Computer-aided analysis of concurrent systems

The introduction of concurrency into programs has added to the complexity of the software design process. This is most evident in the design of communications protocols where concurrency is inherent to the behavior of the system. The complexity exhibited by such software systems makes more evident the needs for computer-aided tools for automatically analyzing behavior.The Distributed Systems project at UCI has been developing a suite of tools, based on Petri nets, which support the design and evaluation of concurrent software systems. This paper focuses attention on one of the tools: the reachability graph analyzer (RGA). This tool provides mechanisms for proving general system properties (e.g., deadlock-freeness) as well as system-specific properties. The tool is sufficiently general to allow a user to apply complex user-defined analysis algorithms to reachability graphs. The alternating-bit protocol with a bounded channel is used to demonstrate the power of the tool and to point to future extensions

Soft systems methodology analysis for scoping in environmental impact statement in Israel

The current working paper will focus on Soft System Methodology (SSM) analysis of the process of issuing guidelines for Environmental Impact Statements (EIS) to developers in the Israeli context. The paper’s goal is to make the reader familiar with the terminology and the concepts of SSM, while serving as a case study for practising SSM. The paper starts with a “crash” introduction to SSM, followed by a general description of the process in the centre of the discussion - the Israeli EIS process. After these two introductory sections, the paper turns to the main issue - a SSM analysis of the problem situation - the creation of guidelines for EIS in the Israeli context. This specific case study have been selected due to the author’s familiarity with it (is served as the main research field for his MA thesis). Also the author has the shorthand transcripts from a series workshops that were held as part of an evaluation study that the environmental planning department in the ministry of environment (EPD-MoE) have commissioned on the Israeli EIS system. Unless stated otherwise, the sources for SSM are “Information Systems Development: Methodologies, Techniques and Tools” (Avison and Fitzgerald, 1995), “Practical Soft Systems Analysis” (Patching, 1990), on-line lecture notes for the UCL “System Analysis and Design” course (Sasse and Fultun, 1997) and “Soft Systems Methodology: An Alternative Approach to Knowledge Elicitation in Complex and Poorly Defined Systems” (Finegan, 1994)

VR-PMS: a new approach for performance measurement and management of industrial systems

A new performance measurement and management framework based on value and risk is proposed. The proposed framework is applied to the modelling and evaluation of the a priori performance evaluation of manufacturing processes and to deciding on their alternatives. For this reason, it consistently integrates concepts relevant to objectives, activity, and risk in a single framework comprising a conceptual value/risk model, and it conceptualises the idea of value- and risk based performance management in a process context. In addition, a methodological framework is developed to provide guidelines for the decision-makers or performance evaluators of the processes. To facilitate the performance measurement and management process, this latter framework is organized in four phases: context establishment, performance modelling, performance assessment, and decision-making. Each phase of the framework is then instrumented with state of-the-art quantitative analysis tools and methods. For process design and evaluation, the deliverable of the value- and risk-based performance measurement and management system (VR-PMS) is a set of ranked solutions (i.e. alternative business processes) evaluated against the developed value and risk indicators. The proposed VR-PMS is illustrated with a case study from discrete parts manufacturing but is indeed applicable to a wide range of processes or systems

Sustainability assessment of transport infrastructure projects: a review of existing tools and methods

Attempts to integrate sustainability in the decision-making process for transport infrastructure projects continue to gain momentum. A number of tools and methodological frameworks are available — such as rating systems, traditional decision-making techniques, checklists, and different evaluation frameworks and models. While these tools are highly valuable, some practical issues remain unsolved. There is also a need for more standardized tools to appraise the sustainability of transport projects. This paper is a presentation of a review on the current assessment tools of sustainability applied to transport infrastructure projects. The preliminary part of the paper is an explanatory and comparative analysis of the tools and methods in terms of their effectiveness to appraise sustainability. The analysis is a critical evaluation of the current state of the art to identify the limitations of existing approaches, point out new areas of research, and propose a sustainability appraisal agenda for the future

Analysis of pavement condition survey data for effective implementation of a network level pavement management program for Kazakhstan

Pavement roads and transportation systems are crucial assets for promoting political stability, as well as economic and sustainable growth in developing countries. However, pavement maintenance backlogs and the high capital costs of road rehabilitation require the use of pavement evaluation tools to assure the best value of the investment. This research presents a methodology for analyzing the collected pavement data for the implementation of a network level pavement management program in Kazakhstan. This methodology, which could also be suitable in other developing countries’ road networks, focuses on the survey data processing to determine cost-effective maintenance treatments for each road section. The proposed methodology aims to support a decision-making process for the application of a strategic level business planning analysis, by extracting information from the survey data

Repurposing resources as open content: studying the experiences of new providers

Much educational content sits within institutional systems protected from global access, this proprietary approach restricts opportunities for informal learning and the exchange of materials between cultures. One response to reducing this particular digital divide is to open up access to existing courses by providing them as free to use Open Educational Resources (OERs). This is being addressed through work on OpenLearn (the open content initiative from The Open University developed with support from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation) and POCKET (The Project on Open Content for Knowledge Exposition and Teaching, supported by JISC under the repositories and preservation programme). The approach is evaluative considering transfer of lessons from work on the reworking of distance learning materials (within the OpenLearn initiative) to the reworking of material from campus-based universities (supported by the POCKET project). Analysis will include the role of supporting artifacts (guidelines, examples, tools) and the process support required (shared aims, workshops, structure). Evaluation tools that are being applied include logging of experience, stake holder interviews, and analytics data. We are building on existing evaluation of the OpenLearn initiative that has revealed models for learner use of open educational resources and studied the reuse of released open resources. Results include the need for a range of reworkable formats, support and time pressures on voluntary use – these results are supported by case study information and overall usage statistics. Further data that will be available from POCKET by September 2008 will include reflections from participants, workshop outcomes and initial stakeholder interviews, full evaluation of POCKET will be complete by April 2009. This paper will have examined our understanding of the process by which content can be transformed from existing learning materials to freely available open educational resources. Conclusions at this stage will focus on the process of adoption and transfer from OpenLearn and the effectiveness of the evaluation and project approach. Comparison will be made with the advantages and disadvantages of the self supported approach adopted initially in OpenLearn and suggestions given for structures that enable collaboration in producing open educational resources