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Evolutionary Process for Integrating COTS-Based Systems (EPIC) Building, Fielding, and Supporting Commercial-off-the-Shelf (COTS) Based Solutions

Technical Report
This 2002 document is the first release of a full description of the EPIC framework along with its activities and artifacts.
Publisher

Software Engineering Institute

CMU/SEI Report Number
CMU/SEI-2002-TR-005
Topic or Tag

Abstract

Government and private organizations are escalating their use of commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) and other pre-existing components in critical business systems. Attempts to exploit these components through use of traditional engineering approaches that involve defining requirements, formulating an architecture, and then searching for components that meet the specified requirements within the defined architecture have been disappointing. 

The Evolutionary Process for Integrating COTS-based systems (EPIC) redefines acquisition, management, and engineering practices to more effectively leverage the COTS marketplace and other sources of pre-existing components. This is accomplished through concurrent discovery and negotiation of diverse spheres of influence: user needs and business processes, applicable technology and components, the target architecture, and programmatic constraints. EPIC codifies these practices in a structured flow of key activities and artifacts. This alternative approach is a risk-based, disciplined, spiral-engineering approach which leverages the Rational Unified Process (RUP). 

This document is the first release of a full description of the EPIC framework along with its activities and artifacts. The first release of an overview of EPIC is found in the Software Engineering Institute technical report: CMU/SEI-2002-TR-009. These documents will be updated based on reader's comments and lessons learned from use of EPIC.

Cite This Technical Report

Albert, C., Bentley, D., Bono, T., Brownsword, L., Morris, E., & Pruitt, D. (2002, November 1). Evolutionary Process for Integrating COTS-Based Systems (EPIC) Building, Fielding, and Supporting Commercial-off-the-Shelf (COTS) Based Solutions. (Technical Report CMU/SEI-2002-TR-005). Retrieved October 6, 2024, from https://insights.sei.cmu.edu/library/evolutionary-process-for-integrating-cots-based-systems-epic-building-fielding-and-supporting-commercial-off-the-shelf-cots-based-solutions/.

@techreport{albert_2002,
author={Albert, Cecilia and Bentley, David and Bono, Thomas and Brownsword, Lisa and Morris, Edwin and Pruitt, Deborah},
title={Evolutionary Process for Integrating COTS-Based Systems (EPIC) Building, Fielding, and Supporting Commercial-off-the-Shelf (COTS) Based Solutions},
month={Nov},
year={2002},
number={CMU/SEI-2002-TR-005},
howpublished={Carnegie Mellon University, Software Engineering Institute's Digital Library},
url={https://insights.sei.cmu.edu/library/evolutionary-process-for-integrating-cots-based-systems-epic-building-fielding-and-supporting-commercial-off-the-shelf-cots-based-solutions/},
note={Accessed: 2024-Oct-6}
}

Albert, Cecilia, David Bentley, Thomas Bono, Lisa Brownsword, Edwin Morris, and Deborah Pruitt. "Evolutionary Process for Integrating COTS-Based Systems (EPIC) Building, Fielding, and Supporting Commercial-off-the-Shelf (COTS) Based Solutions." (CMU/SEI-2002-TR-005). Carnegie Mellon University, Software Engineering Institute's Digital Library. Software Engineering Institute, November 1, 2002. https://insights.sei.cmu.edu/library/evolutionary-process-for-integrating-cots-based-systems-epic-building-fielding-and-supporting-commercial-off-the-shelf-cots-based-solutions/.

C. Albert, D. Bentley, T. Bono, L. Brownsword, E. Morris, and D. Pruitt, "Evolutionary Process for Integrating COTS-Based Systems (EPIC) Building, Fielding, and Supporting Commercial-off-the-Shelf (COTS) Based Solutions," Carnegie Mellon University, Software Engineering Institute's Digital Library. Software Engineering Institute, Technical Report CMU/SEI-2002-TR-005, 1-Nov-2002 [Online]. Available: https://insights.sei.cmu.edu/library/evolutionary-process-for-integrating-cots-based-systems-epic-building-fielding-and-supporting-commercial-off-the-shelf-cots-based-solutions/. [Accessed: 6-Oct-2024].

Albert, Cecilia, David Bentley, Thomas Bono, Lisa Brownsword, Edwin Morris, and Deborah Pruitt. "Evolutionary Process for Integrating COTS-Based Systems (EPIC) Building, Fielding, and Supporting Commercial-off-the-Shelf (COTS) Based Solutions." (Technical Report CMU/SEI-2002-TR-005). Carnegie Mellon University, Software Engineering Institute's Digital Library, Software Engineering Institute, 1 Nov. 2002. https://insights.sei.cmu.edu/library/evolutionary-process-for-integrating-cots-based-systems-epic-building-fielding-and-supporting-commercial-off-the-shelf-cots-based-solutions/. Accessed 6 Oct. 2024.

Albert, Cecilia; Bentley, David; Bono, Thomas; Brownsword, Lisa; Morris, Edwin; & Pruitt, Deborah. Evolutionary Process for Integrating COTS-Based Systems (EPIC) Building, Fielding, and Supporting Commercial-off-the-Shelf (COTS) Based Solutions. CMU/SEI-2002-TR-005. Software Engineering Institute. 2002. https://insights.sei.cmu.edu/library/evolutionary-process-for-integrating-cots-based-systems-epic-building-fielding-and-supporting-commercial-off-the-shelf-cots-based-solutions/