Verification and Validation of Temporal Models in Safety Critical Software Development Cycle A Unified Modeling Language Approach

Abstract

Unified Modeling Language (UML) is a widely accepted modelling newlinelanguage with versatile capabilities for visualising, specifying, constructing, and newlinedocumenting software systems. Currently, UML models are used for modelling all newlinekinds of systems, including real-time and embedded systems. These systems, newlineespecially those used in safety-critical applications, have distinct features like newlinetiming constraints, safety characteristics and asynchronous interaction with the newlineoperating environment. The timeliness requirements, concurrent event handling, newlineand high availability and dependability attributes make embedded system newlinesoftware design too complex for the designer. Assurance of these features newlinedetermines the successful operation of embedded systems used in safety and newlinemission-critical applications. Verifying the UML model before implementation is newlinebinding in such cases, primarily to avoid unforeseen behaviour during operation newlineleading to unexpected system states and error conditions. This error states, if newlineconceived duly during the modelling and analysis phase, recovery states can be newlineenvisaged, bringing forth fault-tolerant visual models and fail-safe systems after newlinemodel verification, making requirement validation possible early in the embedded newlinesystem software development cycle. Also, there are applications of too complex newlinesystems such that post-implementation validation testing using simulation-based newlinemethods is inadequate, and hence the model verification is the only option newlineavailable. newlineThe research seeks an answer to whether a UML-based robust modelling newlineand verification methodology assuring the highest degree of confidence in newlineaccomplishing functional and non-functional requirements prior to the newlineimplementation phase exists for practical use in the safety-critical embedded newlinesystem software development cycle. newline