Process algebra for performance evaluation

This paper surveys the theoretical developments in the field of stochastic process algebras, process algebras where action occurrences may be subject to a delay that is determined by a random variable. A huge class of resource-sharing systems – like large-scale computers, client–server architectures, networks – can accurately be described using such stochastic specification formalisms. The main emphasis of this paper is the treatment of operational semantics, notions of equivalence, and (sound and complete) axiomatisations of these equivalences for different types of Markovian process algebras, where delays are governed by exponential distributions. Starting from a simple actionless algebra for describing time-homogeneous continuous-time Markov chains, we consider the integration of actions and random delays both as a single entity (like in known Markovian process algebras like TIPP, PEPA and EMPA) and as separate entities (like in the timed process algebras timed CSP and TCCS). In total we consider four related calculi and investigate their relationship to existing Markovian process algebras. We also briefly indicate how one can profit from the separation of time and actions when incorporating more general, non-Markovian distributions

Process algebra with strategic interleaving

In process algebras such as ACP (Algebra of Communicating Processes), parallel processes are considered to be interleaved in an arbitrary way. In the case of multi-threading as found in contemporary programming languages, parallel processes are actually interleaved according to some interleaving strategy. An interleaving strategy is what is called a process-scheduling policy in the field of operating systems. In many systems, for instance hardware/software systems, we have to do with both parallel processes that may best be considered to be interleaved in an arbitrary way and parallel processes that may best be considered to be interleaved according to some interleaving strategy. Therefore, we extend ACP in this paper with the latter form of interleaving. The established properties of the extension concerned include an elimination property, a conservative extension property, and a unique expansion property.Comment: 19 pages, this version is a revision of the published versio

Web Services: A Process Algebra Approach

It is now well-admitted that formal methods are helpful for many issues raised in the Web service area. In this paper we present a framework for the design and verification of WSs using process algebras and their tools. We define a two-way mapping between abstract specifications written using these calculi and executable Web services written in BPEL4WS. Several choices are available: design and correct errors in BPEL4WS, using process algebra verification tools, or design and correct in process algebra and automatically obtaining the corresponding BPEL4WS code. The approaches can be combined. Process algebra are not useful only for temporal logic verification: we remark the use of simulation/bisimulation both for verification and for the hierarchical refinement design method. It is worth noting that our approach allows the use of any process algebra depending on the needs of the user at different levels (expressiveness, existence of reasoning tools, user expertise)

A Process Algebra Software Engineering Environment

In previous work we described how the process algebra based language PSF can be used in software engineering, using the ToolBus, a coordination architecture also based on process algebra, as implementation model. In this article we summarize that work and describe the software development process more formally by presenting the tools we use in this process in a CASE setting, leading to the PSF-ToolBus software engineering environment. We generalize the refine step in this environment towards a process algebra based software engineering workbench of which several instances can be combined to form an environment