Model-based run-time monitoring of end-to-end deadlines

The correct interplay among components in a distributed, reactive system is a crucial development task, particularly for embedded systems such as those in the automotive domain. Model-based development is a promising means for capturing key structural and behavioral requirements before implementing code. Current development approaches focus on components as the central development entity, leaving component integration as a separate and error-prone task in later stages of the system development process. This approach is particularly problematic in the area of Quality-of-Service properties that are inherently end-to-end. We address this problem by using a model where system functions, not components implementing them, are central from the early phases of requirements capture through implementation. We develop a domain model for system functions (or services) based on interaction patterns; this model captures deadline specifications ranging from individual messages to entire services. Using a combination of modeling tools and code-generators for the RT CORBA platform, we provide an experimentation platform for monitoring these specified deadlines in executable specifications.