The week's pick
Reseach Article
System Reliability using Simulation Models and Formal Methods
| International Journal of Computer Applications |
| Foundation of Computer Science (FCS), NY, USA |
| Volume 132 - Number 17 |
| Year of Publication: 2015 |
| Authors: Wassim Trojet, Tahar Berradia |
10.5120/ijca2015907684
|
Wassim Trojet, Tahar Berradia . System Reliability using Simulation Models and Formal Methods. International Journal of Computer Applications. 132, 17 ( December 2015), 1-8. DOI=10.5120/ijca2015907684
Abstract
The general scope of the paper consists of improving the verification of simulation models through the integration of formal methods. We offer a formal verification approach of DEVS models based on Z notation. DEVS is a formalism that allows the description and analysis of the behavior of discrete event systems, i.e., systems whose state change depends on the occurrence of an event. A DEVS model is essentially validated by the simulation which permits of verifying whether it correctly describes the behavior of the system. However, a simulation does not cover all possible cases that means the model is validated only for the expected behaviors. For this reason, we have integrated the Z formal specification language in the DEVS formalism to detect errors before simulation which is still an important step for the validation. This integration consists of: (1) transforming a DEVS model into an equivalent Z specification and (2) verifying the consistency of the DEVS model on the resulting specification using the tools developed by the Z community. Such consistency is fulfilled by determinism and completeness. Thus, a DEVS model is subjected to an automatic formal verification before proceeding to its simulation.
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