The web-based Interface to the SFB 501 Experience Base

Information systems are challenging applications in the field of software process improvement. The reuse of experience from the software developing and maintenance process is a key technology in this area of improvement. One approach which supports the comprehensive reuse of experience is the Quality Improvement Paradigm (QIP) by Basili et. al. [4]. In this approach, all kinds of knowledge, like processes or product models, are systematically collected and carefully documented to be applied as experience for later projects. The approach can be supported by the concept of the Experience Factory (EF) [2, 5]. Within an EF, experience is derived by analyzing and synthesizing knowledge that may have originated from the organization (e.g., from former projects) or externally (e.g., international standards). The gained experience is integrated into an information system called the Experience Base (EB) that serves as a central repository. On demand the EB supplies new projects with the documented experiences for reuse. This paper discusses a web based prototype of an EB tailored for a research environment. The framework used for structuring the prototype EB is sketched and the technical realization is described in detail. Pros and cons using web technology are listed, lessons learned and benefits achieved are discussed. Based on first experiences, possible improvements for the prototype implementation are described.