A Semantic Framework for Mode Change Protocols

We present a unified framework for the specification and analysis of mode-change protocols used in multi-mode real-time systems. We propose a highly expressive formalism, called MCP, to model the system behavior during mode transitions, and show how various existing mode change protocols can be described as MCPs. The explicit representation of the MCP model provides a means to analyze the system state during a mode transition as well as during an intra-mode execution. We introduce the concept of feasibility with respect to the MCP model, and give a decidable method for checking the feasibility of a MCP for a given multi-mode system. The formalization of mode change behaviors using the MCP model allows a range of mode change protocols to be modeled, evaluated, and optimized to the specific operations and performance requirements of the system. Besides feasibility analysis, it is also possible to analyze other system behaviors (e.g., delay between modes, buffer backlog) using automata verification techniques. Our framework can also be used to describe mode change semantics of multi-mode systems whose modes/transitions have different criticality levels, or of systems composed of multiple multi-mode components that require different mode change protocols.

[1]  Jeffrey D. Ullman,et al.  Introduction to Automata Theory, Languages and Computation , 1979 .

[2]  電子情報通信学会.  IEICE transactions on information and systems , 1992 .

[3]  Alan Burns,et al.  Mode changes in priority preemptively scheduled systems , 1992, [1992] Proceedings Real-Time Systems Symposium.

[4]  Gerhard Fohler,et al.  Changing Operational Modes in the Context of Pre Run-Time Scheduling (Special Issue on Responsive Computer Systems) , 1993 .

[5]  Giuseppe Lipari,et al.  Elastic task model for adaptive rate control , 1998, Proceedings 19th IEEE Real-Time Systems Symposium (Cat. No.98CB36279).

[6]  Alan Burns,et al.  Schedulability analysis for mode changes in flexible real-time systems , 1998, Proceeding. 10th EUROMICRO Workshop on Real-Time Systems (Cat. No.98EX168).

[7]  Giuseppe Lipari,et al.  Elastic Scheduling for Flexible Workload Management , 2002, IEEE Trans. Computers.

[8]  Wang Yi,et al.  TIMES: A Tool for Schedulability Analysis and Code Generation of Real-Time Systems , 2003, FORMATS.

[9]  Lothar Thiele,et al.  A general framework for analysing system properties in platform-based embedded system designs , 2003, 2003 Design, Automation and Test in Europe Conference and Exhibition.

[10]  Florence Maraninchi,et al.  Mode-Automata: a new domain-specific construct for the development of safe critical systems , 2003, Sci. Comput. Program..

[11]  Alfons Crespo,et al.  Mode Change Protocols for Real-Time Systems: A Survey and a New Proposal , 2004, Real-Time Systems.

[12]  Xin Liu,et al.  A variable rate execution model , 2004, Proceedings. 16th Euromicro Conference on Real-Time Systems, 2004. ECRTS 2004..

[13]  Lui Sha,et al.  Mode change protocols for priority-driven preemptive scheduling , 1989, Real-Time Systems.

[14]  Abdoulaye Gamatié,et al.  Polychronous mode automata , 2006, EMSOFT '06.

[15]  Olivier H. Roux,et al.  A Study of the AADL Mode Change Protocol , 2008, 13th IEEE International Conference on Engineering of Complex Computer Systems (iceccs 2008).

[16]  Alan Burns,et al.  On the meaning of modes in uniprocessor real-time systems , 2008, SAC '08.

[17]  Lothar Thiele,et al.  Reliable mode changes in real-time systems with fixed priority or EDF scheduling , 2009, 2009 Design, Automation & Test in Europe Conference & Exhibition.

[18]  Qian Guangming.  An earlier time for inserting and/or accelerating tasks , 2009, Real-Time Systems.

[19]  Insup Lee,et al.  Compositional Analysis of Multi-mode Systems , 2010, 2010 22nd Euromicro Conference on Real-Time Systems.