Abstract
A network of communicating finite state machines (CFSM) consists of a set of finite state machines that communicate asynchronously with each other over (potentially) unbounded FIFO channels by sending and receiving typed messages. As a concurrency model, CFSMs has been widely used to specify and validate communications protocols. In this paper we propose to extend the classical CFSM model by introducing a new type of actions – the deletion action. The resulted model is called lossy communicating finite state machines (LCFSMs). The LCFSM model remedies two weaknesses in classical CFSM model. We show that the LCFSM model allows specification and verification of unreliable communication channels with no need of extra CFSMs. The LCFSM model enables more succinct specification and verification of communication protocols that use unreliable communication channels. LCFSM paradigm can also be used to concisely model communication errors such as dropping datagrams in UDP due to lack of local buffers.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
D. Brand and P. Zafiropulo, On communicating finite-state machines, Journal of Association of Computing Machinery 30(2) (1983) 323-342.
M. Gouda, E. Gurari, T.-H. Lai and L.E. Rosier, On deadlock detection in systems of communicating finite state machines, Computers and Artificial Intelligence 6(3) (1987) 209-228.
M. Gouda and J. Han, Protocol validation by fair progress state exploration, Computer Networks and ISDN Systems 9 (1985) 353-361.
J. Pachl, Protocol description and analysis based on a state transition model with channel expressions, in: Protocol Specification, Testing, and Verification, Vol. VII, eds. H. Rubin and C.H. West (Elsevier Science, Amsterdam, 1987) pp. 207-219.
W. Peng, Single-link and time communicating finite state machines, in: Proc. of 1994 Internat. Conf. on Network Protocols, Boston, October 1994, pp. 126-133.
W. Peng, Deadlock detection in communicating finite state machines by even reachability analysis, Journal of Wireless Networks 2(3) (1997) 251-257.
W. Peng and S. Purushothaman, Data flow analysis of communicating finite state machines, ACM Transactions on Programming Languages and Systems 13(3) (1991) 399-442.
W. Peng and S. Purushothaman, Analysis of a class of communicating finite state machines, Acta Informatica 29 (1992) 499-522.
T. Räuchle and S. Toueg, Exposure to deadlock for communicating processes is hard to detect, Information Processing Letters 21 (1985) 63-68.
J. Rubin and C.H. West, An improved protocol validation technique, Computer Networks 6(2) (1982) 65-73.
Y.T. Yu and M.G. Gouda, Deadlock detection for a class of communicating finite-state machines, IEEE Transactions on Communications 30(12) (1982) 2514-2518.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Peng, W., Makki, K. Lossy Communicating Finite State Machines. Telecommunication Systems 25, 433–448 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1023/B:TELS.0000014793.19622.0e
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/B:TELS.0000014793.19622.0e