Coordination via Interaction Constraints I: Local Logic

Wegner describes coordination as constrained interaction. We take this approach literally and define a coordination model based on interaction constraints and partial, iterative and interactive constraint satisfaction. Our model captures behaviour described in terms of synchronisation and data flow constraints, plus various modes of interaction with the outside world provided by external constraint symbols, on-the-fly constraint generation, and coordination variables. Underlying our approach is an engine performing (partial) constraint satisfaction of the sets of constraints. Our model extends previous work on three counts: firstly, a more advanced notion of external interaction is offered; secondly, our approach enables local satisfaction of constraints with appropriate partial solutions, avoiding global synchronisation over the entire constraints set; and, as a consequence, constraint satisfaction can finally occur concurrently, and multiple parts of a set of constraints can be solved and interact with the outside world in an asynchronous manner, unless synchronisation is required by the constraints. This paper describes the underlying logic, which enables a notion of local solution, and relates this logic to the more global approach of our previous work based on classical logic

Deconstructing Reo

AbstractCoordination in Reo emerges from the composition of the behavioural constraints of the primitives, such as channels, in a component connector. Understanding and implementing Reo, however, has been challenging due to interaction of the channel metaphor, which is an inherently local notion, and the non-local nature of constraint propagation imposed by composition. In this paper, the channel metaphor takes a back seat, and we focus on the behavioural constraints imposed by the composition of primitives, and phrase the semantics of Reo as a constraint satisfaction problem. Not only does this provide a clear intensional description of the behaviour of Reo connectors in terms of synchronisation and data flow constraints, it also paves the way for new implementation techniques based on constraint propagation and satisfaction. In fact, decomposing Reo into constraints provides a new computational model for connectors, which we extend to model interaction with an unknown external world beyond what is currently possible in Reo

Comparing Three Coordination Models: Reo, ARC, and RRD

Abstract Three models of coordination-Reo, Actors-Roles-Coordinators (ARC), and Reflective Russian Dolls (RRD)-are compared and contrasted according to a set of coordination features. Mappings between their semantic models are defined. Use of the models is illustrated by a small case study

JINC - A Multi-Threaded Library for Higher-Order Weighted Decision Diagram Manipulation

Ordered Binary Decision Diagrams (OBDDs) have been proven to be an efficient data structure for symbolic algorithms. The efficiency of the symbolic methods de- pends on the underlying OBDD library. Available OBDD libraries are based on the standard concepts and so far only differ in implementation details. This thesis introduces new techniques to increase run-time and space-efficiency of an OBDD library. This thesis introduces the framework of Higher-Order Weighted Decision Diagrams (HOWDDs) to combine the similarities of different OBDD variants. This frame- work pioneers the basis for the new variant Toggling Algebraic Decision Diagrams (TADDs) which has been shown to be a space-efficient HOWDD variant for sym- bolic matrix representation. The concept of HOWDDs has been use to implement the OBDD library JINC. This thesis also analyzes the usage of multi-threading techniques to speed-up OBDD manipulations. A new reordering framework ap- plies the advantages of multi-threading techniques to reordering algorithms. This approach uses an abstraction layer so that the original reordering algorithms are not touched. The challenge that arise from a straight forward algorithm is that the computed-tables and the garbage collection are not as efficient as in a single- threaded environment. We resolve this problem by developing a new multi-operand APPLY algorithm that eliminates the creation of temporary nodes which could occur during computation and thus reduces the need for caching or garbage collection. The HOWDD framework leads to an efficient library design which has been shown to be more efficient than the established OBDD library CUDD. The HOWDD instance TADD reduces the needed number of nodes by factor two compared to ordinary ADDs. The new multi-threading approaches are more efficient than single-threading approaches by several factors. In the case of the new reordering framework the speed- up almost equals the theoretical optimal speed-up. The novel multi-operand APPLY algorithm reduces the memory usage for the n-queens problem by factor 50 which enables the calculation of bigger problem instances compared to the traditional APPLY approach. The new approaches improve the performance and reduce the memory footprint. This leads to the conclusion that applications should be reviewed whether they could benefit from the new multi-threading multi-operand approaches introduced and discussed in this thesis

Verification of Branching-Time and Alternating-Time Properties for Exogenous Coordination Models

Information and communication systems enter an increasing number of areas of daily lives. Our reliance and dependence on the functioning of such systems is rapidly growing together with the costs and the impact of system failures. At the same time the complexity of hardware and software systems extends to new limits as modern hardware architectures become more and more parallel, dynamic and heterogenous. These trends demand for a closer integration of formal methods and system engineering to show the correctness of complex systems within the design phase of large projects. The goal of this thesis is to introduce a formal holistic approach for modeling, analysis and synthesis of parallel systems that potentially addresses complex system behavior at any layer of the hardware/software stack. Due to the complexity of modern hardware and software systems, we aim to have a hierarchical modeling framework that allows to specify the behavior of a parallel system at various levels of abstraction and that facilitates designing complex systems in an iterative refinement procedure, in which more detailed behavior is added successively to the system description. In this context, the major challenge is to provide modeling formalisms that are expressive enough to address all of the above issues and are at the same time amenable to the application of formal methods for proving that the system behavior conforms to its specification. In particular, we are interested in specification formalisms that allow to apply formal verification techniques such that the underlying model checking problems are still decidable within reasonable time and space bounds. The presented work relies on an exogenous modeling approach that allows a clear separation of coordination and computation and provides an operational semantic model where formal methods such as model checking are well suited and applicable. The channel-based exogenous coordination language Reo is used as modeling formalism as it supports hierarchical modeling in an iterative top-down refinement procedure. It facilitates reusability, exchangeability, and heterogeneity of components and forms the basis to apply formal verification methods. At the same time Reo has a clear formal semantics based on automata, which serve as foundation to apply formal methods such as model checking. In this thesis new modeling languages are presented that allow specifying complex systems in terms of Reo and automata models which yield the basis for a holistic approach on modeling, verification and synthesis of parallel systems. The second main contribution of this thesis are tailored branching-time and alternating time temporal logics as well as corresponding model checking algorithms. The thesis includes results on the theoretical complexity of the underlying model checking problems as well as practical results. For the latter the presented approach has been implemented in the symbolic verification tool set Vereofy. The implementation within Vereofy and evaluation of the branching-time and alternating-time model checker is the third main contribution of this thesis