Language-Oriented Formal Analysis: a Case Study on Protocols and Distributed Systems

Carlos Bazilio, Edward Hermann Haeusler, Markus Endler
2007 Electronical Notes in Theoretical Computer Science  
The main motivation of this paper is to describe an architecture that intends to ease the verification of distributed algorithms and protocols (possibly mobile) through model checking. The core of the architecture is the protocol specification language (LEP), which has constructions, called pronouns, that allows for high-level specification. This means a much less verbose specification, when compared with the general-purpose specification language of the model checker used in our experiments.
more » ... rough a two-step process, LEP spec- ifications are translated into the language of a model checker and the result is translated back to LEP. A formal communication model is used in the translation process in order to allow the use of different model checkers. Currently the prototype of the architecture uses the model checkers Spin and SMV. Among the experiments performed with the prototype, DSR (Dynamic Source Routing -a protocol for ad-hoc networks) [11] is presented here. Some aspects such as the size and complexity of the specifications found in the manual specification of this protocol, motivated us to propose the architecture.
doi:10.1016/j.entcs.2007.03.022 fatcat:tfk2nkauqzdbrcjoagyouanle4