Behaviour-Driven Formal Model Development

Snook, Colin; Hoang, Thai Son; Dghyam, Dana; Butler, Michael; Fischer, Tomáš; Schlick, Rupert; Wang, Keming

doi:10.1007/978-3-030-02450-5_2

Cited by 11 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…It would be greatly appreciated if specified scenarios could be replayed automatically on change, and, if applicable, differences in encountered states are immediately reported. Therefore, in the future, we plan to put more focus on tool-ing for scenario replay and B model regression tests (see also [32]).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Validation and real-life demonstration of ETCS hybrid level 3 principles using a formal B model

Hansen

Leuschel

Körner

et al. 2020

Int J Softw Tools Technol Transfer

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In this article, we present a concrete realisation of the ETCS hybrid level 3 concept, whose practical viability was evaluated in a field demonstration in 2017. Hybrid level 3 introduces virtual subsections as subdivisions of classical track sections with trackside train detection. Our approach introduces an add-on for the radio block centre (RBC) of Thales, called virtual block function (VBF), which computes the occupation states of the virtual subsections using the train position reports, train integrity information, and the track occupation states. From the perspective of the RBC, the VBF behaves as an interlocking that transmits all signal aspects for virtual signals introduced for each virtual subsection to the RBC. We report on the development of the VBF, implemented as a formal B model executed at runtime using ProB and successfully used in a field demonstration to control real trains. Keywords B-method • Animation • Model-based testing • Model checking • ETCS

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Validation and real-life demonstration of ETCS hybrid level 3 principles using a formal B model

Hansen

Leuschel

Körner

et al. 2020

Int J Softw Tools Technol Transfer

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“…In [20], we described our specialisation of Cucumber for Event-B and iUML-B with the purpose of automatically executing of scenarios for Event-B and iUML-B models. Cucumber [21] is a framework for executing acceptance tests written in Gherkin language and provides Gherkin language parser, test automation as well as report generation.…”

Section: ) Cucumber For Event-b/iuml-bmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In our previous work [20], we presented an approach for formal systems modelling and validation based on BDD. In this paper, we extend the forementioned approach and defined a process pattern for systematic verification and testing ( Fig.…”

Section: A Process Pattern For Systematic Verification and Testingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Behaviour-Driven Development (BDD) [14], [17] is a software development process based on writing precise semiformal scenarios as a behavioural specification and using them as acceptance tests. In [20], we proposed a Behaviour-Driven Formal Model Development (BDFMD) process where manually authored scenarios are used initially to support the requirements and help the modeller and then used to verify behavioural properties of the model. Model mutation is then used to automatically generate further scenarios that have a more complete coverage than the manual ones.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Section II gives an overview of the case study and a summary of the tools and languages used in the process. Section III describes our BDFMD approach and how it has developed compared to [20]. Section IV introduces our formal model and, in more detail, how we tackled each stage of the BDFMD process on the case study.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Behaviour-Driven Formal Model Development of the ETCS Hybrid Level 3

Butler

Dghaym

Hoang

et al. 2019

2019 24th International Conference on Engineering of Complex Computer Systems (ICECCS)

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Behaviour driven formal model development (BDFMD) enables domain engineers to influence and validate mathematically precise and verified specifications. In previous work we proposed a process where manually authored scenarios are used initially to support the requirements and help the modeller. The same scenarios are used to verify behavioural properties of the model. The model is then mutated to automatically generate scenarios that have a more complete coverage than the manual ones. These automatically generated scenarios are used to animate the model in a final acceptance stage. In this paper, we discuss lessons learned from applying this BDFMD process to a real-life specification: The European Train Control Systems (ETCS) Hybrid Level 3. During the case study, we have developed our understanding of the process, modifying the way we do some stages and developing improved tool support to make the process more efficient. We discuss (1) the need for abstract scenarios during incremental model development and verification, (2) tools and techniques developed to make the running of scenarios more efficient, and (3) improvements to tools that generate new test cases to improve coverage.

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Domain-Specific Scenarios for Refinement-Based Methods

Snook

Hoang

Dghaym

et al. 2019

Communications in Computer and Information Science

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Formal methods use abstraction and rigorously verified refinement to manage the design of complex systems, ensuring that they satisfy important invariant properties. However, formal verification is not sufficient: models must also be tested to ensure that they behave according to the informal requirements and validated by domain experts who may not be expert in formal modelling. This can be satisfied by scenarios that complement the requirements specification. The model can be animated to check that the scenario is feasible in the model and that the model reaches states expected in the scenario. However, there are two problems with this approach. 1) The provided scenarios are at the most concrete level corresponding to the full requirements and cannot be used until all the refinements have been completed in the model. 2) The natural language used to describe the scenarios is often verbose, ambiguous and therefore difficult to understand; especially if the modeller is not a domain expert. In this paper we propose a method of abstracting scenarios from concrete ones so that they can be used to test early refinements of the model. We also show by example how a precise and concise domain specific language can be used for writing these abstract scenarios in a style that can be easily understood by the domain expert (for validation purposes) as well as the modeller (for behavioural verification). We base our approach on the Cucumber framework for scenarios and the Event-B modelling language and tool set. We illustrate the proposed methods on the ERTMS/ETCS Hybrid Level 3 specification for railway controls.

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Behaviour-Driven Formal Model Development

Cited by 11 publications

References 16 publications

Validation and real-life demonstration of ETCS hybrid level 3 principles using a formal B model

Validation and real-life demonstration of ETCS hybrid level 3 principles using a formal B model

Behaviour-Driven Formal Model Development of the ETCS Hybrid Level 3

Domain-Specific Scenarios for Refinement-Based Methods

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