A critical issue for complex component-based systems design is the modeling and analysis of architecture. Architectural specifications of software systems show them as a collection of interrelated components, and constitute what has been called the software architecture level of software design. It is at this level where the description and verification of structural properties of the system are naturally addressed. Besides, the use of explicit descriptions of the architecture of software systems enhances system comprehension and promotes software reuse.

We have developed a tool — the Web-Based Software Architecture Prototyping System (SAPS) — in a distributed environment to meet the requirements of integrating software components into heterogeneous networks. Our system architecture design environment includes a web-based Software Architecture Editor, the Java Code Generator (JCG), a Reusable Assets Repository (RAR), and a Platform Distribution Controller (PDC). By using the wrapper/glue technique, different simulation tools in a heterogeneous environment share the input/output data files for prototypes.The architecture is generalized for the communication among software components necessary for data interchange. Our system not only provides a useful array of tools for distributed real-time system prototyping, but also is a demonstration of the effective use of a distributed system in a heterogeneous environment.