Using formal methods to support testing

Formal methods and testing are two important approaches that assist in the development of high quality software. While traditionally these approaches have been seen as rivals, in recent years a new consensus has developed in which they are seen as complementary. This article reviews the state of the art regarding ways in which the presence of a formal specification can be used to assist testing

A dynamic recursive structure for intelligent inspection

technical reportWe suggest a new approach for inspection and reverse engineering applications. In particular we investigate the use of discrete event dynamic systems DEDS to guide and control the active exploration and sensing of mechanical parts for industrial inspection and reverse engineering?? We introduce dynamic recursive nite state machines DRFSM as a new DEDS tool for utilizing the recursive nature of the mechanical parts under consideration?? The proposed framework uses DRFSM DEDS for constructing an observer for exploration and inspection purposes?? ?

Test Derivation from Timed Automata

A real-time system is a discrete system whose state changes occur in real-numbered time [AH97]. For testing real-time systems, specification languages must be extended with constructs for expressing real-time constraints, the implementation relation must be generalized to consider the temporal dimension, and the data structures and algorithms used to generate tests must be revised to operate on a potentially infinite set of states

A dynamic recursive structure for intelligent exploration

technical reportWe suggest a new approach for inspection and reverse engineering applications. In particular, we investigate the use of discrete event dynamic systems (DEDS) to guide and control the active exploration and sensing of mechanical parts for industrial inspection and reverse engineering. We introduce dynamic recursive finite state machines (DRFSM) as a new DEDS tool for utilizing the recursive nature of the mechanical parts under consideration. The proposed framework uses DRFSM DFJ)S. for constructing an observer for exploration and inspection purposes

A dynamic framework for intelligent inspection

technical reportCAD (Computer Aided Design) typically involves the design, manufacture and inspection of a mechanical part. The problem of reverse engineering is to take an existing mechanical part as the point of departure and to inspect or produce a design, and perhaps a manufacturing process, for the part. We propose to explore the feasibility of a new approach to inspection and reverse engineering applications. In particular, we investigate t h e use of discrete event dynamic systems (DEDS) to guide and control the active exploration and sensing of mechanical parts for industrial inspection. The proposed framework utilizes DEDS for constructing an observer for inspection purposes

A dynamic framwork for intelligent inspection

technical reportCAD Computer Aided Design typically involves the design manufacture and inspection of a me chanical part. The problem of reverse engineering is to take an existing mechanical part as the point of departure and to inspect or produce a design and perhaps a manufacturing process for the part. We propose to explore the feasibility of a new approach to inspection and reverse engineering applications. In particular we investigate the use of discrete event dynamic systems DEDS to guide and control the active exploration and sensing of mechanical parts for industrial inspection?? The proposed framework utilizes DEDS for constructing an observer for inspection purposes?

Timed Automata Models for Principled Composition of Middleware

Middleware for Distributed Real-time and Embedded (DRE) systems has grown more and more complex in recent years due to the varying functional and temporal requirements of complex real-time applications. To enable DRE middleware to be configured and customized to meet the demands of different applications, a body of ongoing research has focused on applying model-driven development techniques to developing QoS-enabled middleware. While current approaches for modeling middleware focus on easing the task of as-assembling, deploying and configuring middleware and middleware-based applications, a more formal basis for correct middleware composition and configuration in the context of individual applications is needed. While the modeling community has used application-level formal models that are more abstract to uncover certain flaws in system design, a more fundamental and lower-level set of models is needed to be able to uncover more subtle safety and timing errors introduced by interference between application computations, particularly in the face of alternative concurrency strategies in the middleware layer. In this research, we have examined how detailed formal models of lower-level middle-ware building blocks provide an appropriate level of abstraction both for modeling and synthesis of a variety of kinds of middleware from these building blocks. When combined with model checking techniques, these formal models can help developers in composing correct combinations of middleware mechanisms, and configuring those mechanisms for each particular application

Monitoring temporal information flow

We present a framework for monitoring information flow in security-critical reactive systems, such as communication protocols, cell phone apps, document servers and web browsers. The secrecy requirements in such systems typically vary over time in response to the interaction with the environment. Standard notions of secrecy, like noninterference, must therefore be extended by specifying precisely when and under what conditions a particular event needs to remain secret. Our framework is based on the temporal logic SecLTL, which combines the standard temporal operators of linear-time temporal logic with the modal Hide operator for the specification of information flow properties. We present a first monitoring algorithm for SecLTL specifications, based on a translation of SecLTL formulas to alternating automata, and identify open research questions and directions for future work