Model Engineering on Petri Nets for ISO/IEC 15909-2: API Framework for Petri Net Types Metamodels

ISO/IEC 15909-2 International Standard defines a universal XML-based transfer syntax for Petri nets. The main objective of this exchange format, namely Petri Net Markup Language (PNML), is to enable compatibility and interoperability among heterogeneous Petri net tools, while keeping expressiveness and extensibility. Hence, it shall support different types of Petri nets and be extensible to allow for future types. To make it applicable and integrable at low cost to existing tools, a software framework is proposed to the Petri net community. This framework enables fast and cost-effective tools adaptation to PNML use by bringing forth model engineering techniques through model transformation, backed on OMG’s Model-Driven Architecture principles. This paper shows that the proposed approach is concerned for compliance with the standard, enhancing compatibility between tools. It is realistic and pragmatic. It copes with extensibility issues by allowing fast re-engineering, thanks to model-driven development approach and code generation.