Requirements Capture and Evaluation in Nimbus: The Light-Control Case Study

Jeffrey M. Thompson (University of Minnesota, Department of Computer Science and Engineering, USA)

Michael W. Whalen (University of Minnesota, Department of Computer Science and Engineering, USA)

Mats P. E. Heimdahl (University of Minnesota, Department of Computer Science and Engineering, USA)

Abstract:

Evaluations of methods and tools applied to a reference problem are useful when comparing various techniques. In this paper, we present a solution to the challenge of capturing the requirements for the Light Control System case study, which was proposed before the Dagstuhl Seminar on Requirements Capture, Documentation, and Validation in June of 1999.

The paper focuses primarily on how the requirements were specified: what techniques were used, and what the results were. The language used to capture the requirements is RSML^-e; a state-based specification language with a fully specified formal denotational semantics. In addition, the Nimbus environment - a toolset supporting RSML^-e - is used to visualize and execute the high-level requirements.

Keywords: formal requirements modeling, light control system, requirements execution and simulation, specification-based prototyping, state-based specification languages

Categories: D.2.1