**6.2 Evolutionary factors**

It is critical to observe the system within the operational environment over a period of time to identify and derive possible causes or key evolutionary factors covering the system dynamics. For this purpose we need to capture emerging requirements, shifts of usage patterns, changing service retention policies, changes in satisfaction levels (or composite system values), changing influences from the surrounding environment, and so on. Collectively, the comparative analysis of the metrics within each cycle with the knowledge base will suggest necessary system evolution. It is the responsibility of the system architect or analysts (along with stakeholders) to devise their own policies and threshold measures for determining the trigger for the next evolutionary phase. Over a period of time the knowledgebase will have sufficient historical data for generating a system's dynamic specifications (in terms of configuration values, development stages, changing patterns, and timing) to address the requests for newly desired features in the system. The process of system evolution itself may be generalized for the repeating evolutionary phases observed over a period of time. This will help to *predict* further evolutions.
