A PETRI-NET BASED METHODOLOGY TO INTEGRATE QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE-ANALYSIS

An innovative net-based methodology to integrate qualitative and quant itative analysis of distributed software systems is outlined, and an o n-going prototype implementation of a related graphic-oriented tool ki t is sketched. The proposed method combines qualitative analysis, moni toring and testing as well as quantitative analysis on the basis of a net-based intermediate representation of the distributed software syst em under consideration. All transformations (from the distributed soft ware system into a first Petri net model, and between the different ki nds of net models) can be made formally, and therefore automated to a high degree. The evaluation of quantitative properties is based on so- called object nets which are obtained by a property-preserving structu ral compression and quantitative expansion of the qualitative model. I n this way, the frequency and delay attributes necessary to generate q uantitative models are provided by the monitoring and testing componen t.