Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Towards UML-based formal specifications of component-based real-time software

  • Special Section on Fundamental Approaches to Software Engineering
  • Published:
International Journal on Software Tools for Technology Transfer Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

UML-RT is achieving increasing popularity as a modeling language for real-time applications. Unfortunately UML-RT is not formally well defined and it is not well suited for supporting the specification stage: e.g., it does not provide native constructs to represent time and non-determinism. UML+ is an extension of UML that is formally well defined and suitable for expressing the specifications of real-time systems (e.g., the properties of a UML+ model can be formally verified). However, UML+ does not support design and development. This article addresses the translation of UML+ into UML-RT, thus posing the basis for a development framework where UML+ and UML-RT are used together, in order to remove each other’s limitations. Specifications are written using UML+, they are automatically verified by means of formal methods, and are then converted – through a semi-automatic process – in an equivalent UML-RT model that becomes the starting point for the implementation.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Alur R., Dill D.L. (1994) A theory of timed automata. Theor. Comput. Sci. 126, 183–235

    Article  MATH  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  2. http://www.xjtek.com

  3. Bertin, V., Closse, E., Poize, M., Pulou, J., Sifakis, J., Venier, P., Weil, D., Yovine, S.: Taxys = Esterel + Kronos. A tool for verifying real-time properties of embedded systems. In: Conference on Decision and Control, CDC’01. Orlando, IEEE Control Systems Society (2001)

  4. Del Bianco, V.: Tecniche object-oriented formali per lo sviluppo di sistemi real-time, Politecnico di Milano. PhD Thesis, In Italian (2005)

  5. Del Bianco, V., Lavazza, L., Mauri, M.: An application of the DESS modeling approach: the Car Speed Regulator, SIVOOES 2001, Budapest (2001)

  6. Del Bianco, V., Lavazza, L., Mauri, M.: A classification of real-time specifications complexity, SIVOOES 2001, Budapest (2001)

  7. Del Bianco, V., Lavazza, L., Mauri, M.: An introduction to the DESS approach to the specification of real-time software. CEFRIEL Technical Report RT01002 (2001)

  8. Del Bianco, V., Lavazza, L., Mauri, M.: Model Checking UML Specifications of Real Time Software. In: The Eighth IEEE International Conference on Engineering of Complex Computer Systems (ICECCS02), Greenbelt (2002)

  9. Del Bianco, V., Lavazza, L., Mauri, M.: A Formalization of UML Statecharts for Real-Time Software Modeling. In: The 6th Biennial World Conference On Integrated Design Process Technology (IDPT 2002), “Towards a rigorous UML” session, Pasadena (2002)

  10. Eshuis, R., Wieringa, R.: Requirements-Level Semantics For UML Statecharts. Formal Methods for Open Object-Based Distributed Systems – FMOODS’2000, Stanford, 2000.

  11. Eshuis, R.: Semantics and Verification of UML Activity Diagrams for Workflow Modelling, University of Twente, Centre for Telematics and Information Technology (2002)

  12. Ghezzi, C., Mandrioli, D., Morzenti A.: TRIO, a logic language for executable specifications of real-time systems. The Journal of Systems and Software. vol. 12, n. 2. Elsevier, Amsterdam (1990)

  13. Heitmeyer C.L., Jeffords R.D., Labaw B.G.: Comparing different approaches for Specifying and verifying Real-Time Systems. In: 10th IEEE Workshop on Real-Time Operating Systems and Software, pp. 122–129 New York (1993)

  14. Kesten, Y., Pnueli, A.: Timed and Hybrid Statecharts and their Textual Representation. In: Formal Techniques in Real-Time and Fault-Tolerant Systems 2nd International Symposium (1992)

  15. Lavazza, L., Quaroni, G., Venturelli, M.: Combining UML and formal notations for modelling real-time systems. In: Proceedings of ESEC/FSE 2001. ACM Press Vienna (2001)

  16. Mauri, M.: Estensione di UML per la specifica e la verifica delle proprietà di sistemi Real Time. Politecnico di Milano, Thesis, in Italian (2001)

  17. OMG Unified Modeling Language Specification, Version 1.4 (OMG 2001)

  18. OMG UML 2.0 Superstructure Specifcation Final Adopted Specification, ptc/03-08-02, (OMG August 2003)

  19. Pnueli A., Shalev, M.: What is in a step: On the semantics of statecharts. Intl. Conf. TACS ’91: theoretical Aspects of Computer Software. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol. 526, pp. 244–264 Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York (1991)

  20. Rational Software Corporation Modeling Language Guide, Rational Rose Real Time (2002)

  21. Rational Software Corporation, Modeling Language Guide, Rational Rose Real Time, Version: 2002.05.00 (2002)

  22. Reggio, G., Astesiano, E., Choppy C., Hussmann, H.: Analysing UML active classes and associated state machines-a lightweight formal approach. In: FASE 2000 – to Software Engineering Lecture Notes in Science, vol. 1783. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York (2000)

  23. Selic B., Gullekson G., Ward P.T. (1994) Real-Time Object-Oriented Modeling. Wiley, New York

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  24. Sifakis, J.: Modeling real-time systems-challenges and work directions, EMSOFT01 Tahoe City, October 2001. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol. 2211. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York (2001)

  25. Yovine, S.: Kronos, A Verification Tool for Real-Time Systems, Kronos User’s Manual Release 2.2. Springer International Journal of Software Tools for technology Transfer, vol. 1, October (1997)

  26. Apvrille L., Courtiat J., Lohr C., de Saqui-Sannes P. (2004) TURTLE: a real-time UML profile supported by a formal validation toolkit. IEEE Trans. Softw. Eng. 30(7): 473–487

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Real-time LOTOS, http://www.laas.fr/RT-LOTOS (1998)

  28. Alur, R., Dill, D.L.: Automata for modeling real-time systems. Computer Science, Automata, Languages and Programming vol. 443. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York (1990)

  29. David A., Möller M.O. (2001) From HUPPAAL to UPPAAL-A translation from heirarchical timed automata to flat timed automata. Deptartmenet Computer Science Aarhus Universitet, Aarhus

    Google Scholar 

  30. Bengtsson, J., Larsen, K., Larsson, F., Pettersson, P., Yi, W.: UPPAAL – a tool suite for automatic verification of real-time systems, Computer Science, Hybrid Control Systems vol. 1066. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York (1996)

  31. Wang, F.: Model-checking distributed real-time systems with states, events, and multiple fairness assumptions. In: 10th International Conference Algebraic Methodology and Software Technology (2004)

  32. Alur, R., Courcoubetis, C., Dill, D. L.: Model checking for realtime systems. In: 5th IEEE Symposium Logic in Computer Science (1990)

  33. Fischer, C., Olderog, E., Wehrheim, H.: A CSP View on UML-RT Structure Diagrams, LNCS vol. 2029 (2001)

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. CEFRIEL, Via Fucini, 2, Milano, 20133, Italy

    Vieri del Bianco & Marco Mauri

  2. Dipartimento di Informatica e Comunicazione Via Mazzini 5, Università degli Studi dell’Insubria, Varese, 21100, Italy

    Luigi Lavazza

  3. Technology Reply, Via Ripamonti, 89, Milano, 20139, Italy

    Giuseppe Occorso

Authors
  1. Vieri del Bianco
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Luigi Lavazza
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Marco Mauri
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Giuseppe Occorso
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Luigi Lavazza.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Bianco, V.d., Lavazza, L., Mauri, M. et al. Towards UML-based formal specifications of component-based real-time software. Int J Softw Tools Technol Transfer 9, 179–192 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10009-006-0024-8

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10009-006-0024-8

Keywords

Search

Navigation