2,431 research outputs found
Mastering Heterogeneous Behavioural Models
Heterogeneity is one important feature of complex systems, leading to the
complexity of their construction and analysis. Moving the heterogeneity at
model level helps in mastering the difficulty of composing heterogeneous models
which constitute a large system. We propose a method made of an algebra and
structure morphisms to deal with the interaction of behavioural models,
provided that they are compatible. We prove that heterogeneous models can
interact in a safe way, and therefore complex heterogeneous systems can be
built and analysed incrementally. The Uppaal tool is targeted for
experimentations.Comment: 16 pages, a short version to appear in MEDI'201
A BASILar Approach for Building Web APIs on top of SPARQL Endpoints
The heterogeneity of methods and technologies to publish open data is still an issue to develop distributed systems on the Web. On the one hand, Web APIs, the most popular approach to offer data services, implement REST principles, which focus on addressing loose coupling and interoperability issues. On the other hand, Linked Data, available through SPARQL endpoints, focus on data integration between distributed data sources. The paper proposes BASIL, an approach to build Web APIs on top of SPARQL endpoints, in order to benefit of the advantages from both Web APIs and Linked Data approaches. Compared to similar solution, BASIL aims on minimising the learning curve for users to promote its adoption. The main feature of BASIL is a simple API that does not introduce new specifications, formalisms and technologies for users that belong to both Web APIs and Linked Data communities
AsmetaF: A Flattener for the ASMETA Framework
Abstract State Machines (ASMs) have shown to be a suitable high-level
specification method for complex, even industrial, systems; the ASMETA
framework, supporting several validation and verification activities on ASM
models, is an example of a formal integrated development environment. Although
ASMs allow modeling complex systems in a rather concise way -and this is
advantageous for specification purposes-, such concise notation is in general a
problem for verification activities as model checking and theorem proving that
rely on tools accepting simpler notations.
In this paper, we propose a flattener tool integrated in the ASMETA framework
that transforms a general ASM model in a flattened model constituted only of
update, parallel, and conditional rules; such model is easier to map to
notations of verification tools. Experiments show the effect of applying the
tool to some representative case studies of the ASMETA repository.Comment: In Proceedings F-IDE 2018, arXiv:1811.09014. The first two authors
are supported by ERATO HASUO Metamathematics for Systems Design Project (No.
JPMJER1603), JST. Funding Reference number: 10.13039/501100009024 ERAT
Multi-paradigm modelling for cyber–physical systems: a descriptive framework
The complexity of cyber–physical systems (CPSS) is commonly addressed through complex workflows, involving models in a plethora of different formalisms, each with their own methods, techniques, and tools. Some workflow patterns, combined with particular types of formalisms and operations on models in these formalisms, are used successfully in engineering practice. To identify and reuse them, we refer to these combinations of workflow and formalism patterns as modelling paradigms. This paper proposes a unifying (Descriptive) Framework to describe these paradigms, as well as their combinations. This work is set in the context of Multi-Paradigm Modelling (MPM), which is based on the principle 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 workflows. The purpose of the Descriptive Framework presented in this paper is to serve as a basis to reason about these formalisms, workflows, and their combinations. One crucial part of the framework is the ability to capture the structural essence of a paradigm through the concept of a paradigmatic structure. This is illustrated informally by means of two example paradigms commonly used in CPS: Discrete Event Dynamic Systems and Synchronous Data Flow. The presented framework also identifies the need to establish whether a paradigm candidate follows, or qualifies as, a (given) paradigm. To illustrate the ability of the framework to support combining paradigms, the paper shows examples of both workflow and formalism combinations. The presented framework is intended as a basis for characterisation and classification of paradigms, as a starting point for a rigorous formalisation of the framework (allowing formal analyses), and as a foundation for MPM tool development
A Simulation Tool for tccp Programs
The Timed Concurrent Constraint Language tccp is a declarative synchronous concurrent language, particularly suitable for modelling reactive systems. In tccp, agents communicate and synchronise through a global constraint store. It supports a notion of discrete time that allows all non-blocked agents to proceed with their execution simultaneously.
In this paper, we present a modular architecture for the simulation of tccp programs. The tool comprises three main components. First, a set of basic abstract instructions able to model the tccp agent behaviour, the memory model needed to manage the active agents and the state of the store during the execution. Second, the agent interpreter that executes the instructions of the current agent iteratively and calculates the new agents to be executed at the next time instant. Finally, the constraint solver components which are the modules that deal with constraints.
In this paper, we describe the implementation of these components and present an example of a real system modelled in tccp.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional AndalucĂa Tech
Software Engineering Challenges for Investigating Cyber-Physical Incidents
Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) are characterized by the interplay between digital and physical spaces. This characteristic has extended the attack surface that could be exploited by an offender to cause harm. An increasing number of cyber-physical incidents may occur depending on the configuration of the physical and digital spaces and their interplay. Traditional investigation processes are not adequate to investigate these incidents, as they may overlook the extended attack surface resulting from such interplay, leading to relevant evidence being missed and testing flawed hypotheses explaining the incidents. The software engineering research community can contribute to addressing this problem, by deploying existing formalisms to model digital and physical spaces, and using analysis techniques to reason about their interplay and evolution. In this paper, supported by a motivating example, we describe some emerging software engineering challenges to support investigations of cyber-physical incidents. We review and critique existing research proposed to address these challenges, and sketch an initial solution based on a meta-model to represent cyber-physical incidents and a representation of the topology of digital and physical spaces that supports reasoning about their interplay
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