Summary
A model for communication protocols calledsystems of communicating machines is used to specify a data transfer protocol with variable window size (e.g., HDLC), which is an arbitrary nonnegative integer, and to analyze it for freedom from deadlocks. The model uses a combination of finite state machines and variables. This allows the size of the specification (i.e., number of states and variables) to be linear in the window size, a considerable reduction from the pure finite state machine model. A new type of analysis is demonstrated which we callsystem state analysis. This is similar to thereachability analysis used in the pure finite state model, but it provides substantial simplication by reducing the number of states generated. For example, with the protocol in this paper, ifw is the window size, then the global analysis producesO(w 5) states, while the system state analysis producesO(w 3) states. The system state analysis is then combined with an inductive proof, extending the analysis to all nonnegative integersw.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Aggarwal S, Barbara D, Meth KZ: SPANNER: a tool for the specification, analysis and evaluation of protocols. IEEE Trans Software Eng SE-13:1218–1237 (1987)
Aggarwal S, Kurshan RP, Sharma D: A language for the specification and analysis of protocols. Protocol specification, testing and verification III. North-Holland 1983
Bochmann GV, Gecsei J: A unified method for the specification and verification of protocols. Information Processing, North Holland Publishing Company 1977, pp 229–234
Brinskma E: A tutorial on LOTOS. Proc IFIP WG 6.1 5th Int Workshop on Protocol Specification, Testing and Verification. Toulouse-Moissac, France, June 10–13, 1985
Budkowski S, Dembinski P: The formal specification technique estelle. Comp Networks ISDN Syst 14 (1987)
Castenet R, Dupuex A, Guitton P: Ada, a well-suited language for the specification and implementation of protocols. Proc IFIP WG 6.1 5th Int Workshop on Protocol Specification, Testing and Verification, Toulouse-Moissac, France, June 10–13, 1985
Charbonneau LJ: Specification and analysis of the token bus protocol. M.S. Thesis, Department of Computer Science, Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, CA 1990
Choi TY, Miller R: Protocol analysis and synthesis by structured partitions. Comp Networks ISDN Syst 11 (5):367–381 (1986)
Diaz M, Ansart JP, Courtiat J, Azema P, Chari V: The formal description technique Estelle. North-Holland Elsivier 1989
Elmiro L: Modeling an improved FDDI protocol. M.S. Thesis, Department of Computer Science, Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, CA (in preparation)
Gouda M, Yu YT: Maximal progress state exploration. ACM SIGCOMM Symposium. University of Texas at Austin, March 8–9, 1983
Hoare CAR: Communicating sequential processes. CACM 21 August 8, 1978
Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers. IEEE Standard 802.3: Carrier sense multiple access with collision detection access method and physical layer specification 1985
Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers. IEEE Standard 802.4: Token-passing bus 1985
Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers. IEEE Standard 802.5: Token ring access method and physical layer specification 1985
Lam SS, Shankar U: Protocol verification via projections. IEEE Trans Software Eng SE-10(4):474–491 (1984)
Keller RM: Formal verification of parallel programs. Commun ACM 371–384 (1976)
Kvaslerud O: Applications of high speed networks. M.S. Thesis, Department of Computer Science, Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, CA 1991
Le Moli G: An approach for evaluating formal description techniques. Proc IFIP WG 6.1 5th Int Workshop on Protocol Specification, Testing and Verification. Toulouse-Moissac, France, June 10–13, 1985, North-Holland
Linn RJ: The features and facilities of estelle: a formal description technique based upon an extended finite state machine model. Proc IFIP WG 6.1 5th Int Workshop on Protocol Specification, Testing and Verification. Toulouse-Moissac, France, June 10–13, 1985
Lundy GM: Systems of communicating machines: a model for communication protocols. Ph.D. Thesis, School of Information and Computer Science, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 1988
Lundy GM: Improving throughput in the FDDI token ring network. In: Johnson M (ed) The second IFIP Int Workshop on Protocols for High Speed Networks, Palo Alto, CA 1990, pp 369–382
Lundy GM: Modeling and analysis of data link protocols. TN 86-499.1. Telecommunications Research Laboratory, GRE Laboratories, Inc, 40 Sylvan Road, Waltham, MA January 1986
Lundy GM: Specification and analysis of the token bus protocol using systems of communicating machines. IEEE Systems Design and Networks Conference, Santa Clara, CA 1990
Lundy GM, Akyildiz IF: A formal model of the FDDI network protocol. In: Europa Proceedings of the EFOC/LAN '91, London 1991, pp 201–205
Lundy GM, Christensen P: Specification of the MIL-standard 1553 protocol using systems of communicating machines. IEEE military communications conference, Monterey, CA 1990
Lundy GM, Locke J: Automated design and analysis of protocols. Tech Rep, Department of Computer Science, Naval Postgraduate School 1991 (in preparation)
Lundy GM, Luqi: Specification of a token ring protocol using systems of communicating machines. IEEE systems design and networks conference, Santa Clara, CA 1989
Lundy GM, Miller RE: Analyzing a CSMA/CD protocol through a systems of communicating machines specification (submitted for publication)
Lundy GM, Miller RE: Specification and analysis of a general data transfer protocol. Tech Rep GIT-88/12. School of Information and Computer Science, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 1988
Lundy GM, Miller RE: A variable window protocol specification and analysis. Eighth International Symposium on Protocol Specification, Testing and Verification, Atlantic City, NJ, June 7–10, 1988
Miller RE, Lundy GM: An approach to modeling communication protocols using finite state machines and shared variables. IEEE Global Telecommunications Conference, Houston, TX, December 1–4, 1986
Miller RE, Lundy GM: A model for communication protocols using finite state machines and shared variables. Tech Rep GIT-ICS-86/22, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta GA 30332, October 23, 1986
Nikolaou C, Clarke E, Nisson F, Shuman S: A methodology for verifying request processing protocols. ACM SIGCOMM, University of Texas at Austin, March 8–9, 1983
Proposed draft standard. Distributed queue dual bus subnetwork of a metropolitan area network, IEEE 802.6
Raiche C: Specification and analysis of the token ring protocol. M.S. Thesis, Department of Computer Science, Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, CA 1989
Rudin H: An informal overview of formal protocol specification. IEEE Communications Magazine 23 (3):46–52 (1985)
Sarikaya B, Bochmann G, Cerny E: A test design methodology for protocol testing IEEE trans software eng SE-135 (1988)
Shankar Udaya: Verified data transfer protocols with variable flow control. Tech Rep CS-TR-1746, UMIACS-TR-86-25. Department of Computer Science, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, December 1986
Stenning NV: A data transfer protocol. Comput Networks 1:99–110 (1976)
Venkatramen RC, Piatkowski TF: A formal comparison of formal protocol specification techniques. Proc IFIP WG 6.1 5th Int Workshop on Protocol Specification, Testing, and Verification. Toulouse-Moissac, France, June 10–13, 1985, North-Holland
Vuong ST, Cowan DD: Reachability analysis of protocols with FIFO channels. ACM SIGCOMM, University of Texas at Austin, March 8–9, 1983
X3T9 committee of ANSI. FDDI token ring media access control. ANSI Standard X3T9.5, 1990
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Gilbert M. Lundy, Jr was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, in 1954. After completing schools in Plano, Texas, he attended Texas A & M University, receiving the B.A. in mathematics (1976). From 1977–81 he served as a Lieutenant in the U.S. Army, based at Fort Ord, California. From 1981–84 he was a software engineer at E-Systems, in Dallas, Texas. During this period he also completed the M.S. program in Computer Science at the University of Texas at Dallas. From 1984 to 1988, he was a graduate student at Georgia Institute of Technology, receiving the Ph.D. in 1988. His research was in the formal modeling of communication protocols for computer networks. Since September 1988, he has been an Assistant Professor of computer science at the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, CA. He teaches classes and performs research in computer networks and communications.
Raymond E. Miller received his Ph.D. degree from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, in 1957. He was a Research Staff Member at IBM Thomas J. Watson Research Center, Yorktown, Heights, NY, from 1957 to 1980, Director of the School of Information and Computer Science at Georgia Tech from 1980 to 1987, and is currently a Professor of Computer Science at the University of Maryland, College Park, and Director of the NASA Center of Excellence in Space Data and Information Sciences at Goddard Space Flight Center. He has written over 90 technical papers in areas of theory of computation, machine organization, parallel computation, and communication protocols. Dr. Miller is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, a Fellow of the IEEE and a member of ACM. Among his numerous society activities he served as an ACM Council Member-at-Large from 1976–1982, Editor in Chief of the Journal of the ACM from 1972–1976, a Board Member of the Computing Research Association from 1983–1991, and President of the Computing Sciences Accreditation Board from 1985–1987. Currently he is a member of the Board of Governors of the IEEE Computer Society and Vice President for Educational Activities.
This research was performed while the authors were at Georgia Institute of Technology
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Lundy, G.M., Miller, R.E. Specification and analysis of a data transfer protocol using systems of communicating machines. Distrib Comput 5, 145–157 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02252957
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02252957