Formal Methods for the Development and Verification of Autonomic IT Systems

2011 ◽  
pp. 1-37 ◽  
Author(s):  
Radu Calinescu ◽  
Shinji Kikuchi ◽  
Marta Kwiatkowska
Keyword(s):  
Formal Methods ◽  
Formal Specification ◽  
Autonomic Computing ◽  
Ad Hoc ◽  
Conflict Detection ◽  
It Systems ◽  
Challenges And Opportunities ◽  
Quantitative Verification ◽  
Mathematical Techniques

This chapter explores ways in which rigorous mathematical techniques, termed formal methods, can be employed to improve the predictability and dependability of autonomic computing. Model checking, formal specification, and quantitative verification are presented in the contexts of conflict detection in autonomic computing policies, and of implementation of goal and utility-function policies in autonomic IT systems, respectively. Each of these techniques is illustrated using a detailed case study, and analysed to establish its merits and limitations. The analysis is then used as a basis for discussing the challenges and opportunities of this endeavour to transition the development of autonomic IT systems from the current practice of using ad-hoc methods and heuristic towards a more principled approach.

Formal Approaches to Systems Analysis Using UML

2002 ◽  
pp. 324-341
Author(s):  
Jonathan Whittle
Keyword(s):  
Formal Methods ◽  
Development Strategy ◽  
Ad Hoc ◽  
Formal Analysis ◽  
Daily Basis ◽  
Software Systems ◽  
Industry Standard ◽  
Mathematical Techniques ◽  
Software Lifecycle ◽  
Modeling Level

Formal methods, whereby a system is described and/or analyzed using precise mathematical techniques, is a well-established and yet, under-used approach for developing software systems. One of the reasons for this is that project deadlines often impose an unsatisfactory development strategy in which code is produced on an ad hoc basis without proper thought about the requirements and design of the piece of software in mind. The result is a large, often poorly documented and un-modular monolith of code that does not lend itself to formal analysis. Because of their complexity, formal methods work best when code is well structured, e.g., when they are applied at the modeling level. UML is a modeling language that is easily learned by system developers and, more importantly, an industry standard, which supports communication between the various project stakeholders. The increased popularity of UML provides a real opportunity for formal methods to be used on a daily basis within the software lifecycle. Unfortunately, the lack of precision of UML means that many formal techniques cannot be applied directly. If formal methods are to be given the place they deserve within UML, a more precise description of UML must be developed. This chapter surveys recent attempts to provide such a description, as well as techniques for analyzing UML models formally.

An Object-Z Specification of a Petrol Supply System

2013 ◽  
Vol 427-429 ◽  
pp. 2349-2353
Author(s):  
Yang Ping Li ◽  
Wei Quan Zhao ◽  
Xiao Rui Wei
Keyword(s):  
Complex Systems ◽  
Formal Methods ◽  
Formal Specification ◽  
Object Oriented ◽  
Supply System ◽  
Data Intensive ◽  
Z Language ◽  
Complex Computer ◽  
Formal Specification Language

As modern complex computer systems become increasingly sophisticated and data-intensive, people have long recognized the importance of precisely and unambiguously specifying them with formal methods. This paper advocates the use of Object-Z, a formal specification language, in the description of complex systems. Object-Z is an extension to the Z language to facilitate specification in an object-oriented style. First, we informally describe the syntax and semantics of Object-Z, highlighting those features that facilitate decomposing a large system into a collection of underlying objects and thus separating concerns. Then, we demonstrate the use of Object-Z by presenting a case study of a petrol supply system, illustrating how the system runs by communicating the constituent objects. Finally, we discuss several issues we encountered in this exercise, which may serve as feedback to the development of Object-Z.

scholarly journals Managed Learning Environments in Universities: Are they Achievable?

2012 ◽  
Vol 3 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ray Stoneham
Keyword(s):  
Learning Environments ◽  
Ad Hoc ◽  
Added Value ◽  
Core System ◽  
Fully Integrated ◽  
It Systems ◽  
Current Student ◽  
The University ◽  
Central Services

This case study identifies the main aspects of the CMS MLE, and gives details of the benefits it provides. The CMS MLE has ad hoc links to a range of corporate IT systems to ensure current student and course data is used, and provides much added value to School managers, administrators, lecturers and students. It is a key component of the School’s QA systems. It could be seen as a prototype, parts of which could be scaled up and fully integrated into corporate systems to provide an MLE solution for a university. Preliminary discussions have taken place with central services for the University of Greenwich to take this forward and a prototype core system is currently being developed.

scholarly journals A Programming Approach to Collective Autonomy

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 27
Author(s):  
Roberto Casadei ◽  
Gianluca Aguzzi ◽  
Mirko Viroli
Keyword(s):  
Autonomous Vehicles ◽  
Autonomic Computing ◽  
Autonomous Agents ◽  
Programming Approach ◽  
Multi Agent Systems ◽  
Agent Systems ◽  
Multi Agent ◽  
Simulated Case ◽  
Complex Settings

Research and technology developments on autonomous agents and autonomic computing promote a vision of artificial systems that are able to resiliently manage themselves and autonomously deal with issues at runtime in dynamic environments. Indeed, autonomy can be leveraged to unburden humans from mundane tasks (cf. driving and autonomous vehicles), from the risk of operating in unknown or perilous environments (cf. rescue scenarios), or to support timely decision-making in complex settings (cf. data-centre operations). Beyond the results that individual autonomous agents can carry out, a further opportunity lies in the collaboration of multiple agents or robots. Emerging macro-paradigms provide an approach to programming whole collectives towards global goals. Aggregate computing is one such paradigm, formally grounded in a calculus of computational fields enabling functional composition of collective behaviours that could be proved, under certain technical conditions, to be self-stabilising. In this work, we address the concept of collective autonomy, i.e., the form of autonomy that applies at the level of a group of individuals. As a contribution, we define an agent control architecture for aggregate multi-agent systems, discuss how the aggregate computing framework relates to both individual and collective autonomy, and show how it can be used to program collective autonomous behaviour. We exemplify the concepts through a simulated case study, and outline a research roadmap towards reliable aggregate autonomy.

scholarly journals Towards Sustainable Mobility? The Influence of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Romanian Mobile Citizens in Spain

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (7) ◽  
pp. 4023
Author(s):  
Silvia Marcu
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development Goals ◽  
Human Mobility ◽  
Sustainable Mobility ◽  
The Sustainable Development ◽  
New Models ◽  
Challenges And Opportunities ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
Depth Interviews

Using the case study of Romanians in Spain, this article highlights how the COVID-19 crisis presents both challenges and opportunities when it comes to human mobility and sustainability. Drawing on in-depth interviews with mobile people during the period of lockdown and circulation restrictions, and in accordance with the objectives of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the paper advances and contributes to the relevance of sustainability and its impact on people’s mobility in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. I argue that even in the midst of the crisis, sustainable ways may be found to promote and protect human mobility. The paper raises the way sustainability acts as a driver, gains relevance and influence, and contributes to the creation of new models of resilient mobility in times of crisis. The conclusions defend the respect for the SDGs regarding human mobility and emphasise the role of people on the move as sustainable actors learning to overcome distance and the barriers to their mobility during the pandemic.

scholarly journals Towards a Digital Workerism: Workers’ Inquiry, Methods, and Technologies

NanoEthics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jamie Woodcock
Keyword(s):  
Digital Technology ◽  
Communication Technologies ◽  
Technology Studies ◽  
Call Centres ◽  
Challenges And Opportunities ◽  
Digital Work

AbstractDigital technology is playing an increasingly visible role in the organisation of many people’s work—as well as large parts of their lives more broadly. The concerns of emancipatory technology studies, or other critical accounts of technology, are often focused on finding alternative uses of technology. In many workplace contexts—from call centres to platform work—the imperatives of capital are deeply written into these technologies. Yet at the same time, many capitalist technologies are playing a key role facilitating emerging workers’ struggles. For example, in the case study examined here, Deliveroo drivers rely on communication technologies like WhatsApp to organise against algorithmic management. Drawing on an ongoing workers’ inquiry, this paper seeks to consider what a workerist approach to digital technology can add to these debates. The paper outlines the challenges and opportunities for a “digital workers’ inquiry,” considering how this approach combines research with organising. The argument is divided into two main parts: first, the need for inquiries in digital work and the importance of these and second, how the process of inquiry and co-research (and the methods these involve) can be adapted and refined with digital technology. By starting the critique of technology from the workplace, this paper proposes a workerist account of how technologies can be destroyed or re-appropriated, starting from a reading of workers’ struggle.

scholarly journals Do Camels (Camelus dromedarius) Need Shaded Areas? A Case Study of the Camel Market in Doha

Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 480
Author(s):  
Martina Zappaterra ◽  
Laura Menchetti ◽  
Leonardo Nanni Costa ◽  
Barbara Padalino
Keyword(s):  
Ad Hoc ◽  
The Sun ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Chi Square Test ◽  
Variable Space ◽  
Group 2 ◽  
Sun And Shade ◽  
Poor Welfare ◽  
Group 1

This study aimed at documenting whether dromedary camels have a preference for shade and how their behavior would change depending on the presence of shade and variable space allowance. A total of 421 animals kept in 76 pens (66 with shelter (Group 1), and 10 without shelter (Group 2)) at the camel market in Doha (Qatar) were recorded for 1 min around 11:00 a.m. when the temperature was above 40 °C. The number of animals in the sun and shade and their behaviors were analyzed using an ad libitum sampling method and an ad hoc ethogram. The results of a chi-square test indicated that camels in Group 1 had a clear preference for shade (p < 0.001). The majority of Group 1 camels were indeed observed in the shade (312/421; 74.11%). These camels spent more time in recumbency and ruminating, while standing, walking, and self-grooming were more commonly expressed by the camels in the sun (p < 0.001). Moreover, locomotory stereotypic behaviors (i.e., pacing) increased as space allowance decreased (p = 0.002). Based on the findings of this pilot study, camels demonstrated a preference for shade; shade seemed to promote positive welfare, while overcrowding seemed to trigger stereotypy and poor welfare. Overall, our preliminary results are novel and provide evidence that shaded areas are of paramount importance for camel welfare. Further research, involving designed studies at multiple locations is needed to confirm these results.

scholarly journals The Impact of COVID-19 on Hospitality Industry in Greece and Its Treasured Santorini Island

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (14) ◽  
pp. 7906
Author(s):  
Nikola Medová ◽  
Lucie Macková ◽  
Jaromir Harmacek
Keyword(s):  
Social Impact ◽  
Tourism Sector ◽  
Challenges And Opportunities ◽  
Multiple Variables ◽  
Hospitality Sector ◽  
Tourism And Hospitality ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Further Development

This paper focuses on the dynamic of the recent upheaval in the tourism and hospitality sector due to the COVID-19 epidemic in Greece and Santorini island. It uses the case study of a country one-fourth of whose GDP consists of tourism. We compare the available statistical data showing the change in variables in the previous years with 2020 and look into the new challenges and opportunities posed by the drop in the numbers of visitors and flights. We focus mainly on the economic and social impact on the destination and possible future scenarios for further development in the area. Data show a significant effect of the pandemic on multiple variables, such as the long-term trend of the importance of tourism sector in GDP in Greece, the number of flights and visitors to Greece and Santorini island, and the contribution of tourism and travel to GDP. Based on the available data, we also construct three foresight scenarios that describe the possible futures for Santorini island in terms of the pandemic evolution. These scenarios may help various stakeholders and policymakers to be better prepared for different developments that may appear.

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