Designing the automatic transformation of visual languages

AbstractThe design process of complex systems requires a precise checking of the functional and dependability attributes of the target design. The growing complexity of systems necessitates the use of formal methods, as the exhaustiveness of checks performed by the traditional simulation and testing is insufficient.For this reason, the mathematical models of various formal verification tools are automatically derived from UML-diagrams of the model by mathematical transformations guaranteeing a complete consistency between the target design and the models of verification and validation tools.In the current paper, a general framework for an automated model transformation system is presented. The method starts from a uniform visual description and a formal proof concept of the particular transformations by integrating the powerful computational paradigm of graph transformation, planner algorithms of artificial intelligence, and various concepts of computer engineering

Automatic Bridge between BPMN Models and UML Activity Diagrams based on Graph Transformation

Model Driven Engineering (MDE) provides available tools, concepts and languages to create and transform models. One of the most important successes of MDE is model transformation; it permits transforming models used by one community to equivalent models used by another one. Moreover, each community of developers has its own tools for verification, testing and test case generation. Hence, a developer of one community who moves to work with another community needs a transformation process from the second community to (his/her) own community and vice versa. Therefore, the target community can benefit from the expertise of the source one and the developers do not begin from zero.In this context, we propose in this paper an automatic transformation to create a bridge between the BPMN and UML communities. We propose an approach and a visual tool for the automatic transformation of BPMN models to UML Activity Diagrams (UML-AD). The proposed approach is based on Meta-Modeling and Graph Transformation, and uses the AToM3 tool. Indeed, we were inspired by the OMG meta-models of BPMN and UML-AD and implemented versions of both meta-models using AToM3. This last allows generating automatically a visual modeling tool for each proposed meta-model. Based on these two meta-models, we propose a graph grammar composed of sixty rules that perform the transformation process. The proposed approach is illustrated through three case studies

A Graph Transformation Approach for Modeling and Verification of UML 2.0 Sequence Diagrams

Unified Modeling Language (UML) 2.0 Sequence Diagrams (UML 2.0 SD) are used to describe interactions in software systems. These diagrams must be verified in the early stages of software development process to guarantee the production of a reliable system. However, UML 2.0 SD lack formal semantics as all UML specifications, which makes their verification difficult, especially if we are modeling a critical system where the automation of verification is necessary. Communicating Sequential Processes (CSP) is a formal specification language that is suited for analysis and has many automatic verification tools. Thus, UML and CSP have complementary aspects, which are modeling and analysis. Recently, a formalization of UML 2.0 SD using CSP has been proposed in the literature; however, no automation of that formalization exists. In this paper, we propose an approach on the basis of the above formalization and a visual modeling tool to model and automatically transform UML 2.0 SD to CSP ones; thus, the existing CSP model checker can verify them. This approach aims to use UML 2.0 SD for modeling and CSP and its tools for verification. This approach is based on graph transformation, which uses AToM3 tool and proposes a metamodel of UML 2.0 SD and a graph grammar to perform the mapping of the latter into CSP. Failures-Divergence Refinement (FDR) is the model checking tool used to verify the behavioral properties of the source model transformation such as deadlock, livelock and determinism. The proposed approach and tool are illustrated through a case study

Representing Conversations for Scalable Overhearing

Open distributed multi-agent systems are gaining interest in the academic community and in industry. In such open settings, agents are often coordinated using standardized agent conversation protocols. The representation of such protocols (for analysis, validation, monitoring, etc) is an important aspect of multi-agent applications. Recently, Petri nets have been shown to be an interesting approach to such representation, and radically different approaches using Petri nets have been proposed. However, their relative strengths and weaknesses have not been examined. Moreover, their scalability and suitability for different tasks have not been addressed. This paper addresses both these challenges. First, we analyze existing Petri net representations in terms of their scalability and appropriateness for overhearing, an important task in monitoring open multi-agent systems. Then, building on the insights gained, we introduce a novel representation using Colored Petri nets that explicitly represent legal joint conversation states and messages. This representation approach offers significant improvements in scalability and is particularly suitable for overhearing. Furthermore, we show that this new representation offers a comprehensive coverage of all conversation features of FIPA conversation standards. We also present a procedure for transforming AUML conversation protocol diagrams (a standard human-readable representation), to our Colored Petri net representation

SysML Model-Driven Approach to Verify Blocks Compatibility

International audienceIn the component paradigm, the system is seen as an assembly of heterogeneous components, where the system reliability depends on these components compatibility. In our approach, we focus on verifying compatibility of components modelled with SysML diagrams. Thus, we model component interactions with sequence diagrams (SDs) and components with SysML blocks. The SDs constitute a good start point for compatibility verification. However, this verification is still inapplicable directly on SDs, because they are expressed in informal language. Thus, to apply a verification method, it is necessary to translate the SDs into formal models, and then verify the wanted properties. In this paper, we propose a high-level model-driven approach which consists of an ATL grammar that automates the transformation of SDs into interface automata. Also, to allow an easy use of Ptolemy tool to verify properties on automata, we have proposed some Acceleo templates, which generate the Ptolemy entry specification

GRACE as a unifying approach to graph-transformation-based specification1 1This work was partially supported by the ESPRIT Working Group Applications of Graph Transformation (APPLIGRAPH) and the EC TMR Network GETGRATS (General Theory of Graph Transformation Systems).

AbstractIn this paper, we sketch some basic ideas and features of the graph-transformation-based specification language GRACE. The aim of GRACE is to support the modeling of a wide spectrum of graph and graphical processes in a structured and uniform way including visualization and verification

FROM A MODEL OF CONCURRENCY TO A TEST MODEL: A GRAPH TRANSFORMATION BASED APPROACH

Maximality-based Labeled Transition Systems (MLTS) is semantic model for true concurrency. In other hand Mixed Refusal Graphs  (MRG)  are models  for  formal  testing.  In  this  paper, we  propose  an  approach  to  transform  an MLTS model  to  an equivalent  MRG  model.  Since  the  input  and  output  models  are  graphs,  we  use  graph  transformation  to  perform  this transformation automatically. So, we propose  two meta-models; one for the input model and the other for the output model. Then,  based  on  these meta-models we  propose  a  graph  grammar  that  deals with  the  transformation  process.    The meta-modeling tool ATOM3 is used. Our approach is illustrated through an example