Observation and abstract behaviour in specification and implementation of state-based systems

Classical algebraic specification is an accepted framework for specification. A criticism which applies is the fact that it is functional, not based on a notion of state as most software development and implementation languages are. We formalise the idea of a state-based object or abstract machine using algebraic means. In contrast to similar approaches we consider dynamic logic instead of equational logic as the framework for specification and implementation. The advantage is a more expressive language allowing us to specify safety and liveness conditions. It also allows a clearer distinction of functional and state-based parts which require different treatment in order to achieve behavioural abstraction when necessary. We shall in particular focus on abstract behaviour and observation. A behavioural notion of satisfaction for state-elements is needed in order to abstract from irrelevant details of the state realisation

The Role of Evidence in Establishing Trust in Repositories

This article arises from work by the Digital Curation Centre (DCC) Working Group examining mechanisms to roll out audit and certification services for digital repositories in the United Kingdom. Our attempt to develop a program for applying audit and certification processes and tools took as its starting point the RLG-NARA Audit Checklist for Certifying Digital Repositories. Our intention was to appraise critically the checklist and conceive a means of applying its mechanics within a diverse range of repository environments. We were struck by the realization that while a great deal of effort has been invested in determining the characteristics of a 'trusted digital repository', far less effort has concentrated on the ways in which the presence of the attributes can be demonstrated and their qualities measured. With this in mind we sought to explore the role of evidence within the certification process, and to identify examples of the types of evidence (e.g., documentary, observational, and testimonial) that might be desirable during the course of a repository audit.

STAIRS - Understanding and Developing Specifications Expressed as UML Interaction Diagrams

STAIRS is a method for the step-wise, compositional development of interactions in the setting of UML 2.x. UML 2.x interactions, such as sequence diagrams and interaction overview diagrams, are seen as intuitive ways of describing communication between different parts of a system, and between a system and its users. STAIRS addresses the challenges of harmonizing intuition and formal reasoning by providing a precise understanding of the partial nature of interactions, and of how this kind of incomplete specifications may be consistently refined into more complete specifications. For understanding individual interaction diagrams, STAIRS defines a denotational trace semantics for the main constructs of UML 2.x interactions. The semantic model takes into account the partiality of interactions, and the formal semantics of STAIRS is faithful to the informal semantics given in the UML 2.x standard. For developing UML 2.x interactions, STAIRS defines a number of refinement relations corresponding to basic system development steps. STAIRS also defines matching compliance relations, for relating interactions to real computer systems. An important feature of STAIRS is the distinction between underspecification and inherent nondeterminism. Underspecification means that there are several possible behaviours serving the same overall purpose, and that it is sufficient for a computer system to perform only one of these. On the other hand, inherent nondeterminism is used to capture alternative behaviours that must all be possible for an implementation. A typical example is the tossing of a coin, where both heads and tails should be possible outcomes. In some cases, using inherent nondeterminism may also be essential for ensuring the necessary security properties of a system

Exploring over the Presumed Identity of Emerging Technology

While scientists are stepping up their efforts to develop new technologies, the ability of firms to determine the value of their technologies by identifying potential applications has become a major challenge. This article focuses on a particular phase of technology development: the emergence phase. When a promising new technology first sees the light of day in a fundamental research laboratory, its target markets often seem plentiful but are ill-defined. The inability to produce prototypes or to identify potential users makes it difficult to explore potential commercial applications. On the basis of four micro-nanotechnologies case-studies conducted within a multi-partner innovation project, this article aims to theoretically explain why the identification of applications from emerging technologies is not a trivial problem. That research analyses how technologists and non-experts interact during creative investigations on new applications. It shows that the technologists are victims of a form of cognitive fixation effect. Indeed, their beliefs and activities are guided by a stable cognitive representation of their technology: the presumed identity of technology. Based on a recent design framework, C-K Design Theory, the technological exploration process followed in our four case-studies is modeled and mechanisms to dismantle the presumed identity and to design an extended identity of technology are provided.management of emerging technology; technological exploration; identity of technology; C-K Design Theory, presumed identity; technology-push; technological innovation

Software Measures for Business Processes

Designing a business process, which is executed by a Workflow Management System, recalls the activity of writing software source code, which is executed by a computer. Different business processes may have different qualities, e.g., size, structural complexity, some of which can be measured based on the formal descriptions of the business processes. This paper defines measures for quantifying business process qualities by drawing on concepts that have been used for defining measures for software code. Specifically, the measures we propose and apply to business processes are related to attributes of activities, control-flow, data-flow, and resources. This allows the business process designer to have a comprehensive evaluation of business processes according to several different attributes

An innovative engineering design model by the aid of TRIZ methodology and CAE technology.

This thesis presents research that advocates process, methods and new technology for performance related robustness improvements in product development. Rapid advances in technology in recent years have set new demands on product development. As a consequence, an increasing variety of products are built on heterogeneous technologies. Specialists from different engineering disciplines must cooperate to a greater extent than before in order to understand the products. Increased cooperation and heterogeneous technologies in products set high demands on rapid product development models in order to deliver products of high quality in short lead time, at low cost. One of the most important tasks in robust design is to select an appropriate system output response. The quality of this selection will greatly affect the effectiveness of the robust design project. Currently, this selection process is more like art than science. By using TRIZ Design principle, several new approaches to enhance robust design are developed. These approaches enable us to select the appropriate system output response in a systematic fashion. The approach developed in this paper was successfully applied and verified in two case studies in two different major automotive companies. This research consists of theory development, mainly in the field of engineering design, TRIZ and CAE. The research in the papers provides: (1) An approach to problem solving by combining design object analysis with TRIZ and FEA; (2) Two case studies carried out with the researcher actively taking part in practical problem solving. (Abstract shortened by UMI.) Paper copy at Leddy Library: Theses & Major Papers - Basement, West Bldg. / Call Number: Thesis2005 .Y82. Source: Masters Abstracts International, Volume: 44-03, page: 1477. Thesis (M.A.Sc.)--University of Windsor (Canada), 2005

Empirical Validation of the Usefulness of Information Theory-Based Software Metrics

Software designs consist of software components and their relationships. Graphs are abstraction of software designs. Graphs composed of nodes and hyperedges are attractive for depicting software designs. Measurement of abstractions quantify relationships that exist among components. Most conventional metrics are based on counting. In contrast, this work adopts information theory because design decisions are information. The goal of this research is to show that information theory-based metrics proposed by Allen, namely size, complexity, coupling, and cohesion, can be useful in real-world software development projects, compared to the counting-based metrics. The thesis includes three case studies with the use of global variables as the abstraction. It is observed that one can use the counting metrics for the size and coupling measures and the information metrics for the complexity and cohesion measures