Model-driven performance analysis of rule-based domain specific visual models

Context: Domain-Specific Visual Languages (DSVLs) play a crucial role in Model-Driven Engineering (MDE). Most DSVLs already allow the specification of the structure and behavior of systems. However, there is also an increasing need to model, simulate and reason about their non-functional properties....

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Troya Castilla, Javier, Vallecillo Moreno, Antonio, Durán, Francisco, Zschaler, Steffen
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión enviada para evaluación y publicación
Fecha de publicación:2013
País:España
Institución:Universidad de Sevilla (US)
Repositorio:idUS. Depósito de Investigación de la Universidad de Sevilla
OAI Identifier:oai:idus.us.es:11441/73223
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/11441/73223
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.infsof.2012.07.009
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Model-Driven Engineering
Domain specific visual languages
Performance Analysis
Simulation
Descripción
Sumario:Context: Domain-Specific Visual Languages (DSVLs) play a crucial role in Model-Driven Engineering (MDE). Most DSVLs already allow the specification of the structure and behavior of systems. However, there is also an increasing need to model, simulate and reason about their non-functional properties. In particular, QoS usage and management constraints (performance, reliability, etc.) are essential characteristics of any non-trivial system. Objective: Very few DSVLs currently offer support for modeling these kinds of properties. And those which do, tend to require skilled knowledge of specialized notations, which clashes with the intuitive nature of DSVLs. In this paper we present an alternative approach to specify QoS properties in a high-level and platform-independent manner. Method: We propose the use of special objects (observers) that can be added to the graphical specification of a system for describing and monitoring some of its non-functional properties. Results: Observers allow extending the global state of the system with the variables that the designer wants to analyze, being able to capture the performance properties of interest. A performance evaluation tool has also been developed as a proof of concept for the proposal. Conclusion: The results show how non-functional properties can be specified in DSVLs using observers, and how the performance of systems specified in this way can be evaluated in a flexible and effective way.