Henri Basson

Using model checking to control the structural errors in BPMN models

The emergence of BPMN as a standard notation to express the business processes is based on its simplicity of notations and its exhaustive expressiveness. Nevertheless the lack of formal semantics in the BPMN can cause syntactic and structural errors. The former requires less effort to be checked, while the later usually requires attention to prove some properties, like deadlock-freedom and livelock-freedom. In this paper, we address the issue of detecting the structural errors with an approach based on model checking. It verifies the soundness of business process model and helps the business modelers to avoid the deadlocks, livelocks, and multiple terminations errors.

Analysis and manipulation of distributed multi-language software code

The authors propose a formal model and a platform to deal with distributed multi-language software analysis. These provide a graph representation of the software codes (source codes and byte-codes), a change propagation process based on graph rewriting, and an automatic profiling tool to measure the contribution of any component to the global performance of the software. The program codes are structured by a multi-graph in which the nodes represent the software components linked by edges representing the meaningful relationships. The software components and their relationships are extracted from the byte-code files, using the mocha decompiler tool, and from the source codes files, using the Javacc tool. Javacc allows one to generate parsers, based on grammar specification files, which include features to produce an XML (eXtensible Markup Language) representation of the software components. Furthermore, a graph of the software components is constructed on the top of the XML files, providing program analysis. This is implemented by an integrated platform including the mocha decompiler, a multi-language parsing tool, a software change management module, and a profiling tool.

A change propagation model and platform for multi-database applications

In this paper, we propose a formal model and a platform for software change management. The model is based on graphs rewriting, and deals with both multi-language source codes and heterogeneous database schemas. These are represented by software components linked by meaningful relationships. The change impact analysis is done, using a knowledge-based system, that includes impact propagation rules preserving the software consistency. This is implemented by an integrated platform including a multilanguage parsing tool, and a soft-ware change management module.

A Change Impact Analysis Approach for CORBA-Based Federated Databases

In this paper, we propose an approach and a framework for an a priori change impact analysis of database schemas, in federated environment. The approach is based on a model, that describes program source codes and database schemas as software components linked by meaningfully relationships. This model takes into account the software components for both centralized and CORBA-based federated database applications. We deal with the federated issue, in accordance with the Object Database Management Group specifications. The change impact analysis is done, using a Knowledge Based System, that includes impact propagation rules, in a distributed way. This is achieved by proposing a framework, that implements our model, in order to simulate the evolution of CORBA-based federated database schemas.

A knowledge-based system for change impact analysis on software architecture

This paper deals with the change impact analysis for software architectures evolution. Some approaches have been proposed for integrating the evolution issue at the architectural level. However, none of these studies the impact assessment between the software architecture and its related source code. To deal with that, we propose a model, called ASCM (Architectural Software Components Model), on which we define our change propagation process. Our model describes the common elements defined in an architecture description, independently of architecture description languages (ADLs). The change propagation process is based on a knowledge-based system, in which the model instances are stored. When a modification is applied on these, propagation rules are fired to simulate the impact on software architecture and on its source code. This is done using a platform developed on the top of Eclipse Environment.

Software evolution control towards a better identification of change impact propagation

The software evolution is often a continuous process necessary to avoid a short longevity of software use. The evolution control requires analysis to be processed respectively before and after software change implementation. First, an a priori change impact analysis is required to help decisions takers by estimation of intended impact and its propagation to other software components. Secondly, an a posteriori change analysis is destined to estimate to what extent the goals of implemented changes have been effectively reached. Both invoked analysis of change impact require an exhaustive description of individual software components as well as their various types of interdependency. In our paper, we propose an exhaustive stratified description of software components using formal modeling, aiming at providing better change impact analysis. The proposed description focuses on software elements which may play role in change impact and the propagation of its effects from directly modified component to other components of the whole software.

Analyzing the ripple effects of change in business process models

Change management is a critical task to control the side effects of a modification during the business process evolution. The evolution of business processes is an essential activity for the companies to better fulfill the requirements of their customers and different stakeholders. In this respect, the enterprises should adopt an effective mechanism in order to achieve the flexible business process models. It is important to identify and highlight the ripple effects of a change for minimizing their impact on other parts or entities of the system and associated services. This paper proposes a dependency-centric approach for change impact analysis. We attempt to demonstrate the change impact propagation in business process models by detecting and analyzing the interdependencies among all parts of business processes along with associated services. It can support the maintenance and evolution of business process models. The major objective is to help the modelers and business experts to assess the associated risk of intended changes and estimate the effort required for their accomplishments.

Towards a better control of change impact propagation

The software evolution requires an exhaustive understanding of all the artifacts or components composing the software. In fact, any intended change may generate an impact propagated to the various software components through the different kind of relationships relating them. This situation is generally called the ripple effect and may cause several types of damages or side effects. In this paper, we focus on the potential flow of change impact propagation as provoked by the carried out change. For that purpose, we propose a structural model of software evolution (SMSE). This model is intended to represent and manage the different software artifacts and their relationships. The instantiated SMSE is used to built a knowledge base system providing, among other facilities, an assistance to the designer (or engineer) of software evolution for an a priori assessment of the change impact. The major aim of the system is to help a systematic analysis of the change impact and the identification of its propagation.

On Building an Integrated and Generic Platform for Software Quality Evaluation

In this paper, we introduce an approach and tools dealing with the software quality modelling and evaluation. The approach is based on the use of both the model transformation and the machine learning. We first define a software quality ontology formalised by an UML class diagram. The ontology serves then as a quality meta-model that must be instantiated to produce quality models for specific domains or projects. The instantiation is achieved by the combination of the model transformation implemented by graph rewriting rules and the machine learning aiming at discover specific relationships relating the software quality concepts. The approach is implemented by a platform based on the use of GXL(graph exchange language) and AGG that is a graph rewriting system

Ontology-Based Change Impact Assessment in Dynamic Business Processes

The business process models are often subjected to change rapidly in order to cope with the market demands. It may be useful for companies to adapt a monitoring mechanism to achieve flexible business process models. It is also desirable to control the ripple effects of a change on whole or part of the business process and its running instances. It requires an exhaustive understanding of concerned changes and their application levels. In this article, we propose a methodology based on dependency analysis for an a priori change impact analysis in the business process models. The approach is based on the ontology definitions to describe the dependency relationships. The major objective is to obtain a knowledge base to help the designers and business experts to estimate the associated risk of intended changes and the effort required for their implementation.