Publication Date
Spring 4-28-2025
Presentation Length
15 minutes
College
College of Sciences & Mathematics
Department
Math and Computer Science, Department of
Student Level
Undergraduate
SPARK Category
Research
Faculty Advisor
Esteban Parra, Mary Goodloe
SPARK Session
MTH/CSC Senior Presentations
Presentation Type
Talk/Oral
Summary
Abstract—This study examines failure propagation patterns within the Maven Central ecosystem, a critical software de- pendency repository, through comprehensive analysis of dependency networks using the Goblin framework. Our dual-sampling methodology, investigating both top dependencies and random libraries, revealed two distinct failure propagation patterns that pose significant risks to ecosystem stability. Core infrastructure failures, particularly evident in cases like the AWS SDK family with 429,800 total dependencies, create immediate and widespread disruption, affecting an average of 20,402 dependent projects and propagating through dependency chains averaging 90.80 levels deep.
Our analysis of peripheral projects reveals their significant cascading effects, with higher average dependency depths of 54.25 levels and chain lengths extending to 116.74 levels, as exemplified by cases like org.apache.camel:camel-swagger-java, which demonstrated a maximum chain length of 647 levels. Our findings highlight specific vulnerabilities in current dependency network structures, showing that ecosystem resilience requires both protecting core infrastructure and managing dependency complexity.
Recommended Citation
Shehata, Mina, "Cascading Effects: Analyzing Project Failure Impact in the Maven Central Ecosystem" (2025). SPARK Symposium Presentations. 543.
https://repository.belmont.edu/spark_presentations/543
Included in
Information Security Commons, Software Engineering Commons, Systems Architecture Commons
