The method predicts the influence of a component update by identifying the components in a system and constructing a graph describing their dependencies. Knowledge of the possible influences of an update is important, since it can be used to limit the scope of testing and be a basis for evaluating the potential damage of the update. The dependency graphs can also be used to facilitate maintenance by identifying differences between configurations, e.g., making it possible to recognise any deviations from a functioning reference configuration. For evaluation of the method, a prototype tool which explores dependencies and stores them under version control has been developed. The prototype has been used for partial analysis of the Windows 2000 platform, for which it has been important to remain aware of dynamic dependencies.
Preliminary experiments indicate that most components have only a few dependencies.
The method has thus given an indication that the analysis of the effects of component updates may not be as difficult as might be expected. Page author Bjorn.