Abstract:Environment-Driven adaptation is an important means ensuring software integrity. Confronted with scenarios not anticipated during the developmental stage, the predefined adaptability of the software should be adjusted to ensure that its behavior agree with the users’ expectation. The premise of this kind of adjustment are efficient software engineering mechanisms. Based on the principles of the Separation of Concerns and the Dynamic Software Architecture (DSA) technology, this paper proposes a component model named ACOE (adaptive component model for open environment) that supports the online fine-grained adjustment to software adaptability. ACOE encapsulates adaptation concerns, such as sensing, decision, and execution into components, and connectors, and then supports their dynamic configuration with the DSA technology. As a result, a third-party can adjust the adaptability by selectively upgrading it when necessary. An ACOE container prototype and experimental applications are implemented to validate this approach.