Integrating decision management with UML modeling concepts and tools

Numerous design decisions including architectural decisions are made while developing a software system, which influence the architecture of the system as well as subsequent decisions. Several tools already exist for managing design decisions, i.e. capturing, documenting, and maintaining them, but also for guiding the user by proposing subsequent decisions. In model-based software development, many decisions directly affect the structural and behavioral models used to describe and develop a software system and its architecture. However, the decisions are typically not connected to these models. In this paper, we propose an integration of a decision management and a UML-based modeling tool, based on use cases we distill from an example: the UML modeling tool shall show all decisions related to a model and allow extending or updating them; the decision management tool shall trigger the modeling tool to enforce design decisions (modify the models). We define tool-independent concepts and architecture building blocks supporting these requirements and present first ideas how this can be implemented in the IBM Rational Software Modeler and Architectural Decision Knowledge Wiki. This seamless integration of formerly disconnected tools could improve tool usability as well as decision maker productivity.