Formally based semi-automatic implementation of an open security protocol

International audienceThis paper presents an experiment in which an implementation of the client side of the SSH Transport Layer Protocol (SSH-TLP) was semi-automatically derived according to a model-driven development paradigm that leverages formal methods in order to obtain high correctness assurance. The approach used in the experiment starts with the formalization of the protocol at an abstract level. This model is then formally proved to fulfill the desired secrecy and authentication properties by using the ProVerif prover. Finally, a sound Java implementation is semi-automatically derived from the verified model using an enhanced version of the Spi2Java framework. The resulting implementation correctly interoperates with third party servers, and its execution time is comparable with that of other manually developed Java SSH-TLP client implementations. This case study demonstrates that the adopted model-driven approach is viable even for a real security protocol, despite the complexity of the models needed in order to achieve an interoperable implementation

Verifying goal-oriented specifications used in model-driven development processes

[EN] Goal-oriented requirements engineering promotes the use of goals to elicit, elaborate, structure, specify, analyze, negotiate, document, and modify requirements. Thus, goal-oriented specifications are essential for capturing the objectives that the system to be developed should achieve. However, the application of goal oriented specifications into model-driven development (MDD) processes is still handcrafted, not aligned in the automated flow from models to code. In other words, the experience of analysts and designers is necessary to manually transform the input goal-oriented models into system models for code generation (models compilation). Some authors have proposed guidelines to facilitate and partially automate this translation, but there is a lack of techniques to assess the adequacy of goal-oriented models as starting point of MDD processes. In this paper, we present and evaluate a verification approach that guarantees the automatic, correct, and complete transformation of goal-oriented models into design models used by specific MDD solutions. In particular, this approach has been put into practice by adopting a well-known goal-oriented modeling approach, the i* framework, and an industrial MDD solution called Integranova.This work has been developed with the support of FONDECYT under the projects AMoDDI 11130583 and TESTMODE 11121395.This work is also supported by EOSSAC project, funded by the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness of the Spanish government (TIN2013-44641-P).Giachetti Herrera, GA.; Marín, B.; López, L.; Franch, X.; Pastor López, O. (2017). Verifying goal-oriented specifications used in model-driven development processes. Information Systems. 64:41-62. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.is.2016.06.011S41626

Developing a distributed electronic health-record store for India

The DIGHT project is addressing the problem of building a scalable and highly available information store for the Electronic Health Records (EHRs) of the over one billion citizens of India

Frameworks for New Software Product Launch Adopting Data-Driven Approach

This research paper explores the critical facets of introducing new products and managing them effectively within competitive markets. The study synthesizes contemporary methodologies in product development, launch strategies, and lifecycle management to propose a comprehensive framework for New Software Product Launch Cycle optimization (NSPLC) programs. By integrating theoretical models with empirical data from multiple industries, the paper delineates how organizations can leverage market insights, customer feedback, and technological advancements to optimize their product portfolios. The research identifies key factors influencing successful product launches, including market segmentation, positioning strategies, and the alignment of product capabilities with consumer expectations. It further examines the role of cross-functional teams in enhancing the efficiency of New Software Product Launch Cycle optimization (NSPLC) processes and the importance of agile methodologies in adapting to changing market conditions. The analysis extends to post-launch strategies, emphasizing continuous improvement and the strategic use of analytics to refine product offerings. Through a series of case studies, the paper illustrates practical applications of the proposed New Software Product Launch framework and evaluates its impact on organizational performance. The findings suggest that a well-structured New Software Product Launch Cycle optimization (NSPLC) program, combined with robust product management practices, significantly enhances the market success of new products and sustains competitive advantage. This study contributes to the literature by providing a holistic view of product management that integrates strategic, operational, and tactical dimensions. It offers valuable insights for business leaders, product managers, and academics seeking to understand the complexities of product introduction and management in today's dynamic business environment

The Ohlson Model of Evaluation of Companies:Tutorial for Use

The article analyzes the structuring and applicability of the Ohlson Model (OM). The methodology used considered: (i) exploratory research as to the objectives of the study; (ii) bibliographical research as to the procedures applied; and (iii) qualitative research as to the addressing of the problem. The review of the literature covered both the origin (discount of dividends, evaluation by the residual profit etc) and the underlying theory of the model. In relation to the internal consistency of the OM, the structuring of the linear informational dynamics was discussed (DIL) and the formula of evaluation as well as the establishing of the entries demanded (parameters and variables). An example was also developed that illustrates the interaction between the coefficients, variables and parameters of the Ohlson modeling. The example permitted the exploration of fundamental concepts and premises for the operating of the Ohlson model, underlying the equations of the DIL (self-regressive models, parameters of persistence etc), to the behavior of the profits (persistence and ability to forecast), to the scenario of evaluation and to some aspects of the accounts model (role of the net worth etc). The study concluded that: (1) there is no consensus in the academic literature about the appropriate method of measuring the parameters of persistence; (2) there are propositions for perfecting the original conception of the OM by means of extensions to the model; (3) the Ohlson model propitiated a series of contributions in the academic literature about capital markets.evaluation of companies, Ohlson Model.

Extending relational model transformations to better support the verification of increasingly autonomous systems

Over the past decade the capabilities of autonomous systems have been steadily increasing. Unmanned systems are moving from systems that are predominantly remotely operated, to systems that include a basic decision making capability. This is a trend that is expected to continue with autonomous systems making decisions in increasingly complex environments, based on more abstract, higher-level missions and goals. These changes have significant implications for how these systems should be designed and engineered. Indeed, as the goals and tasks these systems are to achieve become more abstract, and the environments they operate in become more complex, are current approaches to verification and validation sufficient? Domain Specific Modelling is a key technology for the verification of autonomous systems. Verifying these systems will ultimately involve understanding a significant number of domains. This includes goals/tasks, environments, systems functions and their associated performance. Relational Model Transformations provide a means to utilise, combine and check models for consistency across these domains. In this thesis an approach that utilises relational model transformation technologies for systems verification, Systems MDD, is presented along with the results of a series of trials conducted with an existing relational model transformation language (QVT-Relations). These trials identified a number of problems with existing model transformation languages, including poorly or loosely defined semantics, differing interpretations of specifications across different tools and the lack of a guarantee that a model transformation would generate a model that was compliant with its associated meta-model. To address these problems, two related solvers were developed to assist with realising the Systems MDD approach. The first solver, MMCS, is concerned with partial model completion, where a partial model is defined as a model that does not fully conform with its associated meta-model. It identifies appropriate modifications to be made to a partial model in order to bring it into full compliance. The second solver, TMPT, is a relational model transformation engine that prioritises target models. It considers multiple interpretations of a relational transformation specification, chooses an interpretation that results in a compliant target model (if one exists) and, optionally, maximises some other attribute associated with the model. A series of experiments were conducted that applied this to common transformation problems in the published literature

CONDITION-BASED UNMANNED UNDERSEA VEHICLE MAINTENANCE MONITORING AND PREDICTION SYSTEM (C-BUMMPS)

As the Navy introduces its large displacement and extra-large class Unmanned Undersea Vehicles (UUVs), the need and desire grows for increased endurance on the order of weeks to months. Extended endurance is a necessary capability to enable UUVs to take on some of the mission areas of nuclear submarines. Energy efficiency and storage capacity are some of the first factors to be considered for extending the endurance of unmanned vehicles. However, a secondary and more challenging factor is UUV system reliability, and the ability to tolerate or avoid system failures. The intent of this project is to capture the stakeholder needs for improving UUV reliability, maintainability, and availability, then transform those needs into system requirements for a Condition-Based UUV Maintenance Monitoring and Prediction System (C-BUMMPS). Specifically, this project will develop and identify stakeholder, system functional, and system non-functional requirements. A C-BUMMPS architecture is developed to address the stakeholders’ needs. The developed architecture will consist of on-board sensing, monitoring, and processing elements on the UUV, in addition to ashore testing, data analytics, and maintenance activities needed to support the maturation of the C-BUMMPS. This project will utilize a model based systems engineering (MBSE) approach, and Innoslate was chosen as the desired MBSE tool. As such, certain views will be developed to depict the C-BUMMPS architecture from various perspectives.Civilian, Department of the NavyCivilian, Department of the NavyCivilian, Department of the NavyCivilian, Department of the NavyApproved for public release. Distribution is unlimited

The Ohlson model of evaluation of companies : tutorial for use

ABSTRACTThe article analyzes the structuring and applicability of the Ohlson Model (MO). The methodology used considered: (i) exploratory research as to the objectives of the study; (ii) bibliographical research as to the procedures applied; and (iii) qualitative research as to the addressing of the problem. The review of the literature covered both the origin (discount of dividends, evaluation by the residual profit etc) and the underlying theory of the model. In relation to the internal consistency of the MO, the structuring of the linear informational dynamics was discussed (DIL) and the formula of evaluation as well as the establishing of the entries demanded (parameters and variables). An example was also developed that illustrates the interaction between the coefficients, variables and parameters of the Ohlson modeling. The example permitted the exploration of fundamental concepts and premises for the operating of the Ohlson model, underlying the equations of the DIL (self-regressive models, parameters of persistence etc), to the behavior of the profits (persistence and ability to forecast), to the scenario of evaluation and to some aspects of the accounts model (role of the net worth etc). The study concluded that: (1) there is no consensus in the academic literature about the appropriate method of measuring the parameters of persistence; (2) there are propositions for perfecting the original conception of the MO by means of extensions to the model; (3) the Ohlson model propitiated a series of contributions in the academic literature about capital markets

Applying ISO 9126 metrics to MDD projects

The Model Driven Development (MDD) paradigm uses conceptual models to automatically generate software products by means of model transformations. This paradigm is strongly positioned in industry due to the quickly time to market of software products. Nevertheless, quality evaluation of software products is needed in order to obtain suitable products. Currently, there are several quality models to be applied in software products but they are not specific for conceptual models used in MDD projects. For this reason, it is important to propose a set of metrics to ensure the quality of models used in MDD approaches in order to avoid error propagation and the high cost of correction of final software applications. This paper analyzes the characteristics and sub-characteristics defined in the ISO/IEC 9126 quality model in order to reveal their applicability to MDD conceptual models.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

A Value-Driven Framework for Software Architecture

Software that is not aligned with the business values of the organization for which it was developed does not entirely fulfill its raison d’etre. Business values represent what is important in a company, or organization, and should influence the overall software system behavior, contributing to the overall success of the organization. However, approaches to derive a software architecture considering the business values exchanged between an organization and its market players are lacking. Our quest is to address this problem and investigate how to derive value-centered architectural models systematically. We used the Technology Research method to address this PhD research question. This methodological approach proposes three steps: problem analysis, innovation, and validation. The problem analysis was performed using systematic studies of the literature to obtain full coverage on the main themes of this work, particularly, business value modeling, software architecture methods, and software architecture derivation methods. Next, the innovation step was accomplished by creating a framework for the derivation of a software reference architecture model considering an organization’s business values. The resulting framework is composed of three core modules: Business Value Modeling, Agile Reference Architecture Modeling, and Goal-Driven SOA Architecture Modeling. While the Business value modeling module focuses on building a stakeholder-centric business specification, the Agile Reference Architecture Modeling and the Goal-Driven SOA Architecture Modeling modules concentrate on generating a software reference architecture aligned with the business value specification. Finally, the validation part of our framework is achieved through proof-of-concept prototypes for three new domain specific languages, case studies, and quasi-experiments, including a family of controlled experiments. The findings from our research show that the complexity and lack of rigor in the existing approaches to represent business values can be addressed by an early requirements specification method that represents the value exchanges of a business. Also, by using sophisticated model-driven engineering techniques (e.g., metamodels, model transformations, and model transformation languages), it was possible to obtain source generators to derive a software architecture model based on early requirements value models, while assuring traceability throughout the architectural derivation process. In conclusion, despite using sophisticated techniques, the derivation process of a software reference architecture is helped by simple to use methods supported by black box transformations and guidelines that facilitate the activities for the less experienced software architects. The experimental validation process used confirmed that our framework is feasible and perceived as easy to use and useful, also indicating that the participants of the experiments intend to use it in the future