iBet uBet web content aggregator. Adding the entire web to your favor.
iBet uBet web content aggregator. Adding the entire web to your favor.



Link to original content: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10009-014-0320-7
Towards Model-Driven V&V assessment of railway control systems | International Journal on Software Tools for Technology Transfer Skip to main content
Springer Nature Link
Log in

Towards Model-Driven V&V assessment of railway control systems

  • FMRCS
  • Published:
International Journal on Software Tools for Technology Transfer Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Verification and Validation (V&V) activities aiming at certifying railway controllers are among the most critical and time-consuming in system development life cycle. As such, they would greatly benefit from novel approaches enabling both automation and traceability for assessment purposes. While several formal and Model-Based approaches have been proposed in the scientific literature, some of which are successfully employed in industrial settings, we are still far from an integrated and unified methodology which allows guiding design choices, minimizing the chances of failures/non-compliances, and considerably reducing the overall assessment effort. To address these issues, this paper describes a Model-Driven Engineering approach which is very promising to tackle the aforementioned challenges. In fact, the usage of appropriate Unified Modeling Language profiles featuring system analysis and test case specification capabilities, together with tool chains for model transformations and analysis, seems a viable way to allow end-users to concentrate on high-level holistic models and specification of non-functional requirements (i.e., dependability) and support the automation of the V&V process. We show, through a case study belonging to the railway signalling domain, how the approach is effective in supporting activities like system testing and availability evaluation.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Subscribe and save

Springer+ Basic
$34.99 /Month
  • Get 10 units per month
  • Download Article/Chapter or eBook
  • 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
  • Cancel anytime
Subscribe now

Buy Now

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11
Fig. 12
Fig. 13
Fig. 14
Fig. 15
Fig. 16

Similar content being viewed by others

Notes

  1. Model checking is a technique for verifying or falsifying properties of a system. Test case generation may be obtained by using the ability of a model checker to construct counterexamples to violated properties. A counterexample defines the sequence of steps which are interpreted as a test case.

  2. http://www.era.europa.eu/Core-Activities/ERTMS/Pages/home.aspx.

  3. The MA is built according to the information about train position and speed each EVC periodically sends to RBC (Position Report) via GSM-R network.

  4. http://www.era.europa.eu/Core-Activities/ERTMS/Pages/Set-of-specifications-1.aspxs.

  5. https://www.eclipse.org/papyrus.

  6. http://www.di.unito.it/~greatspn.

  7. http://spinroot.com.

References

  1. CRYSTAL: CRitical sYSTem engineering AcceLeration. http://www.crystal-artemis.eu/

  2. MBAT: Combined Model-based Analysis and Testing of Embedded Systems. http://www.mbat-artemis.eu/

  3. MOGENTES2: Model-Based Generation of Test-Cases Frame Programme 7, Project ID: ICT-216679. http://www.mogentes.eu/

  4. SCADE Technical Manual (2005)

  5. Ajmone Marsan, M., Balbo, G., Conte, G., Donatelli, S., Franceschinis, G.: Modelling with Generalized Stochastic Petri Nets. John Wiley and Sons

  6. Asztalos, M., Lengyel, L., Levendovszky, T.: Towards automated, formal verification of model transformations. In Proc. of ICST ’10, pages 15–24, Washington, DC, USA. IEEE Computer Society (2010)

  7. Baarir, S., Beccuti, M., Cerotti, D., De Pierro, M., Donatelli, S., Franceschinis, G.: The greatspn tool: Recent enhancements. SIGMETRICS Perform. Eval. Rev. 36(4), 4–9 (2009)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Baker, P., Dai, Z.R., Grabowski, J., Haugen, Ø., Schieferdecker, I., Williams, C.: Model-Driven Testing: Using the UML Testing Profile. Springer-Verlag New York Inc, Secaucus, NJ, USA (2007)

  9. Behm, Patrick, Benoit, Paul, Faivre, Alain, Meynadier, Jean-Marc: Météor: A successful application of b in a large project. In JeannetteM. Wing, Jim Woodcock, and Jim Davies, editors, FM99 Formal Methods, volume 1708 of LNCS, pages 369–387. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg (1999)

  10. Bernardi, S., Flammini, F., Marrone, S., Mazzocca, N., Merseguer, J., Nardone, R., Vittorini, V.: Enabling the usage of UML in the verification of railway systems: The DAM-rail approach. Reliability Engineering and System Safety 120, 112–126 (2013)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Bernardi, S., Flammini, F., Marrone, S., Merseguer, J., Papa, C., Vittorini, V.: Model-driven availability evaluation of railway control systems. In Proc. of the Int. Conference SAFECOMP’11, pages 15–28 (2011)

  12. Bernardi, S., Merseguer, J., Petriu, D. C.: A dependability profile within MARTE. In Journal of Software and Systems Modeling (2009)

  13. CENELEC. EN50126 railways applications - the specification and demonstration of reliability, availability, maintainability and safety (RAMS) (1999)

  14. Dai, Z.: Model-driven testing with UML 2.0. In Proc. of the 2nd European Workshop on Model Driven, Architecture (2004)

  15. Fantechi, A., Gnesi, S.: On the adoption of model checking in safety-related software industry. In Proceedings of the 30th International Conference on Computer Safety, Reliability, and Security, SAFECOMP’11, pages 383–396 (2011)

  16. Flammini, F., Marrone, S., Mazzocca, N., Nardone, R., Vittorini, V.: Model-driven V&V processes for computer based control systems: A unifying perspective. In Proc. ISOLA 2012, LNCS, pages 190–204. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg (2012)

  17. Fleurey, F., Steel, J., Baudry, B.: Validation in model-driven engineering: testing model transformations. In First International Workshop on Model, Design and Validation (2004)

  18. Fuentes-Fernández, L., Vallecillo-Moreno, A.: An introduction to UML profiles. UML and Model, Engineering, 2 (2004)

  19. Gargantini, A., Heitmeyer, C.: Using model checking to generate tests from requirements specifications. SIGSOFT Softw. Eng. Notes 24(6), 146–162 (1999)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Gnesi, S., Margaria, T. (eds.): Formal Methods for Industrial Critical Systems: A Survey of Applications. John Wiley & Sons Inc, Hoboken, NJ, USA (2012)

  21. Holzmann, G.: SPIN model checker, the: primer and reference manual. Addison-Wesley Professional (2003)

  22. Hyoung, S. H., Insup, L., Oleg, S., Sung, D. C.: Automatic test generation from statecharts using model checking. In In Proc. of FATES’01, pages 15–30 (2001)

  23. Javed, A. Z., Strooper, P. A., Watson, G. N.: Automated generation of test cases using model-driven architecture. In Proc. of AST ’07, pages 3-, Washington, DC, USA. IEEE Computer Society (2007)

  24. Jouault, F., Kurtev, I.: Transforming models with atl. In: Bruel, Jean-Michel (ed.) Satellite Events at the MoDELS 2005 Conference, volume 3844 of LNCS, pp. 128–138. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg (2006)

  25. Kent, S.: Model driven engineering. In Proc. of the International Conference on Integrated Formal Methods, IFM ’02, pages 286–298 (2002)

  26. Lagarde, F., Espinoza, H., Terrier, F., Gérard, S.: Improving UML profile design practices by leveraging conceptual domain models. In Proc. of the Int. conference on Automated Software Engineering, pages 445–448, New York, NY, USA. ACM (2007)

  27. Marrone, S., Papa, C., Vittorini, V.: Multiformalism and transformation inheritance for dependability analysis of critical systems. In Proc. of 8th Integrated formal methods, IFM’10, pages 215–228, Berlin, Heidelberg. Springer-Verlag (2010)

  28. UML profile for modeling and analysis of real-time and embedded systems (MARTE). Version 1.0, OMG document (2009)

  29. Mathworks. Simulink. [online]. http://www.mathworks.com/products/simulink/

  30. Mazzini, S., Latella, D., Viva, D.: PRIDE: An integrated software development environment for dependable systems. DASIA 2004: Data Systems in, Aerospace (2004)

  31. Mussa, M., Ouchani, S., Al Sammane, W., Hamou-Lhadj, A.: A survey of model-driven testing techniques. Quality Software, International Conference on, pages 167–172, (2009)

  32. UML testing profile (2012). Version 1.1, OMG document.

  33. Selic, B.: A systematic approach to domain-specific language design using UML. In ISORC ’07, pages 2–9, Washington, DC, USA. IEEE Computer Society (2007)

  34. Woodcock, J., Larsen, P.G., Bicarregui, J., Fitzgerald, J.: Formal methods: Practice and experience. ACM Computing Surveys, 41(4) (2009)

  35. Zander, J., Schieferdecker, I., Mosterman, P. J.: A taxonomy of model-based testing for embedded systems from multiple industry domains. Model-Based Testing for Embedded Systems, pages 3–22 (2011)

Download references

Acknowledgments

This paper is partially supported by research project CRYSTAL (Critical System Engineering Acceleration), funded from the ARTEMIS Joint Undertaking under Grant agreement No. 332830 and from ARTEMIS member states Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dipartimento di Matematica e Fisica, Seconda Università di Napoli, Viale Lincoln, 5, 81100 , Caserta, Italy

    Stefano Marrone

  2. AnsaldoSTS, Via Nuova delle Brecce 260, 80147 , Naples, NA, Italy

    Francesco Flammini

  3. Dipartimento di Ingegneria Elettrica e Tecnologie dell’Informazione, Università di Napoli “Federico II”, Via Claudio 21, 80125 , Naples, Italy

    Nicola Mazzocca, Roberto Nardone & Valeria Vittorini

Authors
  1. Stefano Marrone
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Francesco Flammini
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Nicola Mazzocca
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Roberto Nardone
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Valeria Vittorini
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Roberto Nardone.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Marrone, S., Flammini, F., Mazzocca, N. et al. Towards Model-Driven V&V assessment of railway control systems. Int J Softw Tools Technol Transfer 16, 669–683 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10009-014-0320-7

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10009-014-0320-7

Keywords

Search

Navigation