An Approach to Modelling and Analysing Reliability of Breeze/ADL-based Software Architecture

Breeze/architecture description language（ADL）, is an eX tensible markup language（XML） based architecture description language which is used to model software systems at the architecture level. Though Breeze/ADL provides an appropriate basis for architecture modelling, it can neither analyse nor evaluate the architecture reliability. In this paper, we propose a Breeze/ADL based strategy which, by combining generalized stochastic Petri net（GSPN） and tools for reliability analysis, supports architecture reliability modelling and evaluation. This work expands the idea in three directions： Firstly, we give a Breeze/ADL reliability model in which we add error attributes to Breeze/ADL error model for capturing architecture error information, and at the same time perform the system error state transition through the Breeze/ADL production. Secondly, we present how to map a Breeze/ADL reliability model to a GSPN model, which in turn can be used for reliability analysis. The other task is to develop a Breeze/ADL reliability analysis modelling tool–EXGSPN（Breeze/ADL reliability analysis modelling tool）, and combine it with platform independent petri net editor 2（PIPE2） to carry out a reliability assessment.Abstract： Breeze/architecture description language （ADL）, is an eXtensible markup language （XML） based architecture description language which is used to model software systems at the architecture level. Though Breeze/ADL provides an appropriate basis for architecture modelling, it can neither analyse nor evaluate the architecture reliability. In this paper, we propose a Breeze/ADL based strategy which, by combining generalized stochastic Petri net （GSPN） and tools for reliability analysis, supports architecture reliability modelling and evaluation. This work expands the idea in three directions： Firstly, we give a Breeze/ADL reliability model in which we add error attributes to Breeze/ADL error model for capturing architecture error information, and at the same time perform the system error state transition through the Breeze/ADL production. Secondly, we present how to map a Breeze/ADL reliability model to a GSPN model, which in turn can be used for reliability analysis. The other task is to develop a Breeze/ADL reliability analysis modelling tool-EXGSPN （Breeze/ADL reliability analysis modelling tool）, and combine it with platform independent petri net editor 2 （PIPE2） to carry out a reliability assessment.