Towards an Incident Management Framework in Proprietary Software Ecosystems

Abstract: In the evolving landscape of Software Engineering, the paradigm of software ecosystems has emerged, giving rise to proprietary software ecosystems (PSECO), with their central organizations known as keystones. PSECO is characterized by the contribution of various technologies produced as private and protected by intellectual property and confidentiality agreements, centered on common technological platforms. Sustaining these PSECO technological platforms is vital, as any incident can have substantial repercussions. This work introduces a framework for incident management to support the organizations' management teams in the PSECO context, called IM Framework. The IM Framework was developed in close collaboration with practitioners across a large international organization. We grounded the IM Framework based on the results of a rapid review study that retrieved 293 studies, of which 23 were selected after applying review procedures. This framework comprises five core categories: organizational goals, practices, success factors, associated benefits, and prevalent barriers. The IM Framework offers practical guidance for the PSECO management team, focusing on real-world applications to enhance reliability and resilience in a complex and dynamic software environment. Our study also promises to fill the gap in incident management governance by supporting the PSECO organization's management team and maintaining robust technological platforms amidst evolving business demands and market pressures.