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

A collection of comprehensive surveys by leading researchers that introduces and compares the major specification notations and modelling techniques.

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.