Consistency Checking of Conceptual Models via Model Merging

Requirements elicitation involves the construction of large sets of conceptual models. An important step in the analysis of these models is checking their consistency. Existing research largely focuses on checking consistency of individual models and of relationships between pairs of models. However, such strategy does not guarantee global consistency. In this paper, we propose a consistency checking approach that addresses this problem for homogeneous models. Given a set of models and a set of relationships between them, our approach works by first constructing a merged model and then verifying this model against the consistency constraints of interest. By keeping proper traceability information, consistency diagnostics obtained over the merge are projected back to the original models and their relationships. The paper also presents a set of reusable expressions for defining consistency constraints in conceptual modelling. We demonstrate the use of the developed expressions in the specification of consistency rules for class and ER diagrams, and i* goal models.

[1]  Richard F. Paige,et al.  Metamodel-based model conformance and multiview consistency checking , 2007, TSEM.

[2]  Bashar Nuseibeh,et al.  Expressing the relationships between multiple views in requirements specification , 1993, ICSE '93.

[3]  Eric S. K. Yu,et al.  Towards modelling and reasoning support for early-phase requirements engineering , 1997, Proceedings of ISRE '97: 3rd IEEE International Symposium on Requirements Engineering.

[4]  Barry Boehm,et al.  Heterogeneous view integration and its automation , 2000 .

[5]  Gabriele Taentzer,et al.  ViewPoint-oriented software development by distributed graph transformation: towards a basis for living with inconsistencies , 1999, Proceedings IEEE International Symposium on Requirements Engineering (Cat. No.PR00188).

[6]  Martin Gogolla Unified Modeling Language , 2009, Encyclopedia of Database Systems.

[7]  Eric S. K. Yu,et al.  Do viewpoints lead to better conceptual models? An exploratory case study , 2005, 13th IEEE International Conference on Requirements Engineering (RE'05).

[8]  Philip A. Bernstein,et al.  Merging Models Based on Given Correspondences , 2003, VLDB.

[9]  Dirk Beyer,et al.  CrocoPat 2.1 Introduction and Reference Manual , 2004, ArXiv.

[10]  Ivar Jacobson,et al.  Unified Modeling Language , 2020, Definitions.

[11]  Mehrdad Sabetzadeh,et al.  Merging and Consistency Checking of Distributed Models , 2008 .

[12]  Daniel Jackson,et al.  Software Abstractions - Logic, Language, and Analysis , 2006 .

[13]  Michael W. Godfrey,et al.  Concept identification in object-oriented domain analysis: why some students just don't get it , 2005, 13th IEEE International Conference on Requirements Engineering (RE'05).

[14]  George S. Avrunin,et al.  Patterns in property specifications for finite-state verification , 1999, Proceedings of the 1999 International Conference on Software Engineering (IEEE Cat. No.99CB37002).

[15]  Heinrich Hußmann,et al.  Modular architecture for a toolset supporting OCL , 2000, Sci. Comput. Program..

[16]  Bashar Nuseibeh,et al.  Making inconsistency respectable in software development , 2001, J. Syst. Softw..

[17]  Balder ten Cate,et al.  The expressivity of XPath with transitive closure , 2006, PODS.

[18]  Randal E. Bryant,et al.  Graph-Based Algorithms for Boolean Function Manipulation , 1986, IEEE Transactions on Computers.

[19]  Wolfgang Emmerich,et al.  Flexible consistency checking , 2003, TSEM.

[20]  Dirk Beyer,et al.  Efficient relational calculation for software analysis , 2005, IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering.

[21]  Leonid Libkin,et al.  Elements of Finite Model Theory , 2004, Texts in Theoretical Computer Science.

[22]  Mehrdad Sabetzadeh,et al.  Matching and Merging of Statecharts Specifications , 2007, 29th International Conference on Software Engineering (ICSE'07).

[23]  Marsha Chechik,et al.  A framework for multi-valued reasoning over inconsistent viewpoints , 2001, Proceedings of the 23rd International Conference on Software Engineering. ICSE 2001.

[24]  Mehrdad Sabetzadeh,et al.  iVuBlender: a tool for merging incomplete and inconsistent views , 2005, 13th IEEE International Conference on Requirements Engineering (RE'05).

[25]  D. Gabbay,et al.  Inconsistency Handling in Multiperspective Specifications , 1994 .

[26]  Stefano Spaccapietra,et al.  View Integration: A Step Forward in Solving Structural Conflicts , 1994, IEEE Trans. Knowl. Data Eng..

[27]  Mehrdad Sabetzadeh,et al.  A manifesto for model merging , 2006, GaMMa '06.

[28]  Francesca Rossi,et al.  Graph Processes , 1996, Fundam. Informaticae.

[29]  Didar Zowghi,et al.  Reasoning about inconsistencies in natural language requirements , 2005, TSEM.

[30]  Steve M. Easterbrook,et al.  Using ViewPoints for inconsistency management , 1996, Softw. Eng. J..

[31]  F PaigeRichard,et al.  Metamodel-based model conformance and multiview consistency checking , 2007 .

[32]  Mehrdad Sabetzadeh,et al.  View merging in the presence of incompleteness and inconsistency , 2006, Requirements Engineering.

[33]  Grzegorz Rozenberg,et al.  Handbook of Graph Grammars and Computing by Graph Transformations, Volume 1: Foundations , 1997 .

[34]  Axel van Lamsweerde,et al.  Managing Conflicts in Goal-Driven Requirements Engineering , 1998, IEEE Trans. Software Eng..

[35]  Daniel Jackson,et al.  Some Shortcomings of OCL, the Object Constraint Language of UML , 2000, TOOLS.

[36]  Sébastien Konieczny,et al.  On the Logic of Merging , 1998, KR.

[37]  Achim D. Brucker,et al.  Model-Driven Constraint Engineering , 2006, Electron. Commun. Eur. Assoc. Softw. Sci. Technol..