Safe Browsing in a Strongly Typed Persistent Environment

Lecture Notes in Computer Science

Dearle

Norcross

2008

Abstract.We describe an approach to designing and implementing a distributed system as a family of related finite state machines, generated from a single abstract model. Various artefacts are generated from each state machine, including diagrams, source-level protocol implementations and documentation. The state machine family formalises the interactions between the components of the distributed system, allowing increased confidence in correctness. Our methodology facilitates the application of state machines to problems for which they would not otherwise be suitable.We illustrate the technique with the example of a Byzantine-fault-tolerant commit protocol used in a distributed storage system, showing how an abstract model can be defined in terms of an abstract state space and various categories of state transitions. We describe how such an abstract model can be deployed in a concrete system, and propose a general methodology for developing systems in this style.

Section: When To Perform Generationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Various approaches have been used [11][12][13]; more recently, Java 6 has provided explicit run-time access to the compiler [14].…”

Section: Incorporation Of Generated Codementioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Design, Implementation and Deployment of State Machines Using a Generative Approach

Lecture Notes in Computer Science

Dearle

Norcross

2008

“…This is the basis for system evolution in the Napier88 system. Napier88 uses run-time linguistic reflection [84][85][86] which is concerned with the construction and binding of new components with existing components in an environment. The technique involves the use of a compiler that can be called dynamically to compile newly generated program fragments, and a linking mechanism to bind these new program fragments into the running program.…”

Section: Type Safe Linguistic Reflectionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Type safe linguistic reflection has been used to attain high levels of genericity [87,88] and accommodate changes in systems [84,89]; two examples of these are given below. It has also been used to implement data models [62,63,90], optimise implementations [91][92][93] and validate specifications [94,95].…”

Section: Type Safe Linguistic Reflectionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Napier88 Persistent Programming Language and Environment

Morrison

Connor

Fully Integrated Data Environments

et al. 2000

Abstract. Persistent programming systems are designed as an implementation technology for long lived, concurrently accessed and potentially large bodies of data and programs, known here as persistent application systems (PASs). Within a PAS the persistence concept is used to abstract over the physical properties of data such as where it is kept, how long it is kept and in what form it is kept. As such it is seen as having a number of benefits in simplifying the task of PAS programming. Here, we describe the integrated design of the Napier88 persistent programming system and how Napier88 may be used to develop PASs.

Linguistic reflection in Java

Morrison

Stemple

1998

Softw: Pract. Exper.

SUMMARYReflective systems allow their own structures to be altered from within. Here we are concerned with a style of reflection, called linguistic reflection, which is the ability of a running program to generate new program fragments and to integrate these into its own execution. In particular, we describe how this kind of reflection may be provided in the compiler-based, strongly typed objectoriented programming language Java. The advantages of the programming technique include attaining high levels of genericity and accommodating system evolution. These advantages are illustrated by an example taken from persistent programming, which shows how linguistic reflection allows functionality (program code) to be generated on demand (Just-In-Time) from a generic specification and integrated into the evolving running program. The technique is evaluated against alternative implementation approaches with respect to efficiency, safety and ease of use.