Intuitive Mapping of UML 2 Activity Diagrams into Fundamental Modeling Concept Petri Net Diagrams and Colored Petri Nets

This paper describes how UML 2 Activity diagrams can be intuitively translated into Petri net notations. The UML2 specification states that activities are based on Petri net semantics. The transformation of UML 2 Activity diagrams into Petri net semantics have been researched for various reasons. Translating UML activities into Petri nets creates new problems. The Petri net diagrams are (i) more complex (ii) contain more nodes and edges, (iii) unsuitable for visualization by stakeholders. A solution to this problem is to translate the UML activity diagram into a Fundamental Modeling Concepts Petri net diagram compact notation. This can be converted to a colored Petri net (CPN) for execution and validation. A case study taken from a web ordering system activity is used for explaining and illustrating this concept.

[1]  Conrad Bock,et al.  SysML and UML 2 support for activity modeling , 2006, Syst. Eng..

[2]  José Merseguer,et al.  On the Integration of UML and Petri Nets in Software Development , 2006, ICATPN.

[3]  Lars Michael Kristensen,et al.  The practitioner’s guide to coloured Petri nets , 1998, International Journal on Software Tools for Technology Transfer.

[4]  Hermann Kaindl,et al.  Symbolic modeling in practice , 1999, CACM.

[5]  Wil M. P. van der Aalst,et al.  The Application of Petri Nets to Workflow Management , 1998, J. Circuits Syst. Comput..

[6]  G. G. Stokes.  "J." , 1890, The New Yale Book of Quotations.

[7]  Mohammad Ghodsi,et al.  Well-formed generalized task graphs , 1991, Proceedings of the Third IEEE Symposium on Parallel and Distributed Processing.

[8]  Jens Bæk Jørgensen,et al.  Requirements engineering for the adviser portal bank system , 2006, 13th Annual IEEE International Symposium and Workshop on Engineering of Computer-Based Systems (ECBS'06).

[9]  Gul A. Agha,et al.  SynchNet: A Petri Net Based Coordination Language for Distributed Objects , 2003, GPCE.

[10]  Jens Bæk Jørgensen.  Coloured Petri Nets in UML-Based Software Development – Designing Middleware for Pervasive Healthcare , 2002 .

[11]  Javier Campos,et al.  From UML activity diagrams to Stochastic Petri nets: application to software performance engineering , 2004, WOSP '04.

[12]  Dov Dori,et al.  System function and architecture: OPM-based definitions and operational templates , 2003, CACM.

[13]  Luciano Baresi,et al.  Improving UML with Petri nets , 2001, UNIGRA.

[14]  Peter Tabeling,et al.  Architectural description with integrated data consistency models , 2004, Proceedings. 11th IEEE International Conference and Workshop on the Engineering of Computer-Based Systems, 2004..

[15]  Lars Michael Kristensen,et al.  Application of Coloured Petri Nets in System Development , 2003, Lectures on Concurrency and Petri Nets.

[16]  Harald Sẗorrle Ludwig-Maximilians-Universiẗat.  Semantics of UML 2 . 0 Activities , 2004 .

[17]  Rob Pooley,et al.  Derivation of Petri Net Performance Models from UML Specifications of Communications Software , 2000, Computer Performance Evaluation / TOOLS.

[18]  P. Tabeling.  Multi-Level Modeling of Concurrent and Distributed Systems , 2002 .

[19]  Sol M. Shatz,et al.  Mapping UML Diagrams to a Petri Net Notation for System Simulation , 2004, SEKE.

[20]  Faron Moller,et al.  Petri Nets and Regular Processes , 1999, J. Comput. Syst. Sci..

[21]  Alexander H. Levis,et al.  Transformation of UML-based System Model to Design / CPN Model for Validating System Behavior , 2003 .

[22]  Bernhard Gröne,et al.  Conceptual Patterns , 2006, ECBS.

[23]  Peter Tabeling,et al.  Integrative architecture elicitation for large computer based systems , 2005, 12th IEEE International Conference and Workshops on the Engineering of Computer-Based Systems (ECBS'05).

[24]  Harald Störrle,et al.  Semantics of Control-Flow in UML 2.0 Activities , 2004, 2004 IEEE Symposium on Visual Languages - Human Centric Computing.

[25]  Harald Sẗorrle,et al.  Semantics of Structured Nodes in UML 2 . 0 Activities , 2004 .

[26]  Dorina C. Petriu,et al.  Applying the UML Performance Profile: Graph Grammar-Based Derivation of LQN Models from UML Specifications , 2002, Computer Performance Evaluation / TOOLS.

[27]  Kees M. van Hee,et al.  Information systems engineering - a formal approach , 1994 .

[28]  John Anil Saldhana.  UML Diagrams to Object Petri Net Models: An Approach for Modeling and Analysis , 2000 .

[29]  Alan Bundy,et al.  Constructing Induction Rules for Deductive Synthesis Proofs , 2006, CLASE.

[30]  Hans-Werner Six,et al.  Tailoring UML activities to use case modeling for web application development , 2006, CASCON.

[31]  Yoshiyuki Shinkawa,et al.  Inter-Model Consistency in UML Based on CPN Formalism , 2006, 2006 13th Asia Pacific Software Engineering Conference (APSEC'06).

[32]  Peter Tabeling,et al.  Fundamental Modeling Concepts: Effective Communication of It Systems , 2006 .

[33]  Marlon Dumas,et al.  UML Activity Diagrams as a Workflow Specification Language , 2001, UML.

[34]  Joel Greenyer,et al.  Applying Triple Graph Grammars For Pattern-Based Workflow Model Transformations , 2007, J. Object Technol..

[35]  Mary Mehrnoosh Eshaghian-Wilner,et al.  Mapping Arbitrary Non-Uniform Task Graphs onto Arbitrary Non-Uniform System Graphs , 1995, ICPP.

[36]  Danilo Ardagna,et al.  Adaptive Service Composition in Flexible Processes , 2007, IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering.

[37]  Harald Störrle,et al.  Towards a Formal Semantics of UML 2.0 Activities , 2005, Software Engineering.

[38]  Manjunath Kamath,et al.  On The Use of Petri Nets for Business Process Modeling , 2002 .

[39]  Elvinia Riccobene,et al.  An ASM Semantics for UML Activity Diagrams , 2000, AMAST.

[40]  Harald Störrle,et al.  Structured Nodes in UML 2.0 Activities , 2004, Nord. J. Comput..

[41]  Stephen Gilmore,et al.  Analysing UML 2.0 activity diagrams in the software performance engineering process , 2004, WOSP '04.

[42]  Dov Dori.  CONCEPTUAL MODELING AND SYSTEM ARCHITECTING , 2003 .