The structured phase of concurrency

This extended abstract summarizes the state-of-the-art solution to the structuring problem for models that describe existing real world or envisioned processes. Special attention is devoted to models that allow for the true concurrency semantics. Given a model of a process, the structuring problem deals with answering the question of whether there exists another model that describes the process and is solely composed of structured patterns, such as sequence, selection, option for simultaneous execution, and iteration. Methods and techniques for structuring developed by academia as well as products and standards proposed by industry are discussed. Expectations and recommendations on the future advancements of the structuring problem are suggested

On-line dynamic monitoring of the SHARON process for sustainable nitrogen removal from wastewater

The goal of this work is the development of a suitable monitoring module, which is to be the first module of an integrated fault detection and control system for the SHARON process. To model the process properly, different PCA models lire tested. As a first step, PCA is used in an iterative manner to exclude data not considered to represent normal operational conditions and process behaviour from the original data set. To improve the performance of the identified model, it is decided to account for dynamics in the SHARON process by means of auto-regressive exogenous (ARX) Structuring of data before the identification. A fruitful replacement of missing values for this purpose is done by means of a static PCA model. It is shown that the different criteria used in model selection lead to the same DPCA model. In this paper all steps of the monitoring module design are explained and the performance of different models is analyzed

A Conceptual Model of Client-driven Agile Requirements Prioritization: Results of a Case Study

ABSTRACT Requirements (re)prioritization is an essential mechanism of agile development approaches to maximize the value for the clients and to accommodate changing requirements. Yet, in the agile Requirements Engineering (RE) literature, very little is known about how agile (re)prioritization happens in practice. Conceptual models about this process are missing, which, in turn, makes it difficult for both practitioners and researchers to reason about requirements decision-making at inter-iteration time. We did a multiple case study on agile requirements prioritization methods to yield a conceptual model for understanding the inter-iteration prioritization process. The model is derived by using interview data from practitioners in 8 development organizations. Such a model makes explicit the concepts that are used tacitly in the agile requirements prioritization practice and can be used for structuring future empirical investigations about this topic, and for analyzing, supporting, and improving the process in real-life projects

A structuring mechanism for embedded control systems using co-modelling and co-simulation

In most embedded control system (ECS) designs, multiple engineering disciplines and various domain-specific models are involved, such as embedded software models in discrete-event (DE) domain and dynamic plant model in continuous-time (CT) domain. In this paper, we advocate collaborative modelling and co-simulation to verify different aspects of the system as a whole before implementation. This paper proposes a development approach and structuring mechanism for CT-intensive ECS designs using co-modelling and co-simulation techniques. Based on this approach, an integrated co-model can be developed and refined using different domain-specific languages and tools. Influences from one domain to the other can be simulated via co-simulation and analysed in both perspectives. Our structuring and development process has been applied to a mobile robot using this co-simulation technique. We have experienced that structuring the co-modelling process allows us to produce co-models an co-simulations effectively. Future work is on checking for model inconsistencies during collaboration, and provide approaches to deal with this

Understanding Validity in Structuring Multi-Criteria Decision Problems

The first steps of multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) are typically the decomposition and structuring of the decision problem at hand. As all subsequent process steps of MCDM are based on the initial structuring of the decision problem, the validity of the structure representing the decision problem is of particular importance for the quality of the decision making process. This paper seeks to further develop our understanding of validity in structuring multi-criteria decisions. For this purpose, we link the structuring of decision problems in MCDM to the theory of chunking, which describes how human cognition structures and perceives environmental information. Based on this, we propose that the validity of models representing multi-criteria decision problems can be assessed by evaluating the degree to which they match the structures formed by chunking. We discuss a preliminary framework of how the match between the cognitive and the MCDM model can be tested. To demonstrate how this framework can be utilized in research practice, we apply it to empirically show that algorithmic, bottom-up structuring of MCDM problems leads to valid goal-criteria hierarchies

Models of Dynamic Data for Emergency Response: A Comparative Study

The first hours after a disaster happens are very chaotic and difficult but perhaps the most important for successfully fighting the consequences, saving human lives and reducing damages in private and public properties. Despite some advances, complete inventory of the information needed during the emergency response remains challenging. In the last years several nationally and internationally funded projects have concentrated on inventory of emergency response processes, structures for storing dynamic information and standards and services for accessing needed data sets. A good inventory would clarify many aspects of the information exchange such as data sets, models, representations; a good structuring would facilitate the fast access to a desired piece of information, as well as the automation of analysis of the information. Consequently the information can be used better in the decision-making process.\ud This paper presents our work on models for dynamic data for different disasters and incidents in Europe. The Dutch data models are derived from a thorough study on emergency response procedure in the Netherlands. Two more models developed within the project HUMBOLDT reflect several cross border disaster management scenarios in Europe. These models are compared with the Geospatial Data Model of the Department of Homeland Security in USA. The paper draws conclusions about the type of geographical information needed to perform emergency response operations and the possibility to have a generic model to be used world-wide