Temporal Analysis of Complex Time-Dependent Systems: an Approach Based on Time Petri Nets, ActorDEVS and HLA

The design of time-dependent systems is challenging because it must fulfil both functional and temporal requirements. A properly abstracted model of one such a system, with temporal aspects only, is often derived and analyzed in order to evaluate the temporal behaviour of the system. Temporal analysis can be based on simulation or (hopefully) on exhaustive state space exploration. The latter techniques, though, are difficult to practice for large system models. In the work described in this paper, Time Petri Nets (TPNs) are preferred to formalize a time-dependent system because they facilitate the expression of concurrency, distribution, synchronization, mutual exclusion etc. concerns. An approach is proposed where a TPN model is mapped on ActorDEVS, a minimal and efficient Java framework supporting parallel or interleaved DEVS model execution. Complex TPN models can be analyzed using distributed simulation of ActorDEVS over HLA. The approach is demonstrated by means of a real-time realistic example.