Momba: JANI Meets Python

JANI-model [6] is a model interchange format for networks of interacting automata. It is well-entrenched in the quantitative model checking community and allows modeling a variety of systems involving concurrency, probabilistic and real-time aspects, as well as continuous dynamics. Python is a general purpose programming language preferred by many for its ease of use and vast ecosystem. In this paper, we present Momba, a flexible Python framework for dealing with formal models centered around the JANI-model format and formalism. Momba strives to deliver an integrated and intuitive experience for experimenting with formal models making them accessible to a broader audience. To this end, it provides a pythonic interface for model construction, validation, and analysis. Here, we demonstrate these capabilities.

Towards a Multi-Formalism Multi-Solution Framework for Model-Driven Performance Engineering

Model-Driven Performance Engineering (MDPE) uses performance model interchange formats among multiple formalisms and tools to automate performance analysis. Model-to-Model (M2M) transformations convert system specifications into performance specifications and performance specifications to multiple performance model formalisms. Since a single tool is not good for everything, tools for different formalisms provide multiple solutions for evaluation and comparison. This chapter demonstrates transformations from the Performance Model Interchange Format (PMIF) into multiple formalisms: Queueing Network models solved with Java Modeling Tools (JMT), QNAP, and SPE·ED, and Petri Nets solved with PIPE2.

Adoptng Open Source Development Tools in a Commercial Production Environment

Many companies are using model-based techniques to offer a competitive advantage in an increasingly globalised systems development industry. Central to model-based development is the concept of models as the basis from which systems are generated, tested, and maintained. The availability of high-quality tools and the ability to adopt and adapt them to the company practice are important qualities. Model interchange between tools becomes a major issue. Without it, there is significantly reduced flexibility and a danger of tool lock-in. We explore the use of a standardised interchange format (XMI) for increasing flexibility in a company environment. We report on a case study in which a systems development company has explored the possibility of complementing its current proprietary tools with open-source products for supporting its model-based development activities. We found that problems still exist with interchange and that the technology needs to mature before industrial-strength model interchange becomes a reality.

Standards and ontologies in computational systems biology

With the growing importance of computational models in systems biology there has been much interest in recent years to develop standard model interchange languages that permit biologists to easily exchange models between different software tools. In the present chapter two chief model exchange standards, SBML (Systems Biology Markup Language) and CellML are described. In addition, other related features including visual layout initiatives, ontologies and best practices for model annotation are discussed. Software tools such as developer libraries and basic editing tools are also introduced, together with a discussion on the future of modelling languages and visualization tools in systems biology.