Using architecture models to support the generation and operation of component-based adaptive systems

Modelling architectural information is particularly important because of the acknowledged crucial role of software architecture in raising the level of abstraction during development. In the MDE area, the level of abstraction of models has frequently been related to low-level design concepts. However, model-driven techniques can be further exploited to model software artefacts that take into account the architecture of the system and its changes according to variations of the environment. In this paper, we propose model-driven techniques and dynamic variability as concepts useful for modelling the dynamic fluctuation of the environment and its impact on the architecture. Using the mappings from the models to implementation, generative techniques allow the (semi) automatic generation of artefacts making the process more efficient and promoting software reuse. The automatic generation of configurations and reconfigurations from models provides the basis for safer execution. The architectural perspective offered by the models shift focus away from implementation details to the whole view of the system and its runtime change promoting high-level analysis. © 2009 Springer Berlin Heidelberg.

On the Models of Development and Distribution of Software

The notion model of development and distribution of software (MDDS) is introduced and its role for the efficiency of the software products is stressed. Two classical MDDS are presented and some attempts to adapt them to the contemporary trends in web-based software design are described. Advantages and shortcomings of the obtained models are outlined. In conclusion the desired features of a better MDDS for web-based solutions are given.

Models@run.time:foundations, applications, and roadmaps

Traditionally, research on model-driven engineering (MDE) has mainly focused on the use of models at the design, implementation, and verification stages of development. This work has produced relatively mature techniques and tools that are currently being used in industry and academia. However, software models also have the potential to be used at runtime, to monitor and verify particular aspects of runtime behavior, and to implement self-* capabilities (e.g., adaptation technologies used in self-healing, self-managing, self-optimizing systems). A key benefit of using models at runtime is that they can provide a richer semantic base for runtime decision-making related to runtime system concerns associated with autonomic and adaptive systems. This book is one of the outcomes of the Dagstuhl Seminar 11481 on models@run.time held in November/December 2011, discussing foundations, techniques, mechanisms, state of the art, research challenges, and applications for the use of runtime models. The book comprises four research roadmaps, written by the original participants of the Dagstuhl Seminar over the course of two years following the seminar, and seven research papers from experts in the area. The roadmap papers provide insights to key features of the use of runtime models and identify the following research challenges: the need for a reference architecture, uncertainty tackled by runtime models, mechanisms for leveraging runtime models for self-adaptive software, and the use of models at runtime to address assurance for self-adaptive systems.

Project Proposals Development – Entrepreneurship and Reflection in Teaching Information Technology

This work presents a model for development of project proposals by students as an approach to teaching information technology while promoting entrepreneurship and reflection. In teams of 3 to 5 participants, students elaborate a project proposal on a topic they have negotiated with each other and with the teacher. The project domain is related to the practical application of state-of-theart information technology in areas of substantial public interest or of immediate interest to the participants. This gives them ample opportunities for reflection not only on technical but also on social, economic, environmental and other dimensions of information technology. This approach has long been used with students of different years and programs of study at the Faculty of Mathematics and Informatics, Plovdiv University “Paisiy Hilendarski”. It has been found to develop all eight key competences for lifelong learning set forth in the Reference Framework and procedural skills required in real life.

A middleware to support services delivery in a domain-specific virtual machine

The increasing use of model-driven software development has renewed emphasis on using domain-specific models during application development. More specifically, there has been emphasis on using domain-specific modeling languages (DSMLs) to capture user-specified requirements when creating applications. The current approach to realizing these applications is to translate DSML models into source code using several model-to-model and model-to-code transformations. This approach is still dependent on the underlying source code representation and only raises the level of abstraction during development. Experience has shown that developers will many times be required to manually modify the generated source code, which can be error-prone and time consuming. ^ An alternative to the aforementioned approach involves using an interpreted domain-specific modeling language (i-DSML) whose models can be directly executed using a Domain Specific Virtual Machine (DSVM). Direct execution of i-DSML models require a semantically rich platform that reduces the gap between the application models and the underlying services required to realize the application. One layer in this platform is the domain-specific middleware that is responsible for the management and delivery of services in the specific domain. ^ In this dissertation, we investigated the problem of designing the domain-specific middleware of the DSVM to facilitate the bifurcation of the semantics of the domain and the model of execution (MoE) while supporting runtime adaptation and validation. We approached our investigation by seeking solutions to the following sub-problems: (1) How can the domain-specific knowledge (DSK) semantics be separated from the MoE for a given domain? (2) How do we define a generic model of execution (GMoE) of the middleware so that it is adaptable and realizes DSK operations to support delivery of services? (3) How do we validate the realization of DSK operations at runtime? ^ Our research into the domain-specific middleware was done using an i-DSML for the user-centric communication domain, Communication Modeling Language (CML), and for microgrid energy management domain, Microgrid Modeling Language (MGridML). We have successfully developed a methodology to separate the DSK and GMoE of the middleware of a DSVM that supports specialization for a given domain, and is able to perform adaptation and validation at runtime. ^

ArchWiSeN: uma estratégia baseada em modelos para desenvolvimento de aplicações para redes de sensores e atuadores sem fio

Wireless Sensor and Actuator Networks (WSAN) are a key component in Ubiquitous Computing Systems and have many applications in different knowledge domains. Programming for such networks is very hard and requires developers to know the available sensor platforms specificities, increasing the learning curve for developing WSAN applications. In this work, an MDA (Model-Driven Architecture) approach for WSAN applications development called ArchWiSeN is proposed. The goal of such approach is to facilitate the development task by providing: (i) A WSAN domain-specific language, (ii) a methodology for WSAN application development; and (iii) an MDA infrastructure composed of several software artifacts (PIM, PSMs and transformations). ArchWiSeN allows the direct contribution of domain experts in the WSAN application development without the need of specialized knowledge on WSAN platforms and, at the same time, allows network experts to manage the application requirements without the need for specific knowledge of the application domain. Furthermore, this approach also aims to enable developers to express and validate functional and non-functional requirements of the application, incorporate services offered by WSAN middleware platforms and promote reuse of the developed software artifacts. In this sense, this Thesis proposes an approach that includes all WSAN development stages for current and emerging scenarios through the proposed MDA infrastructure. An evaluation of the proposal was performed by: (i) a proof of concept encompassing three different scenarios performed with the usage of the MDA infrastructure to describe the WSAN development process using the application engineering process, (ii) a controlled experiment to assess the use of the proposed approach compared to traditional method of WSAN application development, (iii) the analysis of ArchWiSeN support of middleware services to ensure that WSAN applications using such services can achieve their requirements ; and (iv) systematic analysis of ArchWiSeN in terms of desired characteristics for MDA tool when compared with other existing MDA tools for WSAN.

Supporting Run-time Monitoring of UML-RT through Customizable Monitoring Configurations in PapyrusRT

Model Driven Engineering uses the principle that code can automatically be generated from software models which would potentially save time and cost of development. By this methodology, a systems structure and behaviour can be expressed in more abstract, high level terms without some of the accidental complexity that the use of a general purpose language can bring. Models are the actual implementation of the system unlike in traditional software development where models are often used for documentation purposes only. However once the code is generated from the model, testing and debugging activities tend to happen on the code level and the model is not updated. We believe that monitoring on the model level could potentially facilitate quality assurance activities as the errors are detected in the early phase of development. In this thesis, we create a Monitoring Configuration for an open source model driven engineering tool called PapyrusRT in Eclipse. We support the run-time monitoring of UML-RT elements with a tracing tool called LTTng. We annotate the model with monitoring information to be used by the code generator for adding tracepoint statements for the corresponding elements. We provide the option of a timing specification to discover latency errors on the model. We validate the results by creating and tracing real time models in PapyrusRT.

From data to applications in the Internet of Things

Con la crescita in complessità delle infrastrutture IT e la pervasività degli scenari di Internet of Things (IoT) emerge il bisogno di nuovi modelli computazionali basati su entità autonome capaci di portare a termine obiettivi di alto livello interagendo tra loro grazie al supporto di infrastrutture come il Fog Computing, per la vicinanza alle sorgenti dei dati, e del Cloud Computing per offrire servizi analitici complessi di back-end in grado di fornire risultati per milioni di utenti. Questi nuovi scenarii portano a ripensare il modo in cui il software viene progettato e sviluppato in una prospettiva agile. Le attività dei team di sviluppatori (Dev) dovrebbero essere strettamente legate alle attività dei team che supportano il Cloud (Ops) secondo nuove metodologie oggi note come DevOps. Tuttavia, data la mancanza di astrazioni adeguata a livello di linguaggio di programmazione, gli sviluppatori IoT sono spesso indotti a seguire approcci di sviluppo bottom-up che spesso risulta non adeguato ad affrontare la compessità delle applicazione del settore e l'eterogeneità dei compomenti software che le formano. Poichè le applicazioni monolitiche del passato appaiono difficilmente scalabili e gestibili in un ambiente Cloud con molteplici utenti, molti ritengono necessaria l'adozione di un nuovo stile architetturale, in cui un'applicazione dovrebbe essere vista come una composizione di micro-servizi, ciascuno dedicato a uno specifica funzionalità applicativa e ciascuno sotto la responsabilità di un piccolo team di sviluppatori, dall'analisi del problema al deployment e al management. Poichè al momento non si è ancora giunti a una definizione univoca e condivisa dei microservices e di altri concetti che emergono da IoT e dal Cloud, nè tantomento alla definzione di linguaggi sepcializzati per questo settore, la definzione di metamodelli custom associati alla produzione automatica del software di raccordo con le infrastrutture potrebbe aiutare un team di sviluppo ad elevare il livello di astrazione, incapsulando in una software factory aziendale i dettagli implementativi. Grazie a sistemi di produzione del sofware basati sul Model Driven Software Development (MDSD), l'approccio top-down attualmente carente può essere recuperato, permettendo di focalizzare l'attenzione sulla business logic delle applicazioni. Nella tesi viene mostrato un esempio di questo possibile approccio, partendo dall'idea che un'applicazione IoT sia in primo luogo un sistema software distribuito in cui l'interazione tra componenti attivi (modellati come attori) gioca un ruolo fondamentale.

Generation and Characterisation of a Canine EGFP-HMGA2 Prostate Cancer In Vitro Model

The architectural transcription factor HMGA2 is abundantly expressed during embryonic development. In several malignant neoplasias including prostate cancer, high re-expression of HMGA2 is correlated with malignancy and poor prognosis. The let-7 miRNA family is described to regulate HMGA2 negatively. The balance of let-7 and HMGA2 is discussed to play a major role in tumour aetiology. To further analyse the role of HMGA2 in prostate cancer a stable and highly reproducible in vitro model system is precondition. Herein we established a canine CT1258-EGFP-HMGA2 prostate cancer cell line stably overexpressing HMGA2 linked to EGFP and in addition the reference cell line CT1258-EGFP expressing solely EGFP to exclude EGFP-induced effects. Both recombinant cell lines were characterised by fluorescence microscopy, flow cytometry and immunocytochemistry. The proliferative effect of ectopically overexpressed HMGA2 was determined via BrdU assays. Comparative karyotyping of the derived and the initial CT1258 cell lines was performed to analyse chromosome consistency. The impact of the ectopic HMGA2 expression on its regulator let-7a was analysed by quantitative real-time PCR. Fluorescence microscopy and immunocytochemistry detected successful expression of the EGFP-HMGA2 fusion protein exclusively accumulating in the nucleus. Gene expression analyses confirmed HMGA2 overexpression in CT1258-EGFP-HMGA2 in comparison to CT1258-EGFP and native cells. Significantly higher let-7a expression levels were found in CT1258-EGFP-HMGA2 and CT1258-EGFP. The BrdU assays detected an increased proliferation of CT1258-HMGA2-EGFP cells compared to CT1258-EGFP and native CT1258. The cytogenetic analyses of CT1258-EGFP and CT1258-EGFP-HMGA2 resulted in a comparable hyperdiploid karyotype as described for native CT1258 cells. To further investigate the impact of recombinant overexpressed HMGA2 on CT1258 cells, other selected targets described to underlie HMGA2 regulation were screened in addition. The new fluorescent CT1258-EGFP-HMGA2 cell line is a stable tool enabling in vitro and in vivo analyses of the HMGA2-mediated effects on cells and the development and pathogenesis of prostate cancer.

Uma abordagem dirigida a modelo para a geração de casos de teste baseada na detecção de cenários implícitos

Dissertação (mestrado)—Universidade de Brasília, Instituto de Ciências Exatas, Departamento de Ciência da Computação, 2015.

A Metamodel for Collaboration Formalization

Part 11: Reference and Conceptual Models

Towards Distributed Model Transformations with LinTra

Performance and scalability of model transformations are becoming prominent topics in Model-Driven Engineering. In previous works we introduced LinTra, a platform for executing model transformations in parallel. LinTra is based on the Linda model of a coordination language and is intended to be used as a middleware where high-level model transformation languages are compiled. In this paper we present the initial results of our analyses on the scalability of out-place model-to-model transformation executions in LinTra when the models and the processing elements are distributed over a set of machines.

Towards flexible parsing of structured textual model representations

Existing parsers for textual model representation formats such as XMI and HUTN are unforgiving and fail upon even the smallest inconsistency between the structure and naming of metamodel elements and the contents of serialised models. In this paper, we demonstrate how a fuzzy parsing approach can transparently and automatically resolve a number of these inconsistencies, and how it can eventually turn XML into a human-readable and editable textual model representation format for particular classes of models.

Integration of a graph-based model indexer in commercial modelling tools

Softeam has over 20 years of experience providing UML-based modelling solutions, such as its Modelio modelling tool, and its Constellation enterprise model management and collaboration environment. Due to the increasing number and size of the models used by Softeam’s clients, Softeam joined the MONDO FP7 EU research project, which worked on solutions for these scalability challenges and produced the Hawk model indexer among other results. This paper presents the technical details and several case studies on the integration of Hawk into Softeam’s toolset. The first case study measured the performance of Hawk’s Modelio support using varying amounts of memory for the Neo4j backend. In another case study, Hawk was integrated into Constellation to provide scalable global querying of model repositories. Finally, the combination of Hawk and the Epsilon Generation Language was compared against Modelio for document generation: for the largest model, Hawk was two orders of magnitude faster.

Stress-testing centralised model stores

One of the current challenges in model-driven engineering is enabling effective collaborative modelling. Two common approaches are either storing the models in a central repository, or keeping them under a traditional file-based version control system and build a centralized index for model-wide queries. Either way, special attention must be paid to the nature of these repositories and indexes as networked services: they should remain responsive even with an increasing number of concurrent clients. This paper presents an empirical study on the impact of certain key decisions on the scalability of concurrent model queries, using an Eclipse Connected Data Objects model repository and a Hawk model index. The study evaluates the impact of the network protocol, the API design and the internal caching mechanisms and analyzes the reasons for their varying performance.