Applying multiobjective evolutionary algorithms to dynamic software product lines for reconfiguring mobile applications

Mobile applications require dynamic reconfiguration services (DRS) to self-adapt their behavior to the context changes (e.g., scarcity of resources). Dynamic Software Product Lines (DSPL) are a well-accepted approach to manage runtime variability, by means of late binding the variation points at runtime. During the system's execution, the DRS deploys different configurations to satisfy the changing requirements according to a multiobjective criterion (e.g., insufficient battery level, requested quality of service). Search-based software engineering and, in particular, multiobjective evolutionary algorithms (MOEAs), can generate valid configurations of a DSPL at runtime. Several approaches use MOEAs to generate optimum configurations of a Software Product Line, but none of them consider DSPLs for mobile devices. In this paper, we explore the use of MOEAs to generate at runtime optimum configurations of the DSPL according to different criteria. The optimization problem is formalized in terms of a Feature Model (FM), a variability model. We evaluate six existing MOEAs by applying them to 12 different FMs, optimizing three different objectives (usability, battery consumption and memory footprint). The results are discussed according to the particular requirements of a DRS for mobile applications, showing that PAES and NSGA-II are the most suitable algorithms for mobile environments.