Ivano Malavolta

Henry Muccini

A Study on MDE Approaches

for Engineering Wireless Sensor Networks

Roadmap

Background

Contributions

Research instrument

Results

Challenges

Conclusions

Wireless sensor networks (WSNs)

WSNs consist of spatially distributed sensors that cooperate to accomplish some tasks.

Sensors are:

–  small

–  battery-powered

–  with limited processing power

–  with limited memory

They can be easily deployed to monitor different environmental parameters such as temperature, movement, sound and pollution.

WSN applications

Sensors can be distributed on roads, vehicles, hospitals, buildings, people and enable different applications such as:

•  environmental monitoring

•  medical services

•  battlefield operations

•  crisis response

•  disaster relief

Some WSN issues

The unique characteristics of WSNs introduce additional issues in different fields, such as

•  programming

•  security

•  software engineering

From the SESENA 2013 CfP:

“the development of WSN software is still carried out in a rather primitive fashion, by building software directly atop the operating system and by relying on an individuals hard-earned programming skills”

read as: ABSTRACTION NEEDED

Model-Driven Engineering (MDE)

MDE shifts the focus of software development from coding to modeling

In MDE, domain-specific modeling languages can be used to build a model of the system:

1.  by focussing on some selected aspects of the system

2.  to perform some types of analysis

3.  to generate some types of artifact

http://mdse-book.com

modeling

Roadmap

Background

Contributions

Research instrument

Results

Challenges

Conclusions

The study

to better understand how MDE techniques are used for designing and analysing WSNs systematic mapping study that surveys and classifies state-of-the-art MDE approaches for engineering a WSN •  comparison framework for past and future MDE

approaches for WSNs •  systematic overview of current MDE approaches for

engineering WSNs •  discussion of emerging research challenges for future

MDE approaches for WSNs

GOAL

INSTRUMENT

OUTPUTS

Related work

This study is the first investigation into the usage of MDE for modeling, analysing, and developing WSNs

In [2] and [3], the focus is on approaches for programming wireless sensor networks, rather than on how to model them

A survey about modeling techniques for WSNs is also presented in [4]. However: –  our investigation is specifically tailored to MDE approaches (rather

than model-based ones),

–  our study is systematic*, rather than an informal exploration

We follow the guidelines of Kitchenham et al. [5]

Roadmap

Background

Contributions

Research instrument

Results

Challenges

Conclusions

Research questions

RQ1 focusses on approaches that –  are based on a modeling language for WSNs

–  manipulate in some way the WSN models RQ2 explores how the previously selected MDE approaches compare

w.r.t. a common comparison framework

What are the existing MDE approaches for modeling, analysing and developing WSNs? RQ1

How to compare existing MDE approaches for modeling analysing and developing WSNs? RQ2

Approaches selection

780 documents 16 primary studies1 selection criteria

1 A summary of the selected articles is available here: http://goo.gl/eCxw2

Selection criteria

1.  Any article declaring that its main contribution is the definition of a new MDE approach for WSNs

2.  Any article that have been published in or after 2007

3.  Any article that have been published in English

1.  Articles that have been extended by another article that have been previously considered in our survey

2.  Articles that do not present any specific approach in details

3.  Articles with incomplete information about our comparison framework

4.  Articles that are an editorial, abstract, position paper, short paper, tool paper, poster summary, keynote, opinion, tutorial, introduction to conference proceedings, workshop summary, panel summary

5.  Articles that are not peer reviewed

Inclusion criteria Exclusion criteria

The comparison framework

3 clusters representing the main viewpoints from which an MDE approach can be analysed

The features are orthogonal to the scope and applicability of each approach

MDE approach for WSNs

Modeling language features

Goals Technological

aspects

Comparing language features (1)

MDE approach for WSNs

Modeling language features

Goals Technological

aspects

Modeling language

Structure VS

behaviour

Computation scope [2] Mobility[2]

DSML = Domain-specific GENERIC = generic

Structure, behaviour, both

S = static MN = mobile nodes MS = mobile sinks

N = node-level G = group-level NET = network-level

Comparing language features (2)

MDE approach for WSNs

Modeling language features

Goals Technological

aspects

Abstraction level[2]

Physical deployment

Power consumption

Location awareness

A = application S = system service OS = operating system MAC = media access H = hardware

true/false true/false true/false

Comparing goals

MDE approach for WSNs

Modeling language features

Goals Technological

aspects

Overall goal

Analysis type

Target language

CO = code generation AN = analysis T = test cases generation D = documentation

PE = performance FT = fault tolerance PO = power consumption SEC = security

C++, NesC, Java, etc.

Comparing technological aspects

MDE approach for WSNs

Modeling language features

Goals Technological

aspects

Used technologies

Concrete syntax

Extensibility

Eclipse Stand-alone application etc,

GRAPH = graphical TEXT = textual MIX = both of them

L = extensible language F = extensible framework NO = no extensibility

Roadmap

Background

Contributions

Research instrument

Results

Challenges

Conclusions

Modeling languages features (1)

12

2 2

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

New DSL Simulink UML

Modeling language

4

7

5

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

Structure Behaviour Both

Structure VS behaviour

12

1 0

3

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

Static Mobile Synk Mobile Nodes No info

Mobility

8

5

2 2

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

Node-level Group-level Network-level No info

Computation scope

One approach supports N,G,NET at the same time

Modeling languages features (2)

6

9

1

0

2

4

6

8

10

Yes No No info

Physical deployment

6

9

1

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

10

Yes No No info

Power consumption

3

12

1

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

Yes No No info

Localization awareness

1

5

1

3

6

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

Application System Service

Operating System

MAC Hardware

Abstraction level

All of them do code generation

Goals 13 13

3 3

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

Analysis Code Generation

Test Case Generation

Documentation

Goals

10

5

2 1

3

Performance Power Consumption

Security Fault tolerance

No analysis 0

2

4

6

8

10

12

Analysis Type

7

3

1

2

3

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

Nes C Ansi C Java Not Specified

No code generation

Target Language

Many approaches support both analysis and code generation

No approach supports only documentation

Technological aspects

8 8

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

Eclipse Unknown

Used Technologies

4

6 6

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

Textual Graphical Mixed

Concrete Sintax

3

5

2

6

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

Language Framework No Unknown

Extensibility

Great variability here

Roadmap

Background

Contributions

Research instrument

Results

Challenges

Conclusions

Identified challenges (1)

Many approaches propose their own ad-hoc modeling language for representing a WSN à Researchers should avoid this proliferation of different modeling languages in favor of an extensible standard language for WSNs Almost all studied approaches are built on a single monolithic modeling language comprising all the concepts to model the WSN à Researchers should focus on a better separation of concerns when dealing with WSNs

Standard language for WSNs

Separation of concerns

Identified challenges (2)

Almost all the presented approaches do not provide means for modeling nodes mobility

à Researchers should support this increasingly relevant aspect of WSNs

Many approaches mix together notions and concepts coming from both MDE and WSN communities

à MDE researchers should take care in masking the complexity of the used MDE techniques to WSN engineers

Support for mobility

Mask complexity

How to proceed*?

Research community around MDE for WSNs

à helps in reasoning on the standard language for WSNs -  for example see what did for real-time distributed systems

à better communication with practitioners and nodes vendors à solving real problems

Support multiple views –  for example, see the ISO/IEC/IEEE 42010:2011, Systems and software

engineering — Architecture description standard [5]

Support for mobility -  with run-time support

* Disclaimer: this slide is heavily based on our experience in the domain of software architecture modeling.

Roadmap

Background

Contributions

Research instrument

Results

Challenges

Conclusions

Conclusions

References

[1] Doddapaneni, Ever, Malavolta, Mostarda, Muccini (2012). A Model-Driven Engineering Framework for Architecting and Analysing Wireless Sensor Networks. In Proceedings of the 3rd ICSE Workshop on Software Engineering for Sensor Network Applications (SESENA 2012), Zurich, Switzerland, pp. 1-7. [2] L. Mottola and G. P. Picco, “Programming wireless sensor networks: Fundamental concepts and state of the art,” ACM Comput. Surv., vol. 43, pp. 19:1–19:51, Apr. 2011. [3] R. Sugihara and R. K. Gupta, “Programming models for sensor networks: A survey,” ACM Trans. Sen. Netw., vol. 4, no. 2, pp. 8:1–8:29, Apr. 2008. [Online]. Available: http://doi.acm.org/10.1145/ 1340771.1340774 [4] J.K.Jacoub,R.Liscano,andJ.S.Bradbury ,“A survey of modeling techniques for wireless sensor networks,” in Proc. of the 5th International Conference on Sensor Technologies and Applications (SENSORCOMM 2011), Aug. 2011, pp. 103–109. [5] ISO/IEC/IEEE42010, Systems and software engineering — Architecture description, ISO, December 2011.

+ 39 380 70 21 600

Ivano Malavolta | Gran Sasso Science Institute

iivanoo

ivano.malavolta@gssi.infn.it

www.ivanomalavolta.com

Contact