52,455 research outputs found
Quantitative Analysis of Probabilistic Models of Software Product Lines with Statistical Model Checking
We investigate the suitability of statistical model checking techniques for
analysing quantitative properties of software product line models with
probabilistic aspects. For this purpose, we enrich the feature-oriented
language FLan with action rates, which specify the likelihood of exhibiting
particular behaviour or of installing features at a specific moment or in a
specific order. The enriched language (called PFLan) allows us to specify
models of software product lines with probabilistic configurations and
behaviour, e.g. by considering a PFLan semantics based on discrete-time Markov
chains. The Maude implementation of PFLan is combined with the distributed
statistical model checker MultiVeStA to perform quantitative analyses of a
simple product line case study. The presented analyses include the likelihood
of certain behaviour of interest (e.g. product malfunctioning) and the expected
average cost of products.Comment: In Proceedings FMSPLE 2015, arXiv:1504.0301
Analysis of Feature Models Using Alloy: A Survey
Feature Models (FMs) are a mechanism to model variability among a family of
closely related software products, i.e. a software product line (SPL). Analysis
of FMs using formal methods can reveal defects in the specification such as
inconsistencies that cause the product line to have no valid products. A
popular framework used in research for FM analysis is Alloy, a light-weight
formal modeling notation equipped with an efficient model finder. Several works
in the literature have proposed different strategies to encode and analyze FMs
using Alloy. However, there is little discussion on the relative merits of each
proposal, making it difficult to select the most suitable encoding for a
specific analysis need. In this paper, we describe and compare those strategies
according to various criteria such as the expressivity of the FM notation or
the efficiency of the analysis. This survey is the first comparative study of
research targeted towards using Alloy for FM analysis. This review aims to
identify all the best practices on the use of Alloy, as a part of a framework
for the automated extraction and analysis of rich FMs from natural language
requirement specifications.Comment: In Proceedings FMSPLE 2016, arXiv:1603.0857
Towards correct-by-construction product variants of a software product line: GFML, a formal language for feature modules
Software Product Line Engineering (SPLE) is a software engineering paradigm
that focuses on reuse and variability. Although feature-oriented programming
(FOP) can implement software product line efficiently, we still need a method
to generate and prove correctness of all product variants more efficiently and
automatically. In this context, we propose to manipulate feature modules which
contain three kinds of artifacts: specification, code and correctness proof. We
depict a methodology and a platform that help the user to automatically produce
correct-by-construction product variants from the related feature modules. As a
first step of this project, we begin by proposing a language, GFML, allowing
the developer to write such feature modules. This language is designed so that
the artifacts can be easily reused and composed. GFML files contain the
different artifacts mentioned above.The idea is to compile them into FoCaLiZe,
a language for specification, implementation and formal proof with some
object-oriented flavor. In this paper, we define and illustrate this language.
We also introduce a way to compose the feature modules on some examples.Comment: In Proceedings FMSPLE 2015, arXiv:1504.0301
Spinal Test Suites for Software Product Lines
A major challenge in testing software product lines is efficiency. In
particular, testing a product line should take less effort than testing each
and every product individually. We address this issue in the context of
input-output conformance testing, which is a formal theory of model-based
testing. We extend the notion of conformance testing on input-output featured
transition systems with the novel concept of spinal test suites. We show how
this concept dispenses with retesting the common behavior among different, but
similar, products of a software product line.Comment: In Proceedings MBT 2014, arXiv:1403.704
Feature-Aware Verification
A software product line is a set of software products that are distinguished
in terms of features (i.e., end-user--visible units of behavior). Feature
interactions ---situations in which the combination of features leads to
emergent and possibly critical behavior--- are a major source of failures in
software product lines. We explore how feature-aware verification can improve
the automatic detection of feature interactions in software product lines.
Feature-aware verification uses product-line verification techniques and
supports the specification of feature properties along with the features in
separate and composable units. It integrates the technique of variability
encoding to verify a product line without generating and checking a possibly
exponential number of feature combinations. We developed the tool suite
SPLverifier for feature-aware verification, which is based on standard
model-checking technology. We applied it to an e-mail system that incorporates
domain knowledge of AT&T. We found that feature interactions can be detected
automatically based on specifications that have only feature-local knowledge,
and that variability encoding significantly improves the verification
performance when proving the absence of interactions.Comment: 12 pages, 9 figures, 1 tabl
Automated analysis of feature models: Quo vadis?
Feature models have been used since the 90's to describe software product lines as a way of reusing common parts in a family of software systems. In 2010, a systematic literature review was published summarizing the advances and settling the basis of the area of Automated Analysis of Feature Models (AAFM). From then on, different studies have applied the AAFM in different domains. In this paper, we provide an overview of the evolution of this field since 2010 by performing a systematic mapping study considering 423 primary sources. We found six different variability facets where the AAFM is being applied that define the tendencies: product configuration and derivation; testing and evolution; reverse engineering; multi-model variability-analysis; variability modelling and variability-intensive systems. We also confirmed that there is a lack of industrial evidence in most of the cases. Finally, we present where and when the papers have been published and who are the authors and institutions that are contributing to the field. We observed that the maturity is proven by the increment in the number of journals published along the years as well as the diversity of conferences and workshops where papers are published. We also suggest some synergies with other areas such as cloud or mobile computing among others that can motivate further research in the future.Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad TIN2015-70560-RJunta de Andalucía TIC-186
Prototyping Formal System Models with Active Objects
We propose active object languages as a development tool for formal system
models of distributed systems. Additionally to a formalization based on a term
rewriting system, we use established Software Engineering concepts, including
software product lines and object orientation that come with extensive tool
support. We illustrate our modeling approach by prototyping a weak memory
model. The resulting executable model is modular and has clear interfaces
between communicating participants through object-oriented modeling.
Relaxations of the basic memory model are expressed as self-contained variants
of a software product line. As a modeling language we use the formal active
object language ABS which comes with an extensive tool set. This permits rapid
formalization of core ideas, early validity checks in terms of formal invariant
proofs, and debugging support by executing test runs. Hence, our approach
supports the prototyping of formal system models with early feedback.Comment: In Proceedings ICE 2018, arXiv:1810.0205
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