Formal Methods for Distributed Processing A Survey of Object-Oriented Approaches

Originally published in 2002, this book presents techniques in the application of formal methods to object-based distributed systems. A major theme of the book is how to formally handle the requirements arising from OO distributed systems, such as dynamic reconfiguration, encapsulation, subtyping, inheritance, and real-time aspects. These may be supported either by enhancing existing notations, such as UML, LOTOS, SDL and Z, or by defining fresh notations, such as Actors, Pi-calculus and Ambients. The major specification notations and modelling techniques are introduced and compared by leading researchers. The book also includes a description of approaches to the specification of non-functional requirements, and a discussion of security issues. Researchers and practitioners in software design, object-oriented computing, distributed systems, and telecommunications systems will gain an appreciation of the relationships between the major areas of concerns and learn how the use of object-oriented based formal methods provides workable solutions.

Preface; Part I. Object-Oriented Distributed Systems: 1. Issues in distributed systems P. F. Linington; 2. Distributed systems, an ODP perspective P. F. Linington; 3. Issues in formal methods H. Bowman and J. Derrick; Part II. Specification Notations: 4. Finite state machine based: SDL R. O. Sinnott and D. Hogrefe; 5. Process calculi: E-LOTOS T. Robles, G. Huecas, J. Quemada, A. Verdejo and L. F. Llana-Dìaz; 6. State-based approaches: from Z to object-Z G. Smith; 7. The united modelling language S. Kent; Part III. Dynamic Reconfiguration: 8. Actors: a model for reasoning about open distributed systems G. A. Agha, P. Thati and R. Ziaei; 9. p-calculi P. Sewell; 10. Mobile mabients l. Cardelli and A. D. Gordon; Part IV. Subtyping: 11. Subtyping in distributed systems J. Indulska; 12. Behavioural subtyping using invariants and constraints B. H. Liskov and J. M. Wing; 13. Behavioural typing for objects and process calculi E. Najm, A. Nimour and J-B. Stefani; Part V. Concurrent OO Language: 14. Reflections in concurrent object-oriented languages H. Masuhara and A. Yonezawa; 15. Inheritance in concurrent objects C. Laneve; Part VI. Nonfunctional Requirements: 16. Multimedia in the E-LOTOS process algebra G. Leduc; 17. Specifying and analysing multimedia systems L. Blair and G. Blair; Part VII. Development Architectures: 18. Piccola - a small composition language F. Achermann, M. Lumpe, J.-G. Schneider and O. Nierstrasz; 19. Specification architectures K. J. Turner and R. O. Sinnott; 20. Viewpoints modelling H. Bowman and J. Derrick; Indices.

This 2002 collection of comprehensive surveys by leading researchers presents techniques in the application of formal methods to object-based distributed systems, including sections on dynamic reconfiguration, encapsulation, subtyping, inheritance, and real-time aspects.