Model-based software design and validation

Abstract

A new computer language, which is based on a formal, mathematical state-machine model, and which is used both to validate and to generate code for a distributed system, in general, enables developing a system using multiple related system specifications, for instance, using system specifications at multiple levels of abstraction or using multiple system decompositions into parallel combinations of interacting systems, and allows use of validation tools to verify properties of these systems and their relationships. The language includes constructs for specifying non-deterministic actions, and for specifying constraints on those non-deterministic choices. Several well-defined sub-languages of the full computer language are also defined. These sub-languages are used to specify the input of some tools, in particular, of some code generators. One method for developing a software implementation of a distributed system using the present invention includes accepting a design specification for the distributed system, and applying a validation procedure to the design specification to verify that the system has desired properties. This validation includes applying a theorem proving procedure to the design specification. The method also includes applying a code generating procedure to the specification to generate multiple software implementations for components of the distributed system.