A process-algebraic semantics for generalised nonblocking.

Generalised nonblocking is a weak liveness property to express the ability of a system to terminate under given preconditions. This paper studies the notions of equivalence and refinement that preserve generalised nonblocking and proposes a semantic model that characterises generalised nonblocking equivalence. The model can be constructed from the transition structure of an automaton, and has a finite representation for every finite-state automaton. It is used to construct a unique automaton representation for all generalised nonblocking equivalent automata. This gives rise to effective decision procedures to verify generalised nonblocking equivalence and refinement, and to a method to simplify automata while preserving generalised nonblocking equivalence. The results of this paper provide for better understanding of nonblocking in a compositional framework, with possible applications in compositional verification

Modular nonblocking verification using conflict equivalence

This paper proposes a modular approach to verifying whether a large discrete event system is nonconflicting. The new approach avoids computing the synchronous product of a large set of finite-state machines. Instead, the synchronous product is computed gradually, and intermediate results are simplified using conflict-preserving abstractions based on process-algebraic results about fair testing. Heuristics are used to choose between different possible abstractions. Experimental results show that the method is applicable to finite-state machine models of industrial scale and brings considerable improvements in performance over other methods

Compositional nonblocking verificationusing generalised nonblocking abstractions

This paper proposes a method for compositional verification of the standard and generalized nonblocking properties of large discrete event systems. The method is efficient as it avoids the explicit construction of the complete state space by considering and simplifying individual subsystems before they are composed further. Simplification is done using a set of abstraction rules preserving generalized nonblocking equivalence, which are shown to be correct and computationally feasible. Experimental results demonstrate the suitability of the method to verify several large-scale discrete event systems models both for standard and generalized nonblocking

Seven abstraction rules preserving generalised nonblocking

This working paper proposes a compositional approach to verify the generalised nonblocking property of discrete-event systems. Generalised nonblocking is introduced in [15] to overcome weaknesses of the standard nonblocking check in discrete-event systems and increase the scope of liveness properties that can be handled. This paper addresses the question of how generalised nonblocking can be verified efficiently. The explicit construction of the complete state space is avoided by first composing and simplifying individual components in ways that preserve generalised nonblocking. The paper extends and generalises previous results about compositional verification of standard nonblocking and lists a new set of computationally feasible abstraction rules for standard and generalised nonblocking

On Conflicts in Concurrent Systems

This dissertation studies conflicts. A conflict is a bug in concurrent systems where one or more components of the system may potentially be blocked from completing their task. This dissertation investigates how nonconflicting completions may be used to characterise the situations in which individual components of a system may be in conflict with other components. The first major contributions of this dissertation are new methods of abstracting systems with respect to conflicts, and showing how these methods may be used to check whether a large system is conflict-free. The second contribution is a method of comparing whether one system is less susceptible to conflict than another. The last major contribution is a method of expressing all conflicts in a system in a finite and canonical way. The methods developed have applications for model checking, refinement, and the development of contracts for concurrent systems

Hierarchical interface-based supervisory control using the conflict preorder

Hierarchical Interface-Based Supervisory Control decomposes a large discrete event system into subsystems linked to each other by interfaces, facilitating the design of complex systems and the re-use of components. By ensuring that each subsystem satisfies its interface consistency conditions locally, it can be ensured that the complete system is controllable and nonblocking. The interface consistency conditions proposed in this paper are based on the conflict preorder, providing increased flexibility over previous approaches. The framework requires only a small number of interface consistency conditions, and allows for the design of multi-level hierarchies that are provably controllable and nonblocking

Partial unfolding for compositional nonblocking verification of extended finite-state machines

This working paper describes a framework for compositional nonblocking verification of reactive systems modelled as extended finite-state machines. The nonblocking property can capture the absence of livelocks and deadlocks in concurrent systems. Compositional verification is shown in previous work to be effective to verify this property for large discrete event systems. Here, these results are applied to extended finite-state machines communicating via shared memory. The model to be verified is composed gradually, simplifying components through abstraction at each step, while conflict equivalence guarantees that the final verification result is the same as it would have been for the non-abstracted model. The working paper concludes with an example showing the potential of compositional verification to achieve substantial state-space reduction

A survey on compositional algorithms for verification and synthesis in supervisory control

This survey gives an overview of the current research on compositional algorithms for verification and synthesis of modular systems modelled as interacting finite-state machines. Compositional algorithms operate by repeatedly simplifying individual components of a large system, replacing them by smaller so-called abstractions, while preserving critical properties. In this way, the exponential growth of the state space can be limited, making it possible to analyse much bigger state spaces than possible by standard state space exploration. This paper gives an introduction to the principles underlying compositional methods, followed by a survey of algorithmic solutions from the recent literature that use compositional methods to analyse systems automatically. The focus is on applications in supervisory control of discrete event systems, particularly on methods that verify critical properties or synthesise controllable and nonblocking supervisors