Bridging formal models : an engineering perspective

The thesis presents different techniques that can be used to build formal behavioral models. If modal properties are formulated, the models can be subjected to verification techniques to determine whether a model possesses the desired properties. However many native environments do not facilitate tools or techniques to verify them. Hence, these models need to be transformed into other models that provide suitable techniques for a formal analysis. The transformations are classified into two engineering approaches, namely syntactically engineered models and semantically engineered models. Syntactically engineered models are constructed from input specifications without explicitly considering the semantics. Semantically engineered models are constructed from input specifications by explicitly considering the semantics. The syntactic engineering approach presents four dedicated modeling techniques that construct or disseminate verification results for formal models. The first modeling technique describes a way to create models from system descriptions that specify concurrent behavior. Here, we model three variations of a 2×2 switch, for which the models are subsequently compared to models created in the specification languages: TLA+, Bluespec, Statecharts, and ACP. The comparison validates that mCRL2 is a suitable specification language to model descriptions or specify the behavior for prototype systems. The second syntactic technique constructs an mCRL2 model from a software implementation that operates a printer for printing Printed Circuit Boards. The model is used to advise (other) software engineers on dangerous language constructs in the control software. Hence, the model is model checked for various safety properties. The implementation is modeled through an over-approximation on the behavior by abstracting from program variables, such that only interface calls between processes and non-deterministic choices in procedures remain. The third modeling technique describes a language transformation from the language Chi 2.0 language to the mCRL2 language. The purpose of the transformation is to facilitate model checking techniques to the discrete part of the Chi 2.0 language

Experience in developing the mCRL2 toolset

mCRL2 is a language with a toolset for formal analysis of behaviour of concurrent systems. It is developed in an academic research group to support process algebra based verification in an academic as well as an industrial setting. This paper provides an insight into the experiences and practises in developing and maintaining the mCRL2 toolset

La modélisation multidisciplinaire : Etat d'avancements et attentes du projet néerlandais TWINS

Le projet TWINS concerne le développement industriel en co-conception de produits matériels et logiciels. Dans la recherche d'une solution pour la modélisation multidisciplinaire, sont requises des connaissances sur la pratique industrielle actuelle du développement multidisciplinaire. Au travers de l'analyse des exigences utilisateurs, des cas d'utilisation et des outils et techniques utilisés dans un consortium de six partenaires industriels néerlandais, le présent article décrit l'état actuel du développement multidisciplinaire. L'analyse est utilisée pour améliorer la collaboration entre les partenaires industriels et identifie les sujets épineux qui nécessitent d'être explorés dans le contexte d'un environnement multidisciplinaire

Grip op ontwikkelen van correcte software

Het ontwikkelen van software gaat niet zonder fouten. Wie denkt ooit foutloze software te ontwikkelen, komt er snel achter dat dit een utopie is. Software systemen van enige omvang laten zien dat het gedrag dusdanig complexe vormen aanneemt, dat die door mensen niet overzien kan worden. Om toch enige grip uit te oefenen op de correctheid, worden vaak testen en simulaties uitgevoerd om zoveel mogelijk fouten op te sporen

Suitability of mCRL2 for concurrent system design: a 2x2 switch case study

Specifying concurrent systems can be done using a variety of languages. These languages have different features and therefore are not necessarily equally suitable for capturing concepts from reality with respect to both expressivity and ease-of-use. This paper addresses these aspects for the specification language mCRL2 by considering the 2 × 2 Switch case study. This case study has been used before to compare other specification languages, more specifically TLA+, Bluespec, Statecharts and ACP. The case study primarily focuses on two important features, namely multi-party communication and priority of certain actions over other actions. We show that mCRL2 is appropriate for the specification of these features, especially multi-party communication. Moreover, we express some of the requirements of the original case study in terms of modal µ-calculus formulae and establish that these are indeed satisfied by the model