Foundations of Multi-Paradigm Modelling for Cyber-Physical Systems

This open access book coherently gathers well-founded information on the fundamentals of and formalisms for modelling cyber-physical systems (CPS). Highlighting the cross-disciplinary nature of CPS modelling, it also serves as a bridge for anyone entering CPS from related areas of computer science or engineering. Truly complex, engineered systems—known as cyber-physical systems—that integrate physical, software, and network aspects are now on the rise. However, there is no unifying theory nor systematic design methods, techniques or tools for these systems. Individual (mechanical, electrical, network or software) engineering disciplines only offer partial solutions. A technique known as Multi-Paradigm Modelling has recently emerged suggesting to model every part and aspect of a system explicitly, at the most appropriate level(s) of abstraction, using the most appropriate modelling formalism(s), and then weaving the results together to form a representation of the system. If properly applied, it enables, among other global aspects, performance analysis, exhaustive simulation, and verification. This book is the first systematic attempt to bring together these formalisms for anyone starting in the field of CPS who seeks solid modelling foundations and a comprehensive introduction to the distinct existing techniques that are multi-paradigmatic. Though chiefly intended for master and post-graduate level students in computer science and engineering, it can also be used as a reference text for practitioners

Distributed Web Service Coordination for Collaboration Applications and Biological Workflows

In this dissertation work, we have investigated the main research thrust of decentralized coordination of workflows over web services. To address distributed workflow coordination, first we have developed “Web Coordination Bonds” as a capable set of dependency modeling primitives that enable each web service to manage its own dependencies. Web bond primitives are as powerful as extended Petri nets and have sufficient modeling and expressive capabilities to model workflow dependencies. We have designed and prototyped our “Web Service Coordination Management Middleware” (WSCMM) system that enhances current web services infrastructure to accommodate web bond enabled web services. Finally, based on core concepts of web coordination bonds and WSCMM, we have developed the “BondFlow” system that allows easy configuration distributed coordination of workflows. The footprint of the BonFlow runtime is 24KB and the additional third party software packages, SOAP client and XML parser, account for 115KB

Second Generation General System Theory: Perspectives in Philosophy and Approaches in Complex Systems

Following the classical work of Norbert Wiener, Ross Ashby, Ludwig von Bertalanffy and many others, the concept of System has been elaborated in different disciplinary fields, allowing interdisciplinary approaches in areas such as Physics, Biology, Chemistry, Cognitive Science, Economics, Engineering, Social Sciences, Mathematics, Medicine, Artificial Intelligence, and Philosophy. The new challenge of Complexity and Emergence has made the concept of System even more relevant to the study of problems with high contextuality. This Special Issue focuses on the nature of new problems arising from the study and modelling of complexity, their eventual common aspects, properties and approaches—already partially considered by different disciplines—as well as focusing on new, possibly unitary, theoretical frameworks. This Special Issue aims to introduce fresh impetus into systems research when the possible detection and correction of mistakes require the development of new knowledge. This book contains contributions presenting new approaches and results, problems and proposals. The context is an interdisciplinary framework dealing, in order, with electronic engineering problems; the problem of the observer; transdisciplinarity; problems of organised complexity; theoretical incompleteness; design of digital systems in a user-centred way; reaction networks as a framework for systems modelling; emergence of a stable system in reaction networks; emergence at the fundamental systems level; behavioural realization of memoryless functions

Toward overcoming accidental complexity in organisational decision-making

This paper takes a practitioner's perspective on the problem of organisational decision-making. Industry practice follows a refinement based iterative method for organizational decision-making. However, existing enterprise modelling tools are not complete with respect to the needs of organizational decision-making. As a result, today, a decision maker is forced to use a chain of non-interoperable tools supporting paradigmatically diverse modelling languages with the onus of their co-ordinated use lying entirely on the decision maker. This paper argues the case for a model-based approach to overcome this accidental complexity. A bridge meta-model, specifying relationships across models created by individual tools, ensures integration and a method, describing what should be done when and how, and ensures better tool integration. Validation of the proposed solution using a case study is presented with current limitations and possible means of overcoming them outlined

A diversity-aware computational framework for systems biology

L'abstract è presente nell'allegato / the abstract is in the attachmen

Adding Executable Context to Executable Architectures: Enabling an Executable Context Simulation Framework (ECSF)

A system that does not stand alone is represented by a complex entity of component combinations that interact with each other to execute a function. In today\u27s interconnected world, systems integrate with other systems - called a system-of-systems infrastructure: a network of interrelated systems that can often exhibit both predictable and unpredictable behavior. The current state-of-the-art evaluation process of these system-of-systems and their community of practitioners in the academic community are limited to static methods focused on defining who is doing what and where. However, to answer the questions of why and how a system operates within complex systems-of-systems interrelationships, a system\u27s architecture and context must be observed over time, its executable architecture, to discern effective predictable and unpredictable behavior. The objective of this research is to determine a method for evaluating a system\u27s executable architecture and assess the contribution and efficiency of the specified system before it is built. This research led to the development of concrete steps that synthesize the observance of the executable architecture, assessment recommendations provided by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Code of Best Practice for Command and Control (C2) Assessment, and the metrics for operational efficiency provided by the Military Missions and Means Framework. Based on the research herein, this synthesis is designed to evaluate and assess system-of-systems architectures in their operational context to provide quantitative results

An object oriented/DEVS framework for strategic modelling and industry simulation

The use of simulation modelling for the development of business strategy models, at an industry level, focusing on the exploration of different scenarios and future policy, has been gaining increased acceptance and popularity over the last decade. This thesis develops a modelling and simulation framework for industry simulation, extending the approach of System Dynamics, by integrating recent concepts from software engineering and mathematical formalisms for discrete event system modelling. The current modelling view of industry simulation, based on System Dynamics, is reviewed. A critique of the capabilities of System Dynamics is presented, regarding the ability of the System Dynamics core technology to address the broad requirements of industry modelling. We focus the critique and develop a research agenda around the issues of natural model building, model structure and focus, model reusability and time representation. An overview of manufacturing simulation and the research directions in that area, is presented with the objective of identifying possible areas of cross-fertilization which can be used in modelling at the industry level in a more effective way. A review of Object Orientation is presented, along with a general review of mathematical formalisms for the description of discrete event systems, with particular focus on the Discrete Event System Specification formalism (DEVS) [Zeigler (1976, 1984)]. An innovative synthesis of Object Orientation and DEVS is proposed in order to address the research questions which resulted from our critique of System Dynamics. A Smalltalk implementation of the concepts supported by the synthesis, called OO/DEVS, has been developed. Using as a point of reference the requirements of industry simulation, we build upon a critique of previous DEVS implementations (placed within the manufacturing simulation problem domain), by presenting an innovative implementation view of DEVS, which exploits fully the concepts supported by Object Orientation. The issues related to graphical model specification within OO/DEVS, and its comparison to the modem System Dynamics graphical user interfaces, are explored. A OO/DEVS Graphical User Interface and its implementation are explored and presented. Two case studies have been employed, in order to test the capabilities of OO/DEVS as an alternative to System Dynamics, as well as to demonstrate the modelling characteristics of the framework and its implementation. A comparative study is presented, where a capacity investment model of the postprivatised UK Electricity Industry is developed in both frameworks. The model is used as a vehicle for assessing the modelling characteristics of OO/DEVS versus System Dynamics. Our initial conclusion is that the modelling properties of OO/DEVS can address at a sufficient level the research issues related to the System Dynamics core technology. Finally, a large scale modelling case study is carried out, within one of the UK Electricity Distribution companies, where a OO/DEVS model of the Electricity Markets is developed jointly with a management team. This real application establishes the value of OO/DEVS, and its modelling characteristics, as a powerful platform for building decision support industry models

ICSEA 2021: the sixteenth international conference on software engineering advances

The Sixteenth International Conference on Software Engineering Advances (ICSEA 2021), held on October 3 - 7, 2021 in Barcelona, Spain, continued a series of events covering a broad spectrum of software-related topics. The conference covered fundamentals on designing, implementing, testing, validating and maintaining various kinds of software. The tracks treated the topics from theory to practice, in terms of methodologies, design, implementation, testing, use cases, tools, and lessons learnt. The conference topics covered classical and advanced methodologies, open source, agile software, as well as software deployment and software economics and education. The conference had the following tracks: Advances in fundamentals for software development Advanced mechanisms for software development Advanced design tools for developing software Software engineering for service computing (SOA and Cloud) Advanced facilities for accessing software Software performance Software security, privacy, safeness Advances in software testing Specialized software advanced applications Web Accessibility Open source software Agile and Lean approaches in software engineering Software deployment and maintenance Software engineering techniques, metrics, and formalisms Software economics, adoption, and education Business technology Improving productivity in research on software engineering Trends and achievements Similar to the previous edition, this event continued to be very competitive in its selection process and very well perceived by the international software engineering community. As such, it is attracting excellent contributions and active participation from all over the world. We were very pleased to receive a large amount of top quality contributions. We take here the opportunity to warmly thank all the members of the ICSEA 2021 technical program committee as well as the numerous reviewers. The creation of such a broad and high quality conference program would not have been possible without their involvement. We also kindly thank all the authors that dedicated much of their time and efforts to contribute to the ICSEA 2021. We truly believe that thanks to all these efforts, the final conference program consists of top quality contributions. This event could also not have been a reality without the support of many individuals, organizations and sponsors. We also gratefully thank the members of the ICSEA 2021 organizing committee for their help in handling the logistics and for their work that is making this professional meeting a success. We hope the ICSEA 2021 was a successful international forum for the exchange of ideas and results between academia and industry and to promote further progress in software engineering research

ML-Space: hybrid spatial Gillespie and Brownian motion simulation at multiple levels, and a rule-based description language

Computer simulations of biological cells as well-stirred systems are well established but neglect the spatial distribution of key actors. In this thesis, a simulation algorithm "ML-Space" for spatial models with dynamic hierarchies is presented. It combines stochastic spatial algorithms in discretized space with individual particles moving in continuous space that have spatial extensions and can contain other particles. For formal descriptions of the systems to be simulated spatially, ML-Space provides a rule-based specification language.Computersimulationen mikrobiologischer Prozesse, bei denen eine homogene Verteilung der Akteure einer Zelle angenommen wird, sind gut etabliert. In dieser Arbeit wird ein räumlicher Simulationsalgorithmus "ML-Space" für Mehrebenenmodelle vorgestellt, der auch dynamische Hierarchien abdeckt. Er vereint stochastische räumliche Algorithmen in diskretisiertem Raum mit individuellen Partikeln mit kontinuierlichen Koordinaten, die andere Partikel enthalten können. Zur formalen Beschreibung der räumlich zu simulierenden Systeme bietet ML-Space eine regelbasierte Modellierungssprache