Ada-Europe 2004

Invited Speakers

Benefits and Problems of Formal Methods
Martin Gogolla
Department for Computer Science, University of Bremen, Germany

Abstract

Formal methods for software development have been discussed for decades. The enormous spectrum ranges from naive mathematical set theory over various approaches for model or property oriented pecification to newer developments like the Object Constraint Language (OCL) being an integral part of the Unified Modeling Language (UML). People's opinions on formal methods are naturally determined by their experience and knowledge on the subject. This paper will explain when and under what circumstances formal methods and languages like OCL can be employed in a beneficial way. It will also try to point out when a formal approach should not be taken. The success of using a formal approach is highly influenced by the expectations and pre-requisite knowledge of the developers, the role the formal support in the development process is given, and of course by the used tools.

Short biography

Martin Gogolla is professor for Computer Science at University of Bremen, Germany and is the head of the Research Group Database Systems. His research interests include object-oriented design, formal methods in system design, semantics of languages, and formal specification. Before joining University of Bremen he worked for the University of Dortmund and the Technical University of Braunschweig. His professional activities include: Teaching computer science; publications in journals and conference proceedings; publication of two books; speaker to university and industrial colloquia; referee for journals and conferences; organizer of workshops and conferences (e.g. the UML conference); member in national and international program committees; contributor to international computer science standards (OCL 2.0 as part of UML 2.0).

On the Role of Conceptual Schemas in Information Systems Development
Antoni Olivé
Software Department, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya

Abstract

In the literature, the role of Conceptual Schemas (CS) and conceptual modelling in Information Systems (IS) development is not well established. On the other hand, there is some confusion over the relationships between CSs and similar concepts such as domain knowledge, functional specifications and ontologies. This paper tries to shed light on these issues. We show that a CS is the knowledge needed by an IS to perform its functions. We then analyse the possible roles of CSs in the IS architecture, which range from specification to explicit software component. We also show the role of CSs in the context of the recent OMG’s MDA. The paper focuses on ISs, but most of the conclusions may apply to the general field of software.

Short biography

Antoni Olivé is a professor of information systems at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya in Barcelona. He has worked in this field during over 20 years, mainly in the university and research environments. His main interests have been, and are, conceptual modeling, requirements engineering, information systems design and databases. He has taught extensively on these topics. He has also conducted research on these topics, which has been published in international journals and conferences. He is a member of IFIP WG8.1 (Design and evaluation of information systems) where he served as chairman during 1989-1994.

Fixing Software Before It Breaks:
Using Static Analysis to Help Solve the Software Quality Quagmire
S. Tucker Taft
President, SofCheck, Inc.

Abstract There is growing realization that something must be done to improve the quality and security of software, but the costs associated with exhaustive testing approaches are economically prohibitive for all but the most critical systems. This talk will discuss the progress being made to develop scalable and accurate static analysis technologies to help find a way out of the current software quality quagmire. Static analysis has the potential to automate the process of line-by-line, full path inspection of source code for defects, while also providing component-by-component characterization of the software system in terms of inputs, outputs, and effects, thereby fostering better understanding of legacy software and enabling more informed software evolution and reuse strategies. In the real-time arena, static analysis has been used to detect race conditions and possible deadlocks, and help with schedulability determination. When coupled with this more general capability for automated defect detection and component characterization, new opportunities are created. In particular, by implicitly adding to the source code metering variables to count quantities such as stack depth, loop counts, dynamic storage allocation, lock frequency and duration, etc., the same static analysis technology can summarize these additional kinds of important real-time characteristics of the code, and help in the process of turning real-time system development from a black art into a true engineering discipline.

Short biography

S. Tucker Taft is President and Founder of SofCheck, Inc., a company devoted to providing tools and technologies to help improve the quality of software through automated bug detection and web-based development team collaboration.
Mr. Taft graduated Summa Cum Laude from Harvard College in 1975, and then worked four years running the Harvard student computer center, one year as a consultant, and twenty-two years for Intermetrics, Inc. (and its successors AverStar and AverCom). From 1990 to 1995, Mr. Taft led the Ada 9X language design team, culminating in the February 1995 approval of Ada 95 as the first ISO standardized object-oriented programming language.

Can Middleware Be Reliable?
Steve Vinoski
Chief Engineer of Product Innovation for IONA Technologies in Waltham, MA.

Abstract: Middleware is everywhere, providing adaptability between systems and layers, providing the needed connectivity within and between enterprise computing systems, gluing everything together. In this talk, Steve will first present a brief history of middleware and describe the origins of different types of middleware. He'll then discuss the current state of Web Services middleware, with an emphasis on standardization efforts related to reliability.

Short biography

Steve Vinoski is Chief Engineer of Product Innovation for IONA Technologies in Waltham, MA. Steve is also an IONA Fellow. As of the start of 2003, Steve has authored or co-authored over 40 highly-regarded publications about distributed computing, including the book "Advanced CORBA Programming with C++," widely acknowledged as the "CORBA Bible."
He has written the popular "Object Interconnections" column on distributed object computing for the C/C++ Users Journal (and formerly for SIGS C++ Report) since 1995 with Dr. Douglas C. Schmidt. He also writes the "Toward Integration" middleware column for the IEEE Internet Computing magazine.

The organizers thank the supporters of the conference

Springer Verlag will publish the proceedings of the conference, as vol. 3063 of Lecture Notes in Computer Science.

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