania
  Abstract:
  A significant part of the modern software systems are designed and implemented as distributed applications, addressing the needs of a globally-connected society. While most of them are object-oriented, their understanding and quality assessment imply very specific, technology-dependent analysis approaches. This doctoral dissertation describes a methodology for understanding object-oriented distributed systems using a process of reverse engineering driven by the assessment of their technological and domain-specific particularities. The approach provides both system-wide and class-level characterizations, capturing the architectural traits of the systems, and assessing the impact of the distribution-aware features throughout the application. The methodology describes a mostly-automated analysis process fully supported by a tools infrastructure, providing means for detailed understanding of the distribution-related traits and including basic support for the potentially consequent system restructuring.
• Restructuring Object-Oriented Distributed Systems: An Impact-Driven Approach (PDF)
  Authors:
  Dan C. Cosma, Radu Marinescu
  Published at:
  IEEE 5th International Conference on Intelligent Computer Communication and Processing, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
  Abstract:
  Distributed applications address the needs of heterogeneous networks of human activities, therefore they must consist of balanced, relatively autonomous intercommunicating components. Unfortunately, real-world systems do often not follow these requirements, or their architecture gets degraded in time by many ad-hoc changes. Consequently, these systems have to go frequently through the costly and oftentimes manually-performed operation of restructuring services and their inter-connections. This paper introduces a restructuring technique for distributed systems that supports an architect in performing a cost-aware analysis of various restructuring scenarios. The technique enables the engineer/architect to explore and evaluate the impact of the restructuring process at a fine-grained level, by providing both a forecast of the restructuring outcome, and the projected cost of the process itself. The approach described is mainly based on a suite of novel coupling metrics, a new algorithm that builds the forecast of the restructured architecture, and a formula for computing the cost. The approach was successfully applied on a commercial distributed framework implemented using RMI and in this paper we summarize the findings and the practical experience. Although the technique was developed for the specific case of distributed systems, we are confident that it can be easily generalized to a larger class of applications.
• Representing Object-Oriented Distributed Systems To Focus the Process of Reverse Engineering (PDF)
  Authors:
  Dan C. Cosma, Radu Marinescu
  Published at:
  IEEE 5th International Conference on Intelligent Computer Communication and Processing, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
  Abstract:
  When aiming to understand object-oriented distributed applications, reverse engineering processes can model the systems by representing the aspects specific to the object orientation. While these representations provide means for in-depth analysis of various characteristics of the applications, such approaches may ignore their most important traits, specifically those related to the distribution itself. This paper describes the representation of object-oriented distributed systems we have developed to support our reverse engineering approach, and presents the rationale behind the model. The model is built so that the process focuses on the most important aspects of this class of applications, therefore efficiently achieving system understanding by narrowing the search for relevant knowledge. We have applied the process on a couple of case studies, and evaluated the systems by instantiating the model to drive the assessment of the distribution-related characteristics.
• niSiDe: Interactive Tool for Understanding Distributed Software (PDF)
  Authors:
  Dan C. Cosma
  Published at:
  10th International Symposium on Symbolic and Numeric Algorithms for Scientific Computing (SYNASC 2008) Timisoara, Romania September 26-29, 2008 (pre-proceedings: pp. 236)
  Abstract:
  Understanding object-oriented distributed applications is currently an important concern as this type of systems is widely represented in the industry. While analyzing such systems can be done using the available tools built for understanding general, object-oriented, systems, they may fail to capture the most important aspect of this type of systems: their distribution-related functionality. This paper presents niSiDe , the tool developed to support our approach in understanding distributed software, which automates all involved tasks while allowing for user interaction, and provides the visualizations necessary to capture the essential aspects of the system's distributed nature.
• Understanding the Impact of Distribution in Object-Oriented Distributed Systems using Structural Program Dependencies (PDF)
  Authors:
  Dan C. Cosma, Radu Marinescu
  Published at:
  Proceedings of the 12th European Conference on Software Maintenance and Reengineering (CSMR 2008), Athens, Greece, (c)IEEE 2008, pp. 103-112
  Abstract:
  In this paper we present a novel approach for understanding a distributed, object-oriented, software system, by analyzing the structure of its source code and identifying the design fragments that contribute to those specific features that use or depend on the distributed communication infrastructure. By applying the approach on a couple of real-world Java/RMI distributed systems, we show that it provides reliable means for capturing both an overview of the systems' distributed architecture, and a detailed understanding of the impact of the distributed features on the entire system (including the local features).
• Distributable Features View: Visualizing the Structural Characteristics of Distributed Software Systems (PDF)
  Authors:
  Dan C. Cosma, Radu Marinescu
  Published at:
  Proceedings of the 4th IEEE International Workshop on Visualizing Software for Understanding and Analysis (VISSOFT 2007), Alberta, Canada, (c)IEEE Computer Society Press, 2007
  Abstract:
  The software industry is increasingly confronted with the issues of understanding and maintaining a special type of software systems, namely distributed systems. Although these systems are usually implemented in an object-oriented fashion, they raise very specific, and technology-dependent, understandability and quality assessment challenges. This paper presents a visual approach for comprehending the design of distributed software systems, by using technology awareness to isolate the functionally-distinct units within the code, so that the blueprint of the system's distributed behavior can be easily extracted. The approach provides means for observing the system's distributed architecture, visualizing the structure of the functional entities, and understanding their collaboration within the system, while focusing the analysis to the most substantial code fragments that deserve being taken into consideration.
• Towards Building Feature-Oriented Distributed Systems
  Authors:
  Dan Cosma
  Published at:
  6th International Conference on Technical Informatics, CONTI 2004, vol 3, pp. 201-206, Timisoara, Mai 2004. (PERIODICA POLITECHNICA, Transactions on AUTOMATIC CONTROL and COMPUTER SCIENCE Vol.49 (63) No. 3, 2004, ISSN 1224-600X)
  Abstract:
  This paper describes the main concepts involved in the development of a framework for building feature-oriented distributed applications. It explains the nature of the system, defines the environment which provides the best conditions for the purpose, and introduces an architectural overview of the system.
• A Framework for Feature Migration
  Authors:
  Sabina Borlea, Dan Cosma
  Published at:
  3rd RoEduNet International Conference - Networking in Education and Research, Timisoara, May 2004. (PERIODICA POLITECHNICA, Transactions on AUTOMATIC CONTROL and COMPUTER SCIENCE Vol.49 (63) No. 5, 2004, pp. 87-90, ISSN 1224-600X)
  Abstract:
  This paper describes the details of the development of a framework for building feature-oriented distributed applications. It presents the environment and the programming language used for development, describes the interaction between the main components.
• SOLIST - A Java-based Application for Educational Internet Polls
  Authors:
  Dan Cosma, Calin Cirstea, Loredana Stefanut
  Published at:
  3rd RoEduNet International Conference - Networking in Education and Research, Timisoara, May 2004. (PERIODICA POLITECHNICA, Transactions on AUTOMATIC CONTROL and COMPUTER SCIENCE Vol.49 (63) No. 5, 2004, pp. 91-94, ISSN 1224-600X)
  Abstract:
  This paper describes a Java-based software application we developed at "Politehnica" University. It is a Web application used by the Computer Science Department to gather the student opinions about the computer curricula and its implementation in the department. It provides an Internet portal where students can log in anonymously and fill in questionnaires about the courses they attended in the current year. The application deals with problems as: avoiding multiple log-ins from the same student (while guaranteeing anonymity), persistent storage of data, and flexibility against curricula changes.
• Aplicatii software distribuite (Distributed Software Applications)
  Authors:
  Dan Cosma, Stejarel Veres, Adrian Petru Mierlutiu
  Published at:
  Editura de Vest, 2003, Timisoara, Romania. ISBN 973-36-0377-5
  Abstract:
  This book introduces several of the main concepts and technologies related to Distributed Systems, the target audience including programmers, graduate students in Computer Science, and any other persons interested in this field. It presents several basic concepts such as the OSI and TCP/IP models, and describes various programming primitives and technologies involved: sockets (in C and Java), Remote Method Invocation (Java), and Enterprise Java Beans. The book uses a pragmatic approach, providing detailed examples in C and Java in order to point out the most important programming issues that are usually encountered.
• UNIX - Aplicatii
  Authors:
  Dan Cosma
  Published at:
  Editura de Vest, 2001, Timisoara, Romania. ISBN 973-36-0338-4
  Abstract:
  This book uses a practical approach for teaching the basic concepts of the UNIX operating system. It mainly focuses on the system programming using system calls, the main UNIX commands, and shell scripts. The book includes detailed examples written in C that explain concepts as: filesystems, processes, signals, pipes, and threads.
• TraceMaster - A Logging Service for Distributed Systems (PDF)
  Authors:
  Dan Cosma, Sorin Serau
  Published at:
  4th International Conference on Technical Informatics (CONTI 2000), 2000, Timisoara, Romania. (Buletinul Stiintific al Universitatii "POLITEHNICA" din Timisoara, seria AUTOMATICA SI CALCULATOARE, Vol. 45(59) No.3, pp. 47-52, ISSN 1224-600X)
  Abstract:
  This paper describes the architecture and the implementation of a logging service that provides programmer interfaces via CORBA and RMI. The service can be used in distributed applications for logging runtime events and monitoring the system's behaviour. The system was implemented by the authors, in cooperation with a German software company.
• DSDAgents - A Java Framework for Developing Mobile Agents Systems (PDF)
  Authors:
  Diana Szentivanyi, Sorin Serau, Dan Cosma, Ioan Jurca
  Published at:
  3rd International Conference on Technical Informatics (CONTI '98), October 29-30, 1998, Timisoara, Romania
  Abstract:
  This paper describes a Java framework, which can be used to create and use mobile agent based systems, developed at `Politehnica'' University of Timisoara. It consists, mainly, in servers that execute agents, and a set of Java classes providing the functionality for developing the agents' code. All basic tasks are done by the framework, so that the programmer doesn't have to be concerned about details regarding the communication, agent migration or security.