Formal modeling of the Enterprise JavaBeans (TM) component integration framework

An emerging trend in the engineering of complex systems is the use of compo nent integration frameworks. Such a framework prescribes an architectural d esign that permits flexible composition of third-party components into appl ications. A good example is Sun Microsystems Enterprise JavaBeans(TM) (EJB) framework, which supports object-oriented, distributed, enterprise-level a pplications, such as account management systems. One problem with framework s like EJB is that they are documented informally, making it difficult to u nderstand precisely what is provided by the framework, and what is required to use it. We believe formal specification can help, and in this paper sho w how a formal architectural description language can be used to describe a nd provide insight into such frameworks. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.