Citation
Thomas Huining Feng. "Model Transformation with Hierarchical Discrete-Event Control". PhD thesis, University of California, Berkeley, May, 2009.

Abstract
In this dissertation I present my work on a flexible and efficient model transformation technique, which includes a transformation engine and a formal and expressive control language. I define a basic transformation with a transformation rule, which describes the relationship between input models and the result of the transformation. I invent a syntax for transformation rules, which is close to the modeling language that designers use to create the input models. This makes it convenient for the designers to use the technology. The semantics of transformation rules is defined based on graph transformation theory. To improve flexibility over traditional approaches, I introduce extensions to allow complex transformation rules with variable structures to be specified with compact higher-order descriptions. A transformation workflow consists of basic transformations controlled in a control language. Existing control languages include finite state machines and dataflow diagrams. Realizing their limitations in expressiveness and efficiency, I create the Ptera (Ptolemy event relationship actor) model of computation based on event graphs. I show that Ptera is an appropriate control language for transformation workflows. It allows transformation tasks to be composed hierarchically. The event queue and the notion of model time enable the scheduling of future tasks. By using a shared variable to represent the model under transformation, the overhead caused by communication with transient data packages is eliminated. The research has a wide range of practical applications. I demonstrate the power of the idea with examples including model optimization and automatic model construction.

Electronic downloads

• http://www.eecs.berkeley.edu/Pubs/TechRpts/2009/EECS-2009-77.html

• HTML

  Thomas Huining Feng. <a
  href="http://chess.eecs.berkeley.edu/pubs/590.html"
  ><i>Model Transformation with Hierarchical
  Discrete-Event Control</i></a>, PhD thesis, 
  University of California, Berkeley, May, 2009.

• Plain text

  Thomas Huining Feng. "Model Transformation with
  Hierarchical Discrete-Event Control". PhD thesis, 
  University of California, Berkeley, May, 2009.

• BibTeX

  @phdthesis{Feng09_ModelTransformationWithHierarchicalDiscreteEventControl,
      author = {Thomas Huining Feng},
      title = {Model Transformation with Hierarchical
                Discrete-Event Control},
      school = {University of California, Berkeley},
      month = {May},
      year = {2009},
      abstract = {In this dissertation I present my work on a
                flexible and efficient model transformation
                technique, which includes a transformation engine
                and a formal and expressive control language. I
                define a basic transformation with a
                transformation rule, which describes the
                relationship between input models and the result
                of the transformation. I invent a syntax for
                transformation rules, which is close to the
                modeling language that designers use to create the
                input models. This makes it convenient for the
                designers to use the technology. The semantics of
                transformation rules is defined based on graph
                transformation theory. To improve flexibility over
                traditional approaches, I introduce extensions to
                allow complex transformation rules with variable
                structures to be specified with compact
                higher-order descriptions. A transformation
                workflow consists of basic transformations
                controlled in a control language. Existing control
                languages include finite state machines and
                dataflow diagrams. Realizing their limitations in
                expressiveness and efficiency, I create the Ptera
                (Ptolemy event relationship actor) model of
                computation based on event graphs. I show that
                Ptera is an appropriate control language for
                transformation workflows. It allows transformation
                tasks to be composed hierarchically. The event
                queue and the notion of model time enable the
                scheduling of future tasks. By using a shared
                variable to represent the model under
                transformation, the overhead caused by
                communication with transient data packages is
                eliminated. The research has a wide range of
                practical applications. I demonstrate the power of
                the idea with examples including model
                optimization and automatic model construction.},
      URL = {http://chess.eecs.berkeley.edu/pubs/590.html}
  }
  

Posted by Thomas Huining Feng on 21 May 2009.
Groups: ptolemy
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