Colored Petri Net Model Research Articles

I/O Conformance Test Generation with Colored Petri Nets

This paper explores Input-Output Conformance (IOCO) test generation with Colored Petri Nets (CPN). A test generation oriented CPN model and CPN based IOCO relation is proposed. Feasible test cases are generated by model simulation with the proof of its soundness. The method integrates the merits the IOCO testing theory and the CPN modeling synergistically, and is applied as a nontrivial and competent test case generation approach for practical testing projects. The effectiveness of this test generation approach is demonstrated by a concrete software system. Since the model simulation based test generation process is irrespective with the model size, the effectiveness of the method is enhanced with scalability.

A Correctness Verification Approach of the BPEL Exception Handling CPN Model Based on Temporal Property

BPEL is becoming the mainstream of service oriented software, there are many exception handling models of BPEL. Toward the problem that how to guarantee the correctness of these models, this paper presents a model checking correctness approach of CPN (Colored Petri Nets)model based on temporal property, describes the temporal property using CTL(Computer Tree Logic). Correctness checking is implemented by the ASK-CTL tool of the CPN Tools. Finally, based on a case study of automobile assembling pipeline system, the CPN model of the case process is designed; the results of temporal property correctness checking are given, which can help the modeler to find the errors of the model as early as possible.

Anytime heuristic search for scheduling flexible manufacturing systems: a timed colored Petri net approach

Given the fluctuations in demand, diversity in products, production flexibility requirements, and tight customer due dates, obtaining optimal production schedules is considered a complex research problem. This can drastically affect the survival of some manufacturing companies in today’s fiercely competitive global market. In a very demanding decision-making environment, scheduling problems are dealt with in a short-term horizon, in which computation time is a critical factor. Producing optimal solutions is practically impossible given the time limitations and the nondeterministic polynomial (NP)-hard nature of scheduling problems. This paper presents an anytime-heuristic search approach based on a simulation-optimization framework that combines evaluation methods (simulation) and search methods (optimization) through the reachability analysis (or state space) of timed colored Petri net models to schedule flexible manufacturing systems (FMS). The anytime search algorithm is capable of finding a first suboptimal solution very quickly and continuously improves the solution quality over time. If given enough computation time, the algorithm eventually converges to an optimal solution. The proposed approach is aimed at obtaining optimal or near-optimal solutions to FMS scheduling problems in relatively short computation times with the objective of minimizing the makespan. Its effectiveness is highlighted with excellent results that outperform previous methods on benchmark examples with flexible material handling systems, machine, and routing configurations. The approach can also serve as a decision support tool to assist production schedulers that require rapid and almost real-time responses to time-critical production scheduling on the shop floor.

Flexible Job Shop Models for Solving Scheduling and Layout Problems Using Coloured Petri Nets

In this paper we propose models for solving both the layout manufacturing problems and the scheduling manufacturing systems. These models are based on Coloured petri Nets. The particularity of our models is the possibility to include complex programmable functions inside the petri nets models. In our case the programming language is SML/NJ. The advantage of programming language is the possibility to use Heuristics or Meta-heuristic optimization methods inside the Coloured Petri Nets (CPN) model without the necessity to relaunch the simulation of the model at each step of optimization. For describing, analysing and simulating our models we will use CPN Tools.

Using Coloured Petri Nets for Evaluating the Power Consumption of Wireless Sensor Networks

Several strategies to evaluate the power consumption of of wireless sensor networks (WSNs) have been proposed. The limited amount of energy and the difficulty of recharging them have demanded the emerging of these strategies. However, to evaluate the lifetime of a WSN is not a trivial task due to the complexity of reproducing the environment, inherent dynamism, and complexity and size of WSNs. In this context, we present an approach for evaluating the WSN lifetime by simulating its power consumption using models. This approach consists of a fully automated process for evaluating the WSN lifetime, a set of reusable Coloured Petri Net (CPN) models that express the power consumption of WSN communication protocols, and a strategy for composing CPN models of WSN applications and protocols. In order to assess our power consumption models, we carried out an experimental evaluation that compares the results obtained by simulation against ones existing in the literature.

Software Agent Architecture for Managing Inter-Organizational Collaborations

The growing importance of cooperation among organizations, as a result of globalization, current market opportunitiesand technological advances, encourages organizations to dynamically establish inter-organizational collaborations.These collaborations are carried out by executing collaborative business processes among the organizations. In thiswork we propose an agent-based software architecture for managing inter-organizational collaborations. Two types ofagents are provided: the Collaboration Administrator Agent and the Process Administrator Agent. The former allowsorganizations setting up collaborations. The latter allows organizations executing collaborative business processes. AColored Petri Net model specifying the role, which an organization fulfills in a collaborative process, is used to carryout the behavior of the Process Administrator Agent that represents the organization. Planning and execution of theactions of the Process Administrator Agents are driven by a Colored Petri Net machine embedded to them. Thus,Process Administrator Agents do not require to have defined at design-time the protocols they can support. Inaddition, we propose a model-driven development method for generating Colored Petri Net models from acollaborative process model defined as interaction protocol. Finally, an implementation of the agent-based softwarearchitecture and methods based on model-driven development are presented.

Estimating unreliable objects and system reliability in P2P networks

It is a very difficult task to estimate abnormal objects and analyze reliability in peer-to-peer (P2P) networks. In the P2P network environment, successful execution of a program is conditional on the successful access of related files and software distributed throughout the P2P network. Abnormal phenomena in peer-to-peer systems occur very often. They occur in software and in data operated on by the computer itself or by a connected computer. This paper focuses on estimating abnormal objects and reliability in a P2P network that is very complex and different. We propose an estimation method for abnormal objects and reliability in a P2P network. First, we define a P2P static graph model, where the node is a computational unit and the edge is a communication unit in the P2P network. The computational unit is software or data installed on a computer. Second, we propose a converting algorithm where the P2P static graph model is converted to a colored Petri net model. Last, we estimate abnormal objects and the reliability of the P2P network. The technique successfully classifies abnormal objects and estimates reliability of the P2P network. This procedure provides a very useful method for detection of abnormal objects in a P2P network, which occur through abnormal faults of software and data. While we manage the P2P network, the reliability of the system can be predicted.

Attack Composition Model Based on Generalized Stochastic Colored Petri Nets

Attack modeling plays an important role in network security analysis and assessment. A Generalized Stochastic Colored Petri Net(GSCPN) model for attack composition is proposed. To each attack, a GSCPN model is constructed to describe the relation of components graphically. Operators to construct attack composition from known ones as blocks are defined formally. The algorithm to construct a composite attack is delivered, and the structural complexity of combination model is measured also. On this basis, the time cost of vulnerabilities is assessed. The network example validates further the effectiveness of the proposed composition model and calculation method.

A Policy Configuration Approach for BPEL Exception Handling Based on CPN

According to the problem that lacking policy process mechanism of BPEL, we presented an approach of exception handling strategy configuration through CPN (Colored Petri Net) model, introduces the process principal of this approach, use CPN to model the process of exception handling strategy configuration.

Modeling and Analysis of SMER Constraints Violation in IRBAC 2000 Model Based on Colored Petri Nets

Interoperable Role-Based Access Control (IRBAC) 2000 model can be used to accomplish security interoperation between two or more administrative domains via role association and dynamic role translation. However, Static Separation of Duties (SSoD) is not considered in the IRBAC 2000 model, so the problem of inter-domain static mutual exclusive roles constraints violation can arise. This paper proposes a novel method based on colored Petri nets to model and analyze IRBAC 2000 model so as to detect static mutual exclusive roles (SMER) constraints violation. The necessary and sufficient conditions for SMER constraints violation in the IRBAC 2000 model are demonstrated. A graphical detection model based on Colored Petri net of SMER constraints violation is presented and then a more complicated case study is used to illustrate the efficiency of the proposed model. Moreover, some prerequisites for avoiding SMER constraints violation and guaranteeing the model security while adding new role association or user-role assignment are also discussed, analyzed and detailed based on colored petri net model in this paper.

Web Service Composition Verification of Safety Properties Based on Predicate Abstraction

State space explosion is one of the biggestproblem in model checking. Predicate abstraction technique is used to reducethe size of state space of colored Petrinet models, and an algorithm was proposed to obtain the abstracted state spaceof a colored Petri net model without its original state space generated. Amethod to verify safety properties of Web service composition by abstractedstate space and the Counterexample-Guided AbstractionRefinement wasproposed. The problem of state space explosion is solved to some extend by thisway. Finally, with an example, an application of this method is illustrated,which its efficiency shown.

Test Purpose Oriented I/O Conformance Test Selection with Colored Petri Nets

This paper proposes an input-output conformance (IOCO) test selection method directed by test purpose model specified with colored Petri nets (CPN). Based on conformance testing oriented CPN models for specifying software functional behaviors and specific test purposes, respectively, feasible test cases are generated, guided by the CPN based IOCO relation, using synchronized model simulation with the proof of the soundness of test generation and the coverage towards test purposes. This test selection method integrates the merits the IOCO testing theory and the CPN modeling synergistically and is applied as a novel and applicable test selection method for actual testing practice of large-scale software systems. As the synchronized model simulation with two CPN models is irrespective of their model scale, the effectiveness and practicability of our test selection method are enhanced with scalability.

Specification of CPN models into MAS platform for the modelling of social policy issues: FUPOL project

Simulation transparency is becoming more crucial in the decision making process when quantitative computer tools are used to justify some strategies. The coloured petri net (CPN) formalism is a promising modelling approach to foster simulation transparency by means of state space traceability tools, which have been proven to be useful for modelling system dynamics with conflict patterns. E-governance is one of these areas in which the use of a multi agent system (MAS) to represent social dynamics in a certain urban context could be used to engage citizens in the design of urban policies that affects their habitat environment. In this paper a modelling methodology to represent and analyse a context-aware multi agent-based system, which tends to be highly complex is proposed. CPN models are used to specify citizen’s preferences and affinities in front of an urban contextual change, while MAS is used to evaluate the social dynamics by translating the CPN semantic rules into agent’s rules in NetLogo.

A Feasibility Study of the Ontology Driven Executable Systems Architecture Framework

The paper presents a framework to manage consistency in the architecture of a large-scale system. The paper highlights the framework with the help of a case study that models academic business processes in higher education institutions. The presented framework improves the communication among different stakeholders and helps the system designer/modeller to eliminate discrepancies in the design phase. It automatically generates a Coloured Petri nets (CPN) (with Guard conditions and arcs inscription) model from OWL ontology (with SWRL rules embedded). The paper highlights the fact that the Guard conditions alone cannot always fulfil the requirements of operational rules mapping. It suggests mapping SWRL rules to arcs inscriptions in the CPN model. The enhanced framework, thus, provides strong support for mapping SWRL rule to Guard conditions as well as to arcs inscriptions. The overall transformation process helps in verifying a user's requirements, specified in SWRL rule, by simulating them in the corresponding automatically generated CPN model.

An improved time line search algorithm for manufacturing decision-making

The coloured Petri net formalism has been recently used to analyse and optimise manufacturing systems making use of the state space (SS) analysis. This approach has great potential for scheduling and production planning purposes when it is properly implemented. In this article, an improved version of the algorithm known as the time line search for optimising the makespan of manufacturing models is presented. The algorithm has been developed for the use in a compact SS of coloured Petri net models in order to analyse the highest possible number of manufacturing configurations for the improvement of the makespan of a production system. The proposed algorithm can be used for the developing of decision support tools in manufacturing or operational decision-making.

Colored Petri Net model with automatic parallelization on real-time multicore architectures

This paper proposes a novel Colored Petri Net (CPN) based dynamic scheduling scheme, which aims at scheduling real-time tasks on multiprocessor system-on-chip (MPSoC) platforms. Our CPN based scheme addresses two key issues on task scheduling problems, dependence detecting and task dispatching. We model inter-task dependences using CPN, including true-dependences, output-dependences, anti-dependences and structural dependences. The dependences can be detected automatically during model execution. Additionally, the proposed model takes the checking of real-time constraints into consideration. We evaluated the scheduling scheme on the state-of-art FPGA based multiprocessor hardware system and modeled the system behavior using CPN tools. Simulations and state space analyses are conducted on the model. Experimental results demonstrate that our scheme can achieve 98.9% of the ideal speedup on a real FPGA based hardware prototype.

Моделювання двофазного протоколу підтвердження транзакцій з багатьма учасниками за допомогою розфарбовуваних мереж Петрі

Розглянуто застосування розфарбовуваних мереж Петрі для побудови моделей та подальшої імітації двофазного протоколу підтвердження розподілених транзакцій — 2PC (Two-phase commit) з багатьма учасниками. Дано опис основних понять розфарбовуваних мереж Петрі, що використовуються, а також дії двофазного протоколу підтвердження транзакцій для більш ніж одного учасника. За допомогою відповідного вибору початкових розміток проведено аналіз досяжних станів для різних ситуацій, які можуть виникнути в процесі реалізації розподілених транзакцій із застосуванням протоколу 2РС. Табл.: 8. Іл.: 3. Бібліогр.: 5 найм.

Monitoring and Diagnosis of Manufacturing Systems Using Timed Coloured Petri Nets

Novel fault modelling and integration method were applied in the case when the faultless operation of the system was modelled by a high-level, coloured Petri net. In order to achieve realistic investigations, a timed coloured Petri net model of the system was constructed, where faults can occur in the manufacturing lines. The faultless and fault containing models were implemented in CPNTools both for non-timed and timed cases. The resulted model was investigated both via simulation and using the occurrence graph. For efficient analysis of the occurrence graph a software module called OGAnalyser was developed.

Web Service Composition Verification of Safety Properties: An Approach Based on Predicate Abstraction

The biggest problem in model checking is state space explosion. Using predicate abstraction, state space of colored Petri net models were abstracted, and an algorithm was proposed to obtain the abstracted state space of a colored Petri net model without its original state space generated. A method to verify safety properties of Web service composition by abstracted state space was proposed. The problem of state space explosion is solved to some extend in this way. Finally an application of the method is illustrated with an example, which its efficiency shown.

CPN-Based Modeling and Analysis of Shared Multi-Channel Cache CMP Architecture

As a formal modeling and analysis method, colored petri nets (CPN) fits to construct formal model for software/hardware system with lots of communication and parallel/synchronous sharing behavior. Then behavior analysis of system function and performance based on the CPN model can be unfolded to verify the system feasibility. The CPN model of a kind of new CMP architecture shared multi-channel L2 Cache (AUMCC) is constructed in this article. Processing simulating of instruction set is deeply penetrated on the AUMCC CPN model, and analysis based on simulating results well verifies the feasibility of AUMCC architecture.