Searching for model migration strategies

Abstract

Metamodels, like many software artefacts, are subject to evolution. If a metamodel evolves, models that previously conformed to the metamodel may become non-conformant, and must be migrated to reestablish conformance. Manually migrating models can be tedious and error prone, and a number of solutions have arisen to aid in the creation of a migration strategy - a model transformation which automates the migration. This paper asks whether we can make use of research in the field of Search-Based Software Engineering to automatically discover migration strategies, and discusses the challenges involved. In particular, we explore how tools that provide coupled evolution of metamodels and models provide a suitable platform for which to apply search techniques.