MDE Approach Research Articles

An MDE approach for the generation of smart contracts for elderly care

An MDE approach for the generation of smart contracts for elderly care

Validating Event-B models using PDDL

The formal Event-B method makes it possible to obtain systems or software correct by construction. The modeling activity aims to establish formal models in Event-B. As for the proof activity, it aims at correcting these models. A proven Event-B model is not necessarily valid. We propose to open the Event-B formal method on PDDL in order to further validate Event-B models. We aim to validate the dynamic properties related to the sequence of events authorized on Event-B models. PDDL is a de facto standard language for planning problems. It is equipped with planners to automatically generate solution-plans. To achieve this, we successfully used the MDE approach, Xtext to create an integrated development environment specific to the Event-B language and the Xtend tool to implement our transformation EventB2PDDL and produce PDDL descriptions using a top-down approach.

Application of Model Transformation for Optimized Building Energy Management

This paper describes an approach aiming to automatically transform a model describing a high level physical behavior model into two different optimized building energy management application models. The first step consists in building a hinge model composed of element models. Then based on MDE approach, this model is projected, according to transformation processes, to application models. This paper presents core specifications of manipulation and transformation of hinge model. To illustrate this approach, an example of transformation into both an acausal anticipative model based on mixed integer linear programming problem and a non-linear causal model for fast simulated annealing optimization are shown. These models are used for energy management of a smart building platform named PREDIS/MHI.

Source-Code Level Regression Test Selection: the Model-Driven Way.

In order to ensure that existing functionalities have not been impacted by recent program changes, test cases are regularly executed during regression testing (RT) phases. The RT time becomes problematic as the number of test cases is growing. Regression test selection (RTS) aims at running only the test cases that have been impacted by recent changes. RTS reduces the duration of regression testing and hence its cost. In this paper, we present a model-driven approach for RTS. Execution traces are gathered at runtime, and injected in a static source-code model. We use this resulting model to identify and select all the test cases that have been impacted by changes between two revisions of the program. Our MDE approach allows modularity in the granularity of changes considered. In addition, it offers better reusability than existing RTS techniques: the trace model is persistent and standardised. Furthermore, it enables more interoperability with other model-driven tools, enabling further analysis at different levels of abstraction (e.g. energy consumption). We evaluate our approach by applying it to four well-known open-source projects. Results show that our MDE proposal can effectively reduce the execution time of RT, by up to 32 % in our case studies. The overhead induced by the model building makes our approach slower than dedicated RTS tools, but the reuse of trace models for further analysis is overtaking this time difference.

On the use of model transformation for the automation of product derivation process in SPL

Abstract Product Derivation represents one of the main challenges that Software Product Line (SPL) faces. Deriving individual products from shared software assets is a time-consuming and an expensive activity. In this paper, we (1) present an MDE approach for engineering SPL and (2) propose to leverage model-to-model transformations (MMT) and model-to-text (MTT) transformations for supporting both domain engineering and application engineering processes. In this work, we use ATL as a model-to-model transformation language and Acceleo as a model-to-text transformation language.The proposed approach is discussed with e-Health product line applications.

An Approach Based on Hierarchical Petri Nets for the Verification of Interconnected BPEL Processes

This article describes an MDE approach for transformation from BPEL specifications to WF-nets models for verifying behavioral properties on IOWF (Inter-Organizational Workflow) processes. The authors consider WF processes specified with BPEL and interconnected together according to specific cooperation patterns. They define a specific class of Petri nets called Hierarchical WF-nets (HWN) in order to formally check the “soundness” property on IOWF process models. For that, their verification approach is defined around three main phases: (i) recovery of the BPEL file(s) and generation of process tree(s), (ii) transformation from BPEL to WF-nets (resp. HWN) models using mapping and transformation rules and (iii) verification of the “soundness” property on the models obtained. They particularly define and implement a set of specific transformation rules which are closely linked to the interconnection rules attached to each cooperation pattern. Also, to show the feasibility of their verification method, the authors developed a “WF-Checking” tool which allows the implementation and testing of the proposed approach.

Model-driven engineering of mediation information system for enterprise interoperability

ABSTRACTThe MISE approach (mediation information system engineering) aims at defining and designing a platform, dedicated to initiate and support any collaborative situation among potential partners. Collaborative situations may emerge from manufacturing contexts (industrial production partners), economic contexts (supply chain), social contexts (crisis management partners) and any other contexts in which a set of organisations should work altogether to reach common and individual goals, exploiting each others competencies. The MISE approach is based on a model-driven engineering vision (MDE) dedicated to designing a mediation information system (MIS) in charge of improving interoperability in emerging collaborative situations. This MIS is dedicated to supporting the collaborative behaviour of the collaborative network by dealing with exchanged data, shared services and collaborative workflows. The final objective is a mediator system able to manage the operational collaboration of partners, through there information system, without constraint (at least with as less constraint as possible). The MIS design crosses the different abstraction layers of design (business, logical and technological) and exploits the associated models at each level to build the models of the next level. This paper presents the models involved (dedicated to the computer independent model, platform independent model and platform specific model levels of the MDE approach) and the transition mechanisms between levels.

Timing analysis tools in a model-driven development environment

This paper discusses the use of timing analysis tools on software systems developed with model-driven engineering methodologies. Model-driven development is mainly based on model transformations and automatic code generation. However, a deep understanding of the internal structure and behaviour of the automatically generated code is required in order to conduct later phases of the lifecycle, including validation of non-functional requirements such as real-time properties. The paper describes the integration of a timing analysis tool with TASTE, a model-driven environment developed under the auspices of the European Space Agency. A study of the influence of using an MDE approach on timing analysis techniques, along with figures on the proportion of automated and human-written code in a representative example of a spacecraft attitude control system is included in the paper.

Occurrence-Oriented Design Strategy for Developing Business Process Monitoring Systems

In a competitive market, business process improvement is a requirement for any organization. This improvement can only be achieved with the support of comprehensive systems that fully monitor business processes. We propose an occurrence—based approach to business process monitoring that provides a holistic perspective of system dynamics, lending support to evolution aspects. More specifically, we present a three-dimensional artifact, called Occurrence, in which structure, behavior, and guidance are considered simultaneously. Based on this, we define more complex structures, namely Occurrence Base and Occurrence Management System, which serve as scaffolding to develop business process monitoring systems. We also present a specific occurrence-based design strategy that, using an MDE approach, has been applied by our research group for the development of successful monitoring applications.

Generating blogs out of product catalogues: An MDE approach

Blogs can be used as a conduit for customer opinions and, in so doing, building communities around products. We attempt to realise this vision by building blogs out of product catalogues. Unfortunately, the immaturity of blog engines makes this endeavour risky. This paper presents a model-driven approach to face this drawback. This implies the introduction of (meta)models: the catalogue model, based on the standard Open Catalog Format, and blog models, that elaborate on the use of blogs as conduits for virtual communities. Blog models end up being realised through blog engines. Specifically, we focus on two types of engines: a hosted blog platform and a standalone blog platform, both in Blojsom. However, the lack of standards in a broad and constantly evolving blog-engine space, hinders both the portability and the maintainability of the solution. Hence, we resort to the notion of “abstract platform” as a way to depart from the peculiarities of specific blog engines. Additionally, the paper measures the reuse gains brought by MDE in comparison with the manual coding of blogs.