Using alloy and UML/OCL to specify run-time configuration management: A case study

Abstract

There are many different ways to specify the requirements of complex software systems, and the optimal methods often vary according to the problem domain. We apply and compare two languages, UML/OCL and Alloy, to specify a problem in one domain, the run-time configuration management of a loosely coupled distributed system, to determine which is more appropriate for this domain. The specific problem that we specify in the case study involves the run-time configuration management of an Asynchronous Transfer Mode / Internet Protocol (ATM/IP) Network Monitoring System. Neither Alloy nor UML/OCL supports the specification of key temporal aspects of the problem. This paper addresses the representation of requirements specification; continuing research will compare the usefulness of the specifications for modeling and design purposes.