Verification of Quantitative Temporal Properties in RealTime-DEVS

2024-09-27

arXiv.org

AI Summary

Quantitative timing properties in RT-DEVS models are difficult to verify rigorously, and conventional simulation often misses subtle timing defects. Method: This paper proposes a verification framework integrating Uppaal model checking with automaton-based observers—introducing, for the first time, observer technology tailored for quantitative timing analysis of RT-DEVS models—and designs a timing property mutation technique to enable fault-directed, targeted verification. The approach supports automated checking of periodic timing constraints (e.g., “triggered every T time units”). Contribution/Results: Applied to a railway control case study, the method successfully uncovers hidden timing discrepancies between model specifications and implementations. Experiments demonstrate that it overcomes inherent limitations of traditional simulation, significantly improving both the completeness of real-time system timing property verification and the precision of defect localization.

Technology Category

• Planning, Routing, and Scheduling: Model-Based Reasoning
• Knowledge Representation and Reasoning: Qualitative Reasoning
• Constraint Satisfaction and Optimization: Satisfiability Modulo Theories

Application Category

• Web Mining and Content Analysis: Models for Web evolution
• Systems and Infrastructure for Web, Mobile and WoT: Experiences and lessons learnt from Web-based algorithms and system deployments
• User Modeling, Personalization and Recommendation: User modeling and simulation for interactive and conversational systems

Abstract

Real-Time DEVS (RT-DEVS) can model systems with quantitative temporal requirements. Ensuring that such models verify that kind of temporal properties requires to use something beyond simulation. In this work we use the model checker Uppaal to verify a class of recurrent quantitative temporal properties appearing in RT-DEVS models, even though Uppaal cannot deal in general with this kind of properties. In order to overcome these limitations we use the technique known as automata observer. Secondly, by introducing mutations to quantitative temporal properties we are able to find errors in RT-DEVS models and their implementations. A case study from the railway domain is presented.

Problem

• Verify quantitative temporal properties in RT-DEVS models
• Overcome Uppaal's limitations using automata observer technique
• Detect errors in RT-DEVS via mutated temporal properties

Innovation

• Uppaal model checker for RT-DEVS verification
• Automata observer technique overcomes Uppaal limits
• Mutation of temporal properties detects model errors