Projects

Currently I'm involved in one project at SRI International and further four projects at TU Braunschweig. Three projects in which I've been participating have been terminated. I was responsible for cooperations with industrial partners in Braunschweig.

In the following the main ideas of the projects are briefly summarized:

Active Networks:

The aim of this project is to develop and test protocol architectures which allow the flexible and rapid generation, reconfiguration, and application of new network-management-services;
DARPA, since 1997.

Objectmodules:

The aim of the project is to develop a model for generic in-the-large modules for the specification of distributed information systems. In particular, we aim at extending the specification language TROLL with a module concept and a simple concept for distribution;
DFG, since 1996.

CATC - Computer Aided Testing and Certifying:

This project is a cooperation with Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB) in Braunschweig (Federal Institute of Weights and Measures). It aims at developing an information system for supporting staff and operators in group 3.5 of PTB that is concerned with explosion proof testing of electrical equipment, and issuing certifications. Only after approval and certification by PTB, such equipment is allowed to be operated in hazardous environment;
PTB, since 1993.

TROLL:

The TROLL language (Textual Represenation of an Object Logic Language) aims at modeling and specifying information systems on a high level of abstraction. The emphasis is on combining conceptual modeling and formal specification techniques with techniques for modeling distribution and concurrency. TROLL is object-oriented. For in-the-small specification, a combination of simple declarative and operational constructs is used. For in-the-large specification, objects may be specialized using inheritance and composed to form complex objects and concurrent object systems. Interaction between objects is expressed by synchronous action calling;
DFG, BMFT KORSO (1991-1994), EU (ISCORE 1989-1995), OBLOG Software SA Lisbon.

Object-theorie:

Object-orientation needs theoretical underpinning in order to provide clean concepts and reliable foundations for languages like TROLL. The approach to object theory combines ideas from algebraic data type theory, conceptual data modeling, behavior modeling, specification of reactive systems, and concurrency theory. Object specification in-the-small is based on linear temporal logic. In-the-large specification deals with inheritance and composition. For specifying concurrent object systems, we use an extension called distributed temporal logic that is based on n-agent logic. The logics are interpreted in labelled event structures. Objects correspond to sequential event structures, and distributed object systems correspond to locally sequential event structures. Synchronous and symmetric ``handshake'' communication is modelled by shared events. The distinguishing feature of this approach is that it expresses noninterleaving concurrency while the logic does not explicitly talk about concurrency, specifying from the local viewpoints of objects in the system and not from that of an external observer;
DFG, EU (ISCORE 1989-1995, COMPASS 1989-1996).

Terminated projects:

COMPASS:

a COMPrehensive Algebraic approach to Systems Specification and development; EU 1989-1996.

ISCORE:

Information Systems - COrrectness and REusability; EU 89-95.

KORSO:

KORrekte SOftware (correct software); BMFT 1991-1994.