Using specification and description language for life cycle assesment in buildings

The definition of a Life Cycle Assesment (LCA) for a building or an urban area is a complex task due to the inherent complexity of all the elements that must be considered. Furthermore, a multidisciplinary approach is required due to the different sources of knowledge involved in this project. This multidisciplinary approach makes it necessary to use formal language to fully represent the complexity of the used models. In this paper, we explore the use of Specification and Description Language (SDL) to represent the LCA of a building and residential area. We also introduce a tool that uses this idea to implement an optimization and simulation mechanism to define the optimal solution for the sustainability of a specific building or residential.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

A thread-tag based semantics for sequence diagrams

The sequence diagram is one of the most popular behaviour modelling languages which offers an intuitive and visual way of describing expected behaviour of object-oriented software. Much research work has investigated ways of providing a formal semantics for sequence diagrams. However, these proposed semantics may not properly interpret sequence diagrams when lifelines do not correspond to threads of controls. In this paper, we address this problem and propose a thread-tag based sequence diagram as a solution. A formal, partially ordered multiset based semantics for the thread-tag based sequence diagrams is proposed

Formalising Graphical Service Descriptions using SDL

It is convenient to describe telecomms services using a graphical notation that is accessible to non-specialists. However, the notation should also have a formal interpretation for rigorous analysis. CRESS (Chisel Representation Employing Systematic Specification) has been developed for this purpose. A brief overview of CRESS is given. It is explained how features (additional services) can be defined in a modular fashion, and automatically combined with a base service. Brief case studies illustrate how the approach has been used to describe services in the IN (Intelligent Network), SIP (Session Initiation Protocol), and IVR (Interactive Voice Response). Finally, it is shown how CRESS diagrams are translated into SDL for automated simulation, validation and implementation

A Formal Architectural Description Language based on Symbolic Transition Systems and Modal Logic

International audienceComponent Based Software Engineering has now emerged as a discipline for system development. After years of battle between component platforms, the need for means to abstract away from specific implementation details is now recognized. This paves the way for model driven approaches (such as MDE) but also for the more older Architectural Description Language (ADL) paradigm. In this paper we present KADL, an ADL based on the Korrigan formal language which supports the following features: integration of fully formal behaviours and data types, expressive component composition mechanisms through the use of modal logic, specification readability through graphical notations, and dedicated architectural analysis techniques. Key Words: Architectural Description Language, Component Based Software Engineering, Mixed Formal Specifications, Symbolic Transition Systems, Abstract Data Types, Modal Logic Glue, Graphical Notations, Verification

Model Driven Communication Protocol Engineering and Simulation based Performance Analysis using UML 2.0

The automated functional and performance analysis of communication systems specified with some Formal Description Technique has long been the goal of telecommunication engineers. In the past SDL and Petri nets have been the most popular FDTs for the purpose. With the growth in popularity of UML the most obvious question to ask is whether one can translate one or more UML diagrams describing a system to a performance model. Until the advent of UML 2.0, that has been an impossible task since the semantics were not clear. Even though the UML semantics are still not clear for the purpose, with UML 2.0 now released and using ITU recommendation Z.109, we describe in this dissertation a methodology and tool called proSPEX (protocol Software Performance Engineering using XMI), for the design and performance analysis of communication protocols specified with UML. Our first consideration in the development of our methodology was to identify the roles of UML 2.0 diagrams in the performance modelling process. In addition, questions regarding the specification of non-functional duration contraints, or temporal aspects, were considered. We developed a semantic time model with which a lack of means of specifying communication delay and processing times in the language are addressed. Environmental characteristics such as channel bandwidth and buffer space can be specified and realistic assumptions are made regarding time and signal transfer. With proSPEX we aimed to integrate a commercial UML 2.0 model editing tool and a discrete-event simulation library. Such an approach has been advocated as being necessary in order to develop a closer integration of performance engineering with formal design and implementation methodologies. In order to realize the integration we firstly identified a suitable simulation library and then extended the library with features required to represent high-level SDL abstractions, such as extended finite state machines (EFSM) and signal addressing. In implementing proSPEX we filtered the XML output of our editor and used text templates for code generation. The filtering of the XML output and the need to extend our simulation library with EFSM abstractions was found to be significant implementation challenges. Lastly, in order to to illustrate the utility of proSPEX we conducted a performance analysis case-study in which the efficient short remote operations (ESRO) protocol is used in a wireless e-commerce scenario