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1999 Journal article Unknown
Modelling mobile applications
Gnesi S., Semini L.
There has been growing interest in wide-area distributed applications in recent years. A key concept for structuring such applications is represented by mobile agents, units of executing code that can migrate between sites.Source: ERCIM news 36 (1999): 27–28.

See at: CNR ExploRA


2016 Journal article Open Access OPEN
Adopting a Machine Learning Approach in the design of Smart Transportation Systems
Gnesi S., Bacciu D., Carta A., Semini L.
We have applied a machine learning approach to both implement and assess new services for the users of a bike-sharing system. The aim is to predict the destination station of a bike in use, given information on its pick up details.Source: ERCIM news (2016): 24–24.
Project(s): QUANTICOL via OpenAIRE

See at: ercim-news.ercim.eu Open Access | CNR ExploRA


2020 Conference article Open Access OPEN
An experience with the application of three nlp tools for the analysis of natural language requirements
Arrabito M., Fantechi A., Gnesi S., Semini L.
We report on the experience made with three Natural Language Processing analysis tools, aimed to compare their performance in detecting ambiguity and under-specification in requirements documents, and to compare them with respect to other qualities like learnability, usability, and efficiency. Two industrial tools, Requirements Scout and QVscribe, and an academic one, QuARS, are compared.Source: Quality of Information and Communications Technology 13th International Conference, QUATIC 2020, pp. 488–498, Faro, Portugal, 9-11/09/2020
DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-58793-2_39
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See at: link.springer.com Open Access | ISTI Repository Open Access | doi.org Restricted | CNR ExploRA


2017 Conference article Open Access OPEN
Ambiguity defects as variation points in requirements
Fantechi A., Gnesi S., Semini L.
Software requirements are generally expressed in Natural Language. NL is intrinsically ambiguous, and this is seen as a possible source of problems in the later interpretation of requirements. However, ambiguity or under-specification at requirements level can in some cases give an indication of possible variability, either in design choice, in implementation choices or configurability. Taking into account the results of previous analyses conducted on different requirements documents with NL analysis tools, we attempt a first classification of the forms of ambiguity that indicate variation points, and we indicate an approach to achieve automated support to variability elicitation.Source: Eleventh International Workshop on Variability Modelling of Software-intensive Systems, VaMoS 2017, pp. 13–19, Eindhoven, Netherlands, 1-3/02/2017
DOI: 10.1145/3023956.3023964
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See at: ISTI Repository Open Access | dl.acm.org Restricted | doi.org Restricted | CNR ExploRA


1999 Report Unknown
Formal description and validation of an interaction policy in an object-oriented framework
Fantechi A., Gnesi S., Semini L.
Formal methods are increasingly used to validate the design of software and hardware components of safety critical systems. We describe here a case study where a formal verification method was applied in practice. As a case study we have considered a safe interaction policy between communicating objects, the Multiple Levels of Integrity policy. This policy can be seen as a communication protocol that guarantees the integrity of sensible data. Formal specification is given using a process algebra, and validation is done following a model checking approach.Source: ISTI Technical reports, pp.1–24, 1999

See at: CNR ExploRA


1999 Conference article Unknown
Implementation of coordination primitives in a mobile architecture
Gnesi S., Semini L.
Coordination languages based on multiple tuple spaces and asynchronous communication provide an high level description formalism which is adequate to model applications in a mobile environment. These languages have the advantage, with respect to most languages to describe mobile systems, of permitting to describe the applications without considering low level issues like subsystems location or communication failures. To support this claim we formally show how simple coordination primitives can be implemented when the underlying architecture is a mobile one. Finally, we prove that our implementation model is correct with respect to the coordination language semantics.Source: International Conference on Parallel and Distributed Processing Techniques and Applications: PDPTA'99., pp. 1012–1018, Las Vegas, USA, June 28 - July 1 1999

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1999 Contribution to book Restricted
Formal description and validation for an integrity policy supporting multiple levels of criticality
Fantechi A., Gnesi S., Semini L.
Formal methods are increasingly used to validate the design of softwar and hardware components of safety critical system. In particular formal validation is needed for those mechanism which support the overall dependability of the systems. Inside the GUARDS project, a novel integrity mechanism has been proposed to implement the Multiple Levels of Criticality model within an object-oriented framework. In this paper we present the application of model checking techniques to the formal validation of this integrity level mechanism.Source: Dependable Computing for Critical Applications 7: DCCA-7, edited by Weinstock C.B., Rushby J., pp. 129–146, 1999
DOI: 10.1109/dcfts.1999.814293
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See at: doi.org Restricted | www.scopus.com Restricted | CNR ExploRA


2019 Conference article Open Access OPEN
Applying the QARS tool to detect variability
Fantechi A., Gnesi S., Semini L.
In this demo paper we present how to use the QuARS tool to extract variability information from requirements documents. The main functionality of QuARS is to detect ambiguity in Natural Language (NL) requirement documents. Ambiguity in requirements may be due to intentional or unintentional indication of possible variability; an ambiguity detecting tool can hence be useful to analysts and clients to figure the potential of a requirements document to describe a family of different products.Source: SPLC 2019 - 23rd International Systems and Software Product Line Conference, Paris, France, 09-13 September, 2019
DOI: 10.1145/3307630.3342388
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See at: ISTI Repository Open Access | dl.acm.org Restricted | doi.org Restricted | CNR ExploRA


2019 Conference article Open Access OPEN
From generic requirements to variability
Fantechi A., Gnesi S., Semini L.
This paper describes a research activity aiming at extracting variability information from ambiguities and vagueness of generic requirement documents, written in Natural Language. The proposed activity continues a research stream focusing on techniques to extract variability information from requirement documents. Here, we study the introduction of a process able to distinguish structural from functional variability, both in the extracted variability model and in the derived lower-level requirements. The problem is stated with reference to an example, a solution proposal is sketched together with related research questions, and a validation path is envisaged.Source: REFSQ-2019 - Workshops, Doctoral Symposium, Live Studies Track, and Poster Track, Essen, Germany, 18 March, 2019.

See at: ceur-ws.org Open Access | ISTI Repository Open Access | CNR ExploRA


2023 Conference article Open Access OPEN
Rule-based NLP vs ChatGPT in ambiguity detection, a preliminary study
Fantechi A., Gnesi S., Semini L.
With the rapid advances of AI-based tools, the question of whether to use such tools or conventional rule-based tools often arises in many application domains. In this paper, we address this question when considering the issue of ambiguity in requirements documents. For this purpose, we consider GPT-3 that is the third-generation of the Generative Pretrained Transformer language model, developed by OpenAI and we compare its ambiguity detection capability with that of a publicly available rule-based NLP tool on a few example requirements documents.Source: REFSQ 2023 - 29th International Working Conference on Requirement Engineering: Foundation for Software Quality: Posters and Tools, Barcelona, Spain, 17-20/04/2023

See at: ceur-ws.org Open Access | ISTI Repository Open Access | CNR ExploRA


2017 Journal article Open Access OPEN
An experience in using machine learning for short-term predictions in smart transportation systems
Bacciu D., Carta A., Gnesi S., Semini L.
Bike-sharing systems (BSS) are a means of smart transportation with the benefit of a positive impact on urban mobility. To improve the satisfaction of a user of a BSS, it is useful to inform her/him on the status of the stations at run time, and indeed most of the current systems provide the information in terms of number of bicycles parked in each docking stations by means of services available via web. However, when the departure station is empty, the user could also be happy to know how the situation will evolve and, in particular, if a bike is going to arrive (and vice versa when the arrival station is full). To fulfill this expectation, we envisage services able to make a prediction and infer if there is in use a bike that could be, with high probability, returned at the station where she/he is waiting. The goal of this paper is hence to analyze the feasibility of these services. To this end, we put forward the idea of using Machine Learning methodologies, proposing and comparing different solutions. (C) 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.Source: Journal of Logical and Algebraic Methods in Programming [online] 87 (2017): 52–66. doi:10.1016/j.jlamp.2016.11.002
DOI: 10.1016/j.jlamp.2016.11.002
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See at: Journal of Logical and Algebraic Methods in Programming Open Access | CNR ExploRA


2017 Conference article Open Access OPEN
Optimizing Feature Interaction Detection
Fantechi A., Gnesi S., Semini L.
The feature interaction problem has been recognized as a general problem of software engineering. The problem appears when a combination of features interacts generating a conflict, exhibiting a behaviour that is unexpected for the features considered in isolation, possibly resulting in some critical safety violation. Verification of absence of critical feature interactions has been the subject of several studies. In this paper, we focus on functional interactions and we address the problem of the 3-way feature interactions, i.e. interactions that occur only when three features are all included in the system, but not when only two of them are. In this setting, we define a widely applicable definition framework, within which we show that a 3 (or greater)-way interaction is always caused by a 2-way interaction, i.e. that pairwise sampling is complete, hence reducing to quadratic the complexity of automatic detection of incorrect interaction.Source: Joint 22nd International Workshop on Formal Methods for Industrial Critical Systems - and - 17th International Workshop on Automated Verification of Critical Systems, FMICS-AVoCS 2017, pp. 201–216, Turin, Italy, 18-20/09/2017
DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-67113-0_13
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See at: ISTI Repository Open Access | doi.org Restricted | link.springer.com Restricted | CNR ExploRA


2022 Journal article Embargo
VIBE: looking for Variability In amBiguous rEquirements
Fantechi A., Gnesi S., Semini L.
Variability is a characteristic of a software project and describes the fact that a system can be configured in different ways, obtaining different products (variants) from a common code base, accordingly to the software product line paradigm. This paradigm can be conveniently applied in all phases of the software process, starting from the definition and analysis of the requirements. We observe that often requirements contain ambiguities which can reveal an unintentional and implicit source of variability, that has to be detected. To this end we define VIBE, a tool supported process to identify variability aspects in requirements documents. VIBE is defined on the basis of a study of the different sources of ambiguity in natural language requirements documents that are useful to recognize potential variability, and is characterized by the use of a NLP tool customized to detect variability indicators. The tool to be used in VIBE is selected from a number of ambiguity detection tools, after a comparison of their customization features. The validation of VIBE is conducted using real-world requirements documents.Source: The Journal of systems and software 195 (2022). doi:10.1016/j.jss.2022.111540
DOI: 10.1016/j.jss.2022.111540
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See at: Journal of Systems and Software Restricted | www.sciencedirect.com Restricted | CNR ExploRA


2023 Contribution to conference Open Access OPEN
27th ACM International Systems and Software Product Line Conference (SPLC 2023). Proceedings - Volume A
Arcaini P., Ter Beek M. H., Perrouin G., Reinhartz-Berger I., Luaces M. R., Schwanninger C., Ali S., Varshosaz M., Gargantini A., Gnesi S., Lochau M., Semini L., Washizaki H.
Welcome to SPLC'23, the 27th ACM International Systems and Software Product Line Conference. Looking back to the previous SPLC issues, the conference has been established as a thriving ground for practitioners, researchers, and educators working in areas related to systems and software product lines. With the increasing size and complexity of software, efficiently supporting software processes becomes an extremely important task. SPLC'23 acted as a venue fostering knowledge exchange and learning about the state of the art in software product lines aswell as newpractices, trends, innovations, insights from industrial applications, and new challenges. SPLC'23 was held at Hitotsubashi Hall in Tokyo, Japan, from August 28 to September 1, 2023.Source: New York: ACM Press, 2023
DOI: 10.1145/3579027
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See at: dl.acm.org Open Access | ISTI Repository Open Access | CNR ExploRA


2006 Contribution to book Closed Access
Achieving Fault Tolerance by a Formally Validated Interaction Policy
Alessandro Fantechi, Stefania Gnesi, Laura Semini
This paper addresses the rigorous validation of an integrity policy by means of the application of formal methods and related support tools. We show how the policy, which provides a flexible fault tolerant schema, can be specified using a process algebra and verified using model checking techniques. Actually, we show how this approach allows both the generic validation of a middleware based on such integrity policy, and the validation of an integrated application which internally uses this mechanism. In the first case, the fault tolerance of a system, possibly composed of Commercial Off The Shelf (COTS) components, is guaranteed by a validated resident interaction control middleware. The second case applies instead when the application is forced to use a given middleware, as it is the case of Web Services.Source: Rigorous Development of Complex Fault-Tolerant Systems, edited by Michael J. Butler; ;Cliff B. Jones;Alexander Romanovsky;Elena Troubitsyna, pp. 133–152. Berlin: Springer Berlin / Heildelberg, 2006
DOI: 10.1007/11916246_7
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See at: doi.org Restricted | CNR ExploRA


2019 Contribution to book Restricted
A systematic approach to programming and verifying attribute-based communication systems
De Nicola R., Duong T., Inverso O., Mazzanti F.
A methodology is presented for the systematic development of systems of many components, that interact by relying on predicates over attributes that they themselves mutually expose. The starting point is a novel process calculus AbC (for Attribute-based Communication) introduced for modelling collective-adaptive systems. It is shown how to refine the model by introducing a translator from AbC into UML- like state machines that can be analyzed by UMC. In order to execute the specification, another translator is introduced that maps AbC terms into ABEL, a domain-specific framework that offers faithful AbC-style programming constructs built on top of Erlang. It is also shown how the proposed methodology can be used to assess relevant properties of systems and to automatically obtain an executable program for a non- trivial case study.Source: From Software Engineering to Formal Methods and Tools, and Back. Essays Dedicated to Stefania Gnesi on the Occasion of Her 65th Birthday, edited by Maurice H. ter Beek, Alessandro Fantechi, Laura Semini, pp. 377–396. Basel: Springer Nature Switzerland, 2019
DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-30985-5_22
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See at: doi.org Restricted | link.springer.com Restricted | CNR ExploRA


2019 Contribution to book Closed Access
Comparing results of natural language disambiguation tools with reports of manual reviews of safety-related standards
Biscoglio I., Ciancabilla A., Fusani M., Lami G., Trentanni G.
Methods and tools for detecting and measuring ambiguity in texts have been proposed for years, yet their efficacy is still under study for improvement, encouraged by results in various application fields (requirements, legal documents, interviews, ...). The paper presents a fresh-started process aimed at validating such methods and tools by applying some of them to a semi-structured data corpus. This corpus represents results of manual reviews, done by international experts, along with their source texts. The purpose is to check how much results of automated analysis are consistent with the reviewers reports. The application domain is that of safety-related system/software Standards in Railway. Thus, if we increase confidence in tools, then we also increase confidence in Standard correctness, which in turn impacts in conforming products.Source: From Software Engineering to Formal Methods and Tools, and Back, edited by Maurice H. ter Beek, Alessandro Fantechi, Laura Semini, pp. 239–249. Cham, Heidelberg, New York, Dordrecht, London: Springer, 2019
DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-30985-5_15
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See at: doi.org Restricted | link.springer.com Restricted | CNR ExploRA


2019 Contribution to book Open Access OPEN
A Refined Framework for Model-Based Assessment of Energy Consumption in the Railway Sector
Chiaradonna S., Di Giandomenico F., Masetti G., Basile D.
Awareness and efforts to moderate energy consumption, desirable from both economical and environmental perspectives, are nowadays increasingly pursued. However, when critical sectors are addressed, energy saving should be cautiously tackled, so to not impair stringent dependability properties such contexts typically require. This is the case of the railway transportation system, which is the critical infrastructure this paper focuses on. For this system category, the attitude has been typically to neglect efficient usage of energy sources, motivated by avoiding to put dependability in danger. The new directives, both at national and international level, are going to change this way of thinking. Our study intends to be a useful support to careful energy consumption. In particular, a refined stochastic modeling framework is offered, tailored to the railroad switch heating system, through which analyses can be performed to understand the sophisticated dynamics between the system (both the cyber and physical components) and the surrounding weather conditions.Source: From Software Engineering to Formal Methods and Tools, and Back. Essays Dedicated to Stefania Gnesi on the Occasion of Her 65th Birthday, edited by Maurice H. ter Beek, Alessandro Fantechi, Laura Semini, pp. 481–501, 2019
DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-30985-5_28
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See at: ISTI Repository Open Access | doi.org Restricted | link.springer.com Restricted | CNR ExploRA


2019 Contribution to book Closed Access
Single-step and asymptotic mutual information in bipartite boolean nets
Bolognesi T.
In this paper we contrast two fundamentally different ways to approach the analysis of transition system behaviours. Both methods refer to the (finite) global state transition graph; but while method A, familiar to software system designers and process algebraists, deals with execution paths of virtually unbounded length, typically starting from a precise initial state, method B, associated with counterfactual reasoning, looks at single-step evolutions starting from all conceivable system states. Among various possible state transition models we pick boolean nets - a generalisation of cellular automata in which all nodes fire synchronously. Our nets shall be composed of parts P and Q that interact by shared variables. At first we adopt approach B and a simple information-theoretic measure - mutual information M(yP,yQ) - for detecting the degree of coupling between the two components after one transition step from the uniform distribution of all global states. Then we consider an asymptotic version M(y*P,y*Q) of mutual information, somehow mixing methods A and B, and illustrate a technique for obtaining accurate approximations of M(y*P,y*Q) based on the attractors of the global graph.Source: From Software Engineering to Formal Methods and Tools, and Back. Essays Dedicated to Stefania Gnesi on the Occasion of Her 65th Birthday, edited by Maurice H. ter Beek, Alessandro Fantechi, Laura Semini, pp. 519–530, 2019
DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-30985-5_30
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See at: doi.org Restricted | link.springer.com Restricted | CNR ExploRA