The papers presented in this book reflects the substantial research efforts taking place at SEI focusing on the development, deployment, and evolution of component-based software systems. The book explores many issues critical to component-based software engineering. It provides you with a foundation to better understand, apply, and improve your approach to software development. This SEI work identifies the primary considerations in moving from a traditional development approach to a component-based approach: evaluating software components, assembling components within an appropriate software architecture, and introducing and evolving a component-based system.