Summary: Abstract
Title of Dissertation: Automated Analysis of Software Requirements
Joanne Marie Atlee, Doctor of Philosophy, 1992
Dissertation directed by: Professor John Gannon
Department of Computer Science
Many software errors are due to the correct implementation of incorrectly specified require­
ments. For example, software designers may fail to make their assumptions explicit or may state
inconsistent or ambiguous requirements The best review process is inspection by customers and
software developers who are experienced in the application area. Despite such efforts, errors persist
in requirements.
This dissertation describes methods and tools for automatically analyzing software requirements
before system design begins. Systems are described as state machines with event­driven transitions
using a specification language that is intuitive, easy to read, and scalable to large systems. We
have developed a methodology for formalizing state­transition requirements and an algorithm for
transforming the formalized requirements into a representation that can be analyzed with a model
checker. The result is a formal specification and analysis technique for verifying behavioral and
timing requirements of real­time systems.
Using a tool implementing our algorithm and an existing model checking tool, we were able to
uncover violations of system invariants in existing requirements specifications that had either been
inspected or had been implemented and tested. We were also able to verify the safety and timing

Source: Atlee, Joanne M. - School of Computer Science, University of Waterloo

Collections: Computer Technologies and Information Sciences