The KB paradigm and its application to interactive configuration

The knowledge base paradigm aims to express domain knowledge in a rich formal language, and to use this domain knowledge as a knowledge base to solve various problems and tasks that arise in the domain by applying multiple forms of inference. As such, the paradigm applies a strict separation of concerns between information and problem solving. In this paper, we analyze the principles and feasibility of the knowledge base paradigm in the context of an important class of applications: interactive configuration problems. In interactive configuration problems, a configuration of interrelated objects under constraints is searched, where the system assists the user in reaching an intended configuration. It is widely recognized in industry that good software solutions for these problems are very difficult to develop. We investigate such problems from the perspective of the KB paradigm. We show that multiple functionalities in this domain can be achieved by applying different forms of logical inferences on a formal specification of the configuration domain. We report on a proof of concept of this approach in a real-life application with a banking company. To appear in Theory and Practice of Logic Programming (TPLP).Comment: To appear in Theory and Practice of Logic Programming (TPLP

Konfiguroituvan 3D-mallin suunnittelu sähkömoottoreille

Synchronous motor is a tailor made product of ABB and its mechanical design can take up to several months of time. A need of simplified layout model of motor in the beginning of design process has emerged in the department of synchronous machines. Design work of synchronous machines is performed by utilizing computer aided design. Development of computer aided design software has enabled automated creation of 3D models. Applications, which create 3D models automatically, can be called also as 3D model configurators. The main objective of this thesis was to research, how 3D model configuring could be utilized in creation of layout models. 3D model configurator was to be created and implemented for selected synchronous motor types. Main dimension drawing of motor was also needed to be created based on the configured layout model. The available design tools for the task were CAD software NX 8 and I-Deas as well as PDM software Teamcenter. Different 3D modeling and assembly creation techniques were studied thoroughly. Also available design tools and their features were researched. Knowledge was gained by utilizing existing literature, interviews of experts and by experimenting. Geometric data exchange methods were discovered for utilization of I-Deas models and for ensuring smooth delivery of configured layout models. As a concrete result of this thesis, two separate 3D layout model configurators were created for selected synchronous motors. Modeling was performed in NX, but also multiple I-Deas models were utilized with the aid of STEP data exchange method. The configurable assembly was created in NX and a skeleton model was utilized to provide more robust method of constraining component models. Different user interfaces were researched and finally Options & Variants tool in Teamcenter was selected for this purpose. As a new configuration is created, user inputs values for options in Teamcenter. These option values define parameters for models in NX and also which component models are included in the configured structure. Created configurators proved to be effective in creating necessary layout models and main dimension drawings.Tahtisähkömoottori on ABB:n asiakasräätälöity tuote, jonka projektikohtainen mekaniikkasuunnittelu voi kestää useiden kuukausien ajan. Tahtikoneet-yksikössä on tullut ilmi tarve yksinkertaistetulle 3D-tilavarausmallille jo suunnitteluprosessin alkuvaiheessa. Tahtimoottoreiden suunnittelu tapahtuu tietokoneavusteista suunnittelua hyödyntämällä. Tietokoneavusteiset suunnitteluohjelmat ovat kehittyneet merkittävästi ja nykyiset ohjelmat tukevat tehokkaasti myös automatisoitua 3D-mallien luontia. Malliautomaatteja kutsutuaan myös 3D-mallikonfiguraattoreiksi. Tämän diplomityön ensisijainen tarkoitus oli tutkia, kuinka 3D-mallikonfigurointia voitaisiin hyödyntää tarvittavien tilavarausmallien luomiseen. Työn tarkoituksena oli luoda 3D-mallikonfiguraattori valituille tahtisähkömoottorityypeille. Vaatimuksena oli myös, että konfiguraattori tuottaa 3D-malliin pohjautuvan päämittakuvan koneesta automaattisesti. Työn toteuttamiseen oli käytettävissä suunnitteluohjelmat NX 8 sekä I-deas ja lisäksi tuotetiedonhallintajärjestelmä Teamcenter. Eri 3D-mallinnustekniikat sekä käytettävissä olevat suunnittelutyökalut tutkittiin perusteellisesti. Tietotaitoa kerättiin saatavilla olevaa kirjallisuutta hyödyntäen, asiantuntijoita haastatellen sekä työkaluja itsenäisesti testaamalla. Myös erilaiset malliformaatit tutkittiin, jotta olemassa olevia I-Deas-malleja pystyttiin hyödyntämään konfiguraattorin rakentamisessa ja jotta konfiguroitu tilavarausmalli saataisiin välitettyä eteenpäin sitä tarvitseville tahoille. Diplomityön konkreettisena tuloksena saatiin aikaiseksi kaksi erillistä 3D-tilavaraus- sekä päämittakuvakonfiguraattoria valituille tahtimoottoreille. Mallinnustyö toteutettiin NX:llä, mutta myös useita I-Deas malleja hyödynnettiin STEP-tiedonsiirtoformaatin avulla. Konfiguroituva kokoonpano luotiin NX:ssä ja osat paikoitettiin luotettavasti skeleton-mallin avulla. Erilaisia käyttöliittymävaihtoehtoja tutkittiin ja lopuksi päädyttiin valitsemaan Teamcenterin Options & Variants -työkalu. Uutta konfigurointia luotaessa käyttäjä asettaa arvot luoduille optioille. Kyseisten optioiden arvot määrittävät mallien parametrit NX:ssä sekä sen, mitkä kokoonpanon osat sisällytetään konfiguroitavaan rakenteeseen. Luodut konfiguraattorit osoittautuivat tehokkaaksi keinoksi tuottaa tarvittuja tilavarausmalleja sekä päämittakuvia

Automated metamorphic testing of variability analysis tools

Variability determines the capability of software applications to be configured and customized. A common need during the development of variability–intensive systems is the automated analysis of their underlying variability models, e.g. detecting contradictory configuration options. The analysis operations that are performed on variability models are often very complex, which hinders the testing of the corresponding analysis tools and makes difficult, often infeasible, to determine the correctness of their outputs, i.e. the well–known oracle problem in software testing. In this article, we present a generic approach for the automated detection of faults in variability analysis tools overcoming the oracle problem. Our work enables the generation of random variability models together with the exact set of valid configurations represented by these models. These test data are generated from scratch using step–wise transformations and assuring that certain constraints (a.k.a. metamorphic relations) hold at each step. To show the feasibility and generalizability of our approach, it has been used to automatically test several analysis tools in three variability domains: feature models, CUDF documents and Boolean formulas. Among other results, we detected 19 real bugs in 7 out of the 15 tools under test.CICYT TIN2012-32273CICYT IPT-2012- 0890-390000Junta de Andalucía TIC-5906Junta de Andalucía P12-TIC- 186

Automatisches Zeichnen von Graphen für modellgetriebene Softwareentwicklung

As shown previously by Fuhrmann, there are several concepts for increasing the productivity of MDE by improving the practical handling of models. The automatic layout of graph-based models is a key enabler in this context. However, there is a striking contrast between the abundance of research results in the field of graph layout methods and the current state of graphical modeling tools, where only a tiny fraction of these results are ever adopted. This thesis aims to bridge this gap on three separate levels: specialized layout algorithms, configuration management, and software infrastructure. Regarding layout algorithms, here we focus on the layer-based approach. We examine its extension to include ports and hyperedges, which are essential features of certain kinds of graphs, e.g. data flow models. The main contribution is the handling of constraints on the positioning of ports, which is done mainly in the crossing minimization and edge routing phases. Hyperedges are represented with normal edges, simplifying their handling but introducing inaccuracies for counting crossings. A final extension discussed here is a sketch-driven approach for simple integration of user interactivity. An abstract layout is the selection of a layout algorithm with a mapping of its parameters to specific values. We discuss a new meta model allowing to specify the structure of a graph as well as its abstract layout and its concrete layout, i.e. positioning data computed by the layout algorithm. This forms a basis for efficient management of layout configurations. Furthermore, we investigate an evolutionary algorithm for searching the solution space of abstract layouts, taking readability criteria into account for evaluating solutions. The software infrastructure developed here targets the connection of arbitrary diagram viewers (front-ends) with arbitrary graph layout algorithms (back-ends). The main challenge is to find suitable abstractions that allow such generality and at the same time keep the complexity as low as possible. We discuss a possible realization based on the Eclipse platform, which is used by several modeling tools, e.g. the Graphical Modeling Framework. A web-based survey has been conducted among users of the layout infrastructure in order to evaluate to what extent the stated goals have been met. The overall feedback collected from this survey is very positive.Wie bereits von Fuhrmann gezeigt, kann die Produktivität modellgetriebener Softwareentwicklung durch zahlreiche Konzepte zur Verbesserung der praktischen Handhabung von Modellen erhöht werden. Dabei ist das automatische Layout graphenbasierter Modelle ein zentraler Schlüssel. Allerdings gibt es einen bemerkenswerten Kontrast zwischen der Fülle an Forschungsergebnissen im Bereich des Graphen-Layout und dem aktuellen Stand graphischer Modellierungswerkzeuge, bei denen nur ein kleiner Teil dieser Ergebnisse übernommen wird. Das Ziel dieser Arbeit ist diese Lücke auf drei separaten Ebenen zu überbrücken: spezialisierte Layout-Algorithmen, Verwaltung von Konfigurationen und Software-Infrastruktur. Im Bezug auf Layout-Algorithmen liegt der Schwerpunkt auf dem Layer-basierten Ansatz. Wir untersuchen dessen Erweiterung zur Unterstützung von Ports und Hyperkanten, was wesentliche Bestandteile bestimmter Arten von Graphen sind, z.B. Datenflussmodelle. Der Hauptbeitrag ist die Einbeziehung von Bedingungen für die Positionierung von Ports, vor allem während der Kreuzungsminimierung und der Kantenführungsphase. Hyperkanten werden durch normale Kanten repräsentiert, was deren Verarbeitung vereinfacht aber Ungenauigkeiten beim Zählen von Kreuzungen verursacht. Als letzte Erweiterung betrachten wir einen Sketch-basierten Ansatz für die einfache Integration von Nutzerinteraktivität. Ein abstraktes Layout ist die Auswahl eines Layout-Algorithmus zusammen mit einer Abbildung seiner Parameter auf konkrete Werte, während ein konkretes Layout Positionsdaten beschreibt, die von einem Algorithmus berechnet wurden. Wir diskutieren ein neues Metamodell, mit dem sowohl die Struktur als auch das abstrakte sowie das konkrete Layout eines Graphen spezifiziert werden kann. Dies bildet eine Grundlage für die effiziente Verwaltung von Layout-Konfigurationen. Zudem untersuchen wir einen evolutionären Algorithmus für die Suche im Lösungsraum abstrakter Layouts, wobei zur Bewertung von Lösungen Ästhetikkriterien ausgewertet werden. Die in dieser Arbeit entwickelte Software-Infrastruktur hat als Ziel, beliebige Graphen-basierte Diagramme (front-ends) mit beliebigen Layout-Algorithmen (back-ends) zu verbinden. Die größte Herausforderung dabei ist das Finden geeigneter Abstraktionen, die eine solche Allgemeingültigkeit erlauben und gleichzeitig die Komplexität so niedrig wie möglich halten. Wir betrachten eine mögliche Realisierung, die auf Eclipse basiert, eine von vielen Modellierungswerkzeugen verwendete Plattform. Eine Web-basierte Umfrage wurde unter Nutzern der Layout-Infrastruktur durchgeführt, um zu untersuchen inwieweit die gesteckten Ziele erfüllt worden sind. Die allgemeine Resonanz zu dieser Umfrage ist sehr positiv