4,047 research outputs found
Compositional Performance Modelling with the TIPPtool
Stochastic process algebras have been proposed as compositional specification formalisms for performance models. In this paper, we describe a tool which aims at realising all beneficial aspects of compositional performance modelling, the TIPPtool. It incorporates methods for compositional specification as well as solution, based on state-of-the-art techniques, and wrapped in a user-friendly graphical front end. Apart from highlighting the general benefits of the tool, we also discuss some lessons learned during development and application of the TIPPtool. A non-trivial model of a real life communication system serves as a case study to illustrate benefits and limitations
Timed tuplix calculus and the Wesseling and van den Bergh equation
We develop an algebraic framework for the description and analysis of
financial behaviours, that is, behaviours that consist of transferring certain
amounts of money at planned times. To a large extent, analysis of financial
products amounts to analysis of such behaviours. We formalize the cumulative
interest compliant conservation requirement for financial products proposed by
Wesseling and van den Bergh by an equation in the framework developed and
define a notion of financial product behaviour using this formalization. We
also present some properties of financial product behaviours. The development
of the framework has been influenced by previous work on the process algebra
ACP.Comment: 17 pages; phrasing improved, references updated; substantially
improved; remarks adde
Process algebra for performance evaluation
This paper surveys the theoretical developments in the field of stochastic process algebras, process algebras where action occurrences may be subject to a delay that is determined by a random variable. A huge class of resource-sharing systems – like large-scale computers, client–server architectures, networks – can accurately be described using such stochastic specification formalisms. The main emphasis of this paper is the treatment of operational semantics, notions of equivalence, and (sound and complete) axiomatisations of these equivalences for different types of Markovian process algebras, where delays are governed by exponential distributions. Starting from a simple actionless algebra for describing time-homogeneous continuous-time Markov chains, we consider the integration of actions and random delays both as a single entity (like in known Markovian process algebras like TIPP, PEPA and EMPA) and as separate entities (like in the timed process algebras timed CSP and TCCS). In total we consider four related calculi and investigate their relationship to existing Markovian process algebras. We also briefly indicate how one can profit from the separation of time and actions when incorporating more general, non-Markovian distributions
Interface groups and financial transfer architectures
Analytic execution architectures have been proposed by the same authors as a
means to conceptualize the cooperation between heterogeneous collectives of
components such as programs, threads, states and services. Interface groups
have been proposed as a means to formalize interface information concerning
analytic execution architectures. These concepts are adapted to organization
architectures with a focus on financial transfers. Interface groups (and
monoids) now provide a technique to combine interface elements into interfaces
with the flexibility to distinguish between directions of flow dependent on
entity naming.
The main principle exploiting interface groups is that when composing a
closed system of a collection of interacting components, the sum of their
interfaces must vanish in the interface group modulo reflection. This certainly
matters for financial transfer interfaces.
As an example of this, we specify an interface group and within it some
specific interfaces concerning the financial transfer architecture for a part
of our local academic organization.
Financial transfer interface groups arise as a special case of more general
service architecture interfaces.Comment: 22 page
Contradiction-tolerant process algebra with propositional signals
In a previous paper, an ACP-style process algebra was proposed in which
propositions are used as the visible part of the state of processes and as
state conditions under which processes may proceed. This process algebra,
called ACPps, is built on classical propositional logic. In this paper, we
present a version of ACPps built on a paraconsistent propositional logic which
is essentially the same as CLuNs. There are many systems that would have to
deal with self-contradictory states if no special measures were taken. For a
number of these systems, it is conceivable that accepting self-contradictory
states and dealing with them in a way based on a paraconsistent logic is an
alternative to taking special measures. The presented version of ACPps can be
suited for the description and analysis of systems that deal with
self-contradictory states in a way based on the above-mentioned paraconsistent
logic.Comment: 25 pages; 26 pages, occurrences of wrong symbol for bisimulation
equivalence replaced; 26 pages, Proposition 1 added; 27 pages, explanation of
the phrase 'in contradiction' added to section 2 and presentation of the
completeness result in section 2 improved; 27 pages, uniqueness result in
section 2 revised; 27 pages, last paragraph of section 8 revise
When are Stochastic Transition Systems Tameable?
A decade ago, Abdulla, Ben Henda and Mayr introduced the elegant concept of
decisiveness for denumerable Markov chains [1]. Roughly speaking, decisiveness
allows one to lift most good properties from finite Markov chains to
denumerable ones, and therefore to adapt existing verification algorithms to
infinite-state models. Decisive Markov chains however do not encompass
stochastic real-time systems, and general stochastic transition systems (STSs
for short) are needed. In this article, we provide a framework to perform both
the qualitative and the quantitative analysis of STSs. First, we define various
notions of decisiveness (inherited from [1]), notions of fairness and of
attractors for STSs, and make explicit the relationships between them. Then, we
define a notion of abstraction, together with natural concepts of soundness and
completeness, and we give general transfer properties, which will be central to
several verification algorithms on STSs. We further design a generic
construction which will be useful for the analysis of {\omega}-regular
properties, when a finite attractor exists, either in the system (if it is
denumerable), or in a sound denumerable abstraction of the system. We next
provide algorithms for qualitative model-checking, and generic approximation
procedures for quantitative model-checking. Finally, we instantiate our
framework with stochastic timed automata (STA), generalized semi-Markov
processes (GSMPs) and stochastic time Petri nets (STPNs), three models
combining dense-time and probabilities. This allows us to derive decidability
and approximability results for the verification of these models. Some of these
results were known from the literature, but our generic approach permits to
view them in a unified framework, and to obtain them with less effort. We also
derive interesting new approximability results for STA, GSMPs and STPNs.Comment: 77 page
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Using formal methods to support testing
Formal methods and testing are two important approaches that assist in the development of high quality software. While traditionally these approaches have been seen as rivals, in recent
years a new consensus has developed in which they are seen as complementary. This article reviews the state of the art regarding ways in which the presence of a formal specification can be used to assist testing
Behavioural equivalences for timed systems
Timed transition systems are behavioural models that include an explicit
treatment of time flow and are used to formalise the semantics of several
foundational process calculi and automata. Despite their relevance, a general
mathematical characterisation of timed transition systems and their behavioural
theory is still missing. We introduce the first uniform framework for timed
behavioural models that encompasses known behavioural equivalences such as
timed bisimulations, timed language equivalences as well as their weak and
time-abstract counterparts. All these notions of equivalences are naturally
organised by their discriminating power in a spectrum. We prove that this
result does not depend on the type of the systems under scrutiny: it holds for
any generalisation of timed transition system. We instantiate our framework to
timed transition systems and their quantitative extensions such as timed
probabilistic systems
Priorities Without Priorities: Representing Preemption in Psi-Calculi
Psi-calculi is a parametric framework for extensions of the pi-calculus with
data terms and arbitrary logics. In this framework there is no direct way to
represent action priorities, where an action can execute only if all other
enabled actions have lower priority. We here demonstrate that the psi-calculi
parameters can be chosen such that the effect of action priorities can be
encoded.
To accomplish this we define an extension of psi-calculi with action
priorities, and show that for every calculus in the extended framework there is
a corresponding ordinary psi-calculus, without priorities, and a translation
between them that satisfies strong operational correspondence. This is a
significantly stronger result than for most encodings between process calculi
in the literature.
We also formally prove in Nominal Isabelle that the standard congruence and
structural laws about strong bisimulation hold in psi-calculi extended with
priorities.Comment: In Proceedings EXPRESS/SOS 2014, arXiv:1408.127
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