Ten Commandments of Formal Methods… Ten Years On

Bowen, Jonathan P.; Hinchey, Michael G.

doi:10.1007/978-1-4471-2297-5_11

Cited by 7 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 7 publications

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“…These techniques are distinguished by their precisely defined syntax and semantics. The application of formal methods is important to model, verify, and analyze mission-critical systems [30], [31]. Model checking stands out as a powerful formal methods-based technique, that systematically explores all possible states of a system to make sure that the specified properties are met.…”

Section: E Formal Verificationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Formal Verification of Justification and Finalization in Beacon Chain

Afzaal,

Zafar,

Tehseen

et al. 2024

IEEE Access

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In recent years, Beacon Chain known as the core of Ethereum 2.0, has gained considerable attention since its launch. Many validators have staked billions of Ether in the Proof of Stake (PoS) network. It is a mission critical system and its security and stability rely on the justification and finalization of checkpoints. These are essential elements of the Casper FFG consensus algorithm utilized by the Beacon Chain. This process is critical for establishing a trustworthy foundation and finalizing proposed blocks by confirming agreed upon checkpoints. Hence, ensuring the correctness of checkpoints in the Beacon Chain has significant importance because any bug in it can cause serious implications. To address this challenge, we employ formal methods, a popular mathematical approach used for verifying the correctness of such critical systems. In this work, we have done formal verification of the processes of Beacon Chain state initialization, justification and finalization of checkpoints using the Process Analysis Toolkit (PAT) model checker. The adoption of model checking through the PAT model checker presents a novel contribution of our work, as this approach is not previously utilized in the formal verification of Beacon Chain. The presented work is specified through the Communicating Sequential Programs, formal specification language, and the properties are described through Linear Temporal Logic. The PAT model checker takes the specified formal model and properties as input to assess whether the properties are satisfied. The properties are analyzed with respect to the verification time, visited states, total transitions, and memory used. Through this research, we aim to increase confidence in the correctness and reliability of the Beacon Chain.INDEX TERMS Ethereum 2.0, Beacon Chain, Justification and finalization, Model checking, PAT

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Section: E Formal Verificationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Formal Verification of Justification and Finalization in Beacon Chain

Afzaal,

Zafar,

Tehseen

et al. 2024

IEEE Access

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“…Finally, operations related to configuration files are divided into two categories. The first category is the operation of generating configuration files, which is performed by MNs, and the second category is the operation of applying them, which is performed by SNs (equations [18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27].…”

Section: 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑡𝑠 𝑆𝑁 𝑀𝑁mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Formal methods are math-based techniques for creating and checking software and hardware systems 9 . They can ensure correctness and safety for various applications [18], [19]. They can also find and fix errors, improve system quality, and prevent vulnerabilities and attacks [20], [21].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Durna: Achieving Cloud of Clouds by integrating Blockchain and Software Defined Storage

Dinparast,

Mohasefi,

Javan

et al. 2024

Preprint

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This paper proposes a new architecture which addresses the challenge of creating a unified storage cloud out of multiple independent cloud storage by developing a decentralized configuration management system named Durna. Durna integrates blockchain and software defined storage technologies and creates a unified decentralized service while preserving each autonomous unit independent. Durna is capable of generating, distributing, and applying configuration files among nodes in the storage network in a stable, and decentralized manner. By achieving this, the software defined storage gains the decentralized management capability, while still benefiting from its established capabilities in guaranteeing storage service quality. To ensure the system's effectiveness and prevent unforeseen problems, a formal model of the decentralized configuration management system was created and evaluated using model-checking. At the end, we discussed our experience of deploying the primitive Durna hyper-cloud system.

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“…In order to validate the FLAME framework, the Prolog animation was tested using a fully automated approach following the IX commandment proposed in [13], which stresses the importance of testing when using formal methods. The goal of the test-based validation was twofold: (1) detecting flaws in the Z specification, i.e.…”

Section: Test-based Validation Of the Flame Frameworkmentioning

confidence: 99%

FLAME: a formal framework for the automated analysis of software product lines validated by automated specification testing

et al. 2015

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In a literature review on the last 20 years of automated analysis of feature models, the formalization of analysis operations was identified as the most relevant challenge in the field. This formalization could provide very valuable assets for tool developers such as a precise definition of the analysis operations and, what is more, a reference implementation, i.e. a trustworthy, not necessarily efficient implementation to compare different tools outputs. In this article, we present the FLAME framework as the result of facing this challenge. FLAME is a formal framework that can be used to formally specify not only feature models, but other variability modeling languages (VMLs) as well. This reusability is achieved by its two-layered architecture. The abstract foundation layer is the bottom layer in which all VMLindependent analysis operations and concepts are specified. On top of the foundation layer, a family of characteristic model layers-one for each VML to be formally specifiedcan be developed by redefining some abstract types and relations. The verification and validation of FLAME has fol- lowed a process in which formal verification has been performed traditionally by manual theorem proving, but validation has been performed by integrating our experience on metamorphic testing of variability analysis tools, something that has shown to be much more effective than manuallydesigned test cases. To follow this automated, test-based validation approach, the specification of FLAME, written in Z, was translated into Prolog and 20,000 random tests were automatically generated and executed. Tests results helped to discover some inconsistencies not only in the formal specification, but also in the previous informal definitions of the analysis operations and in current analysis tools. After this process, the Prolog implementation of FLAME is being used as a reference implementation for some tool developers, some analysis operations have been formally specified for the first time with more generic semantics, and more VMLs are being formally specified using FLAME.

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Ten Commandments of Formal Methods… Ten Years On

Cited by 7 publications

References 7 publications

Formal Verification of Justification and Finalization in Beacon Chain

Formal Verification of Justification and Finalization in Beacon Chain

Durna: Achieving Cloud of Clouds by integrating Blockchain and Software Defined Storage

FLAME: a formal framework for the automated analysis of software product lines validated by automated specification testing

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Ten Commandments of Formal Methods… Ten Years On

Cited by 7 publications

References 7 publications

Formal Verification of Justification and Finalization in Beacon Chain

Formal Verification of Justification and Finalization in Beacon Chain

​Durna: Achieving Cloud of Clouds by integrating Blockchain and Software Defined Storage

FLAME: a formal framework for the automated analysis of software product lines validated by automated specification testing

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Product

Resources

About

Durna: Achieving Cloud of Clouds by integrating Blockchain and Software Defined Storage