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Integrating stochastic reasoning into Event-B development

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Formal Aspects of Computing

Abstract

Dependability is a property of a computer system to deliver services that can be justifiably trusted. Formal modelling and verification techniques are widely used for development of dependable computer-based systems to gain confidence in the correctness of system design. Such techniques include Event-B—a state-based formalism that enables development of systems correct-by-construction. While Event-B offers a scalable approach to ensuring functional correctness of a system, it leaves aside modelling of non-functional critical properties, e.g., reliability and responsiveness, that are essential for ensuring dependability of critical systems. Both reliability, i.e., the probability of the system to function correctly over a given period of time, and responsiveness, i.e., the probability of the system to complete execution of a requested service within a given time bound, are defined as quantitative stochastic measures. In this paper, we propose an extension of the Event-B semantics to enable stochastic reasoning about dependability-related non-functional properties of cyclic systems. We define the requirements that a cyclic system should satisfy and introduce the notions of reliability and responsiveness refinement. Such an extension integrates reasoning about functional correctness and stochastic modelling of non-functional characteristics into the formal system development. It allows the designer to ensure that a developed system does not only correctly implement its functional requirements but also satisfies given non-functional quantitative constraints.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Åbo Akademi University, Joukahaisenkatu 3-5, 20520, Turku, Finland

    Anton Tarasyuk, Elena Troubitsyna & Linas Laibinis

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  1. Anton Tarasyuk
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  2. Elena Troubitsyna
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  3. Linas Laibinis
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Correspondence to Anton Tarasyuk.

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Michael J. Butler

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Tarasyuk, A., Troubitsyna, E. & Laibinis, L. Integrating stochastic reasoning into Event-B development. Form Asp Comp 27, 53–77 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00165-014-0305-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00165-014-0305-z

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