Synchronizing concurrent model updates based on bidirectional transformation

Xiong, Yingfei; Song, Hui; Hu, Zhenjiang; Takeichi, Masato

doi:10.1007/s10270-010-0187-3

Cited by 36 publications

(29 citation statements)

References 21 publications

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“…Finally, we restricted our presentation of method patterns to the main patterns that were repeatedly used for the research projects described in this paper. Further (catalogues of) consistency management patterns include (i) different strategies for handling concurrent changes in multiple domains [39], (ii) strategies for handling traceability, mapping, change detection, and (resource) allocation scenarios involving a synergistic combination of bx approaches (e.g., TGGs and constraints solvers [32]), and (iii) strategies for coping with non-deterministic scenarios [2] requiring (a combination of) user interaction and an optimisation phase.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Description Languages for Consistency Management Scenarios Based on Examples from the Industry Automation Domain

et al. 2018

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To cope with the increasing complexity of developing and maintaining modern (software) systems, multiple abstractions (models) of the same system can be established and used to allow different domain experts to collaborate and contribute their respective expertise. This divide-and-conquer, model-based approach requires, however, support for a concurrent engineering process, i.e., providing a means of checking, restoring, and ensuring the consistency of all involved and concurrently maintained models. The task of providing such support is often referred to as consistency management.Although there exist various approaches to consistency management and numerous (industrial) case studies described in the literature on bidirectional transformations (bx), there is currently no uniform description of diverse but related industrial applications of model synchronisation and other forms of consistency management. This makes it challenging to detect similarities and differences related to requirements, constraints, applied techniques and tools. It is thus difficult to compare and transfer knowledge gained from (successful) projects to other bx approaches or even other bx tools for the same general approach.In this paper, therefore, we propose a description language for envisioned scenarios in the problem domain of consistency management, as well as a complementary description language for solution strategies in terms of method fragments and method patterns in the solution domain of Model-Driven Engineering (MDE). Our work is inspired by previous research in the bx and MDE communities, and is also based on our collective experience from over ten years of investigating a series of application scenarios in the industry automation section together with Siemens AG as an industrial partner.We use our proposed description languages to discuss a series of application scenarios that are diverse but all require varying forms of support for consistency management. By using a common notation and focusing only on aspects directly related to consistency management, we are able to abstract from project-specific details and uniformly describe how consistency management is required and can be currently supported in the industry automation sector. Based on this formal and macroscopic view of the projects, we provide a systematic discussion of our experience and results applying Triple Graph Grammars (TGGs) as a concrete bx approach in the industry automation domain. ACM CCS 2012 1 Introduction and MotivationThe development and maintenance of increasingly complex software systems often requires a suitable decomposition of the system into multiple abstractions (models), which can be concurrently maintained by experts in their respective domains. Such a concurrent engineering process can be well supported by model-based approaches and techniques, especially approaches to ensure that the consistency of all related models, representing views of the same system, can be maintained via suitable change propagation and synchronisation. Numerous, diver...

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Description Languages for Consistency Management Scenarios Based on Examples from the Industry Automation Domain

et al. 2018

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“…Here, despite the name which indicates where most attention has so far been directed, a bidirectional transformation may in fact relate any number of models; it is an automated means of restoring consistency between them. (The term model synchronisation is also used, although sometimes this is reserved for the case that both of two models are changed [12,37].) Note that restoring consistency typically requires using information about the current state of all the models, not just regenerating one.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Maintaining consistency in networks of models: bidirectional transformations in the large

Stevens

2019

Softw Syst Model

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The model-driven development of systems involves multiple models, metamodels and transformations, and relationships between them. A bidirectional transformation (bx) is usually defined as a means of maintaining consistency between "two (or more)" models. This includes cases where one model may be generated from one or more others, as well as more complex ("symmetric") cases where models record partially overlapping information. In recent years, binary bx, those relating two models, have been extensively studied. Multiary bx, those relating more than two models, have received less attention. In this paper, we consider how a multiary consistency relation may be defined in terms of binary consistency relations and how consistency restoration may be carried out on a network of models and relationships between them. In particular, we consider the circumstances under which we can prove non-interference between several bidirectional transformations that impact on the same model and how the use of a more refined notion of consistency can help in cases where this is not possible. In the process, we develop an abstract theory of parts of a model that are read or modified by a bidirectional transformation. We relate the work to megamodelling and discuss further research that is needed.

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“…Indeed, to avoid surprises, a user should clearly understand the behavior of synchronization procedures implemented by the tool. To formalize the semantics of BX tools and guide their implementation, algebraic frameworks for BX have been studied intensively [8,15,6,19,12].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

From State- to Delta-Based Bidirectional Model Transformations: The Symmetric Case

Diskin

Xiong

Czarnecki

et al. 2011

Model Driven Engineering Languages and Systems

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Abstract. A bidirectional transformation (BX) keeps a pair of interrelated models synchronized. Symmetric BXs are those for which neither model in the pair fully determines the other. We build two algebraic frameworks for symmetric BXs, with one correctly implementing the other, and both being delta-based generalizations of known state-based frameworks. We identify two new algebraic laws-weak undoability and weak invertibility, which capture important semantics of BX and are useful for both state-and delta-based settings. Our approach also provides a flexible tool architecture adaptable to different user's needs.

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Synchronizing concurrent model updates based on bidirectional transformation

Cited by 36 publications

References 21 publications

Description Languages for Consistency Management Scenarios Based on Examples from the Industry Automation Domain

Description Languages for Consistency Management Scenarios Based on Examples from the Industry Automation Domain

Maintaining consistency in networks of models: bidirectional transformations in the large

From State- to Delta-Based Bidirectional Model Transformations: The Symmetric Case

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