Meta-modeling Tool Research Articles

Visual specification of measurements and redesigns for domain specific visual languages

Ensuring model quality is a key success factor in many computer science areas, and becomes crucial in recent software engineering paradigms like the one proposed by model-driven software development. Tool support for measurements and redesigns becomes essential to help developers improve the quality of their models. However, developing such helper tools for the wide variety of (frequently domain specific) visual notations used by software engineers is a hard and repetitive task that does not take advantage from previous developments, thus being frequently forgotten. In this paper we present our approach for the visual specification of measurements and redesigns for Domain Specific Visual Languages (DSVLs). With this purpose, we introduce a novel DSVL called SLAMMER that contains generalisations of some of the more used types of internal product measurements and redesigns. The goal is to facilitate the task of defining measurements and redesigns for any DSVL, as well as the generation of tools from such specification reducing or eliminating the necessity of coding. We rely on the use of visual patterns for the specification of the relevant elements for each measurement and redesign type. In addition, SLAMMER allows the specification of redesigns either procedurally or by means of graph transformation rules. These redesigns can be triggered when the measurements reach a certain threshold. These concepts have been implemented in the meta-modelling tool AToM 3. In this way, when a DSVL is designed, it is possible to specify measurements and redesigns that will become available in the final modelling environment generated for the language. As an example, we show a case study in the web modelling domain.

Mining and modeling for a metropolitan Atlanta ozone pollution decision-making framework

In this paper, we present a Decision-Making Framework (DMF) for reducing ozone pollution in the metropolitan Atlanta region. High ground-level concentrations of ozone continue to be a serious problem in several US cities, and Atlanta is one of the most serious of these cases. In contrast to the “trial and error” approach utilized by state government decision-makers, our DMF searches for dynamic and focused control strategies that require a lower total reduction of emissions than current control strategies. Our DMF utilizes a rigorous stochastic dynamic programming formulation and includes an Atmospheric Chemistry Module to represent how ozone concentrations change over time. This paper focuses on the procedures within the Atmospheric Chemistry Module. Using the US EPA's Urban Airshed Model for Atlanta, we use mining and metamodeling tools to develop a computationally efficient representation of the relevant ozone air chemistry. The proposed approach is able to effectively model changes in ozone concentrations over a 24-hour period.

A multi-model repository with manipulation and analysis tools

This work provides an overall framework and tools that together substantially reduce the time and effort required to construct process models that are fit for purpose. These key factors are: (a) the efficient reuse of existing model information, (b) the development of a multi-model environment, and (c) the characterisation of models through appropriate model metrics. The paper concentrates on tools to improve current modelling practice, and describes a framework addressing “Model Families” in which these tools can work together for greater productivity. A Model Family is a hierarchical collection of models which provide many different representations of the same system. These are collated in a manner which focuses on the similarities and differences between each model in the collection. The specific differences between individual models are recorded as model members. Activating a particular member sees it take dominance within its family of alternatives, becoming an active part of the model description. The use of families and members makes it possible to store a large number of models of the same system in the one computer document, encouraging information reuse, and allowing the development of advanced meta-modelling tools which can potentially deliver substantial reduction in model development times.

Meta-Modelling for Interoperability in Product Design

Interoperability of tools for product design relies on the utilization of common information models like ISO 10303 STEP. However STEP is based on the EXPRESS modelling language which is not supported by state-of-the-art software development tools. To reuse the huge repository of information models defined in the STEP Application Protocols transformations into other representations are needed. A generic and sound approach is provided by OMG's Model Driven Architecture (MDA) and Meta Object Facility (MOF). This paper describes meta-modelling methods and tools for the coexistence and integration of EXPRESS with UML, the commonly used modelling language in modern software development environments.

Model driven development of distributed control applications

Control systems rely heavily on the software that is used to implement them. However, current trends in software engineering are not fully exploited in the development process of complex control systems. In this paper, an approach for the model driven development of distributed control systems (DCSs) is presented. The proposed approach that greatly simplifies the development process adopts the function block construct introduced by the IEC 61499 standard and supports the automatic generation of implementation models for many different execution environments. It favours the deployment and re-deployment of distributed control applications and provides an infrastructure for the transparent exploitation of current software engineering practices. GME, a meta-modelling tool, was utilized to develop Archimedes, an IEC-compliant prototype engineering support system. Specific model-to-model transformers have been developed to automate the transformation of FB-based design models to CORBA-component-model based implementation models to demonstrate the applicability of the proposed approach.

Generation of Advanced Modelling Environments by Means of Graph Transformation Techniques

In this paper we show our approach to the automatic generation of modelling environments for Visual Languages (VLs) supporting multiple views. The approach is based on the meta-modelling tool AToM3. Starting from a meta-model description of the VL and its views, a customized modelling environment is generated. Consistency between views is supported by the automatic generation of triple graph grammar rules that build a unique model “gluing” all the view models. Moreover, the generated environments allow taking basic static metrics of the models. Extreme values of the metrics may trigger heuristics for the refactoring of the models. These heuristics are formalized in the form of graph grammar rules. We show the application of these concepts in the area of hypermedia design by generating an environment for the Labyrinth VL.

Parallel Graph Transformation for Model Simulation applied to Timed Transition Petri Nets

This work discusses the use of parallel graph transformation systems for (multi-formalism) modeling and simulation and their implementation in the meta-modeling tool AToM3. As an example, a simulator for Timed Transition Petri Nets (TTPN) is modeled using parallel graph transformation.

Defining visual notations and their manipulation through meta-modelling and graph transformation

This paper presents a framework for the definition of visual notations (both syntax and semantics) based on meta-modelling and graph transformation. With meta-modelling it is possible to define the syntax of the notations we want to deal with. Meta-modelling tools are able to generate environments which accept models in the defined formalisms. These can be provided with further functionality by defining operations that can be performed to the models. One of the ways of defining such manipulations is through graph grammars, because models and meta-models can be represented as attributed, typed graphs. In this way, computations become high-level models expressed in the formal, graphical and intuitive notation of graph grammars. As an example, AToM 3 is used to automatically generate a tool for a Discrete Event Simulation notation. The tool's functionality has been completely defined in a visual way through graph grammars, and includes a simulator (formalism's operational semantics), a transformation into Timed Transition Petri nets ( denotational semantics), an optimizer and a code generator for a GPSS simulator.

Barcelona, Spain, October 7-8, 2002: Graph-Based Tools (GraBaTs 2002)

Barcelona, Spain, October 7-8, 2002: Graph-Based Tools (GraBaTs 2002)

An Axiomatic Approach for “Target Cascading” of Parametric Design of Engineering Systems

Complex engineering system realization involves finding out design specifications that simultaneously achieve performance objectives at different levels. A common practice in industry is to adopt “Target Cascading” to obtain proper settings of the performance objectives, and find out those design specifications, not necessarily optimal, but satisfying all the desirable component-level, subsystem-level and system-level performance objectives. In this paper, an Axiomatic Approach to “Target Cascading” (AATC) is presented to improve the current “Target Cascading” process. AATC uses axioms to guide the decompositions of performance objectives, and an integration of a hybrid meta-modeling tool and direct synthesis method to enhance both robustness and efficiency. The preliminary results of AATC's industrial applications demonstrate its advantage in improving productivity at the early stage parametric design, especially for complex engineering systems.

Special Session on Supervision

Supervision is a very general task in process automation, that includes various objectives such as high level optimisation, control strategy choice, diagnosis, fault accommodation... General tools allowing modelling for hybrid plants are necessary as supervision generally needs a hybrid viewpoint even for continuous processes. This special session illustrates these various points. Three presentations are devoted to a supervision application to a particular process (hybrid vehicle, level control in steel industry, waste water treatment plant). A paper compares different diagnostic approaches to the same system (an induction drive). The last paper presents a meta-modelling tool for hybrid systems.