Combining Specification Methods for Distributed Systems

This thesis summarizes the theoretical results of a research project at Siemens ZT that aimed at supporting the use of formal methods in the design of distributed systems. The specification language UNITY formed the starting point of the investigations. However, UNITY had to be extended with additional language and structuring concepts in order to deal with realistic industrial case studies. These extensions allow the description of distributed systems as set of properly instantiated modules that communicate using both synchronous actions and shared variables. The specifications may be represented in a UNITY-like notation, but also as !-automata or in linear temporal logic. The choice of these three specification methods resulted from the observation of their supplementing advantages: the textual notation allows the concise and intuitive description of large systems. Automata are best suited for connecting simulation and verification tools. If the automata are finite then properties ma..