Automatic Code Generation Method Based on Coloured Petri Net Models Applied on an Access Control System

Abstract

In this paper we describe a method for automatic implementation of systems based on models made by means of Coloured Petri Nets (CP-nets or CPN). The Design/CPN tool has been extended in order to support this method. We do not describe the algorithms and data-structures used to implement the code generation tool but rather the context such a tool is used in.

The contribution of this work origins from the fact that the code used to simulate the CPN model and the code used to generate the final system implementation are identical. Hence the behaviour of the model and final system are the same, and analysis results found by means of Design/CPN also hold for the final running system. This is different from other CPNbased code generation methods. Furthermore, since the method is fully automatic the traditional manual implementation phase has been eliminated. Thus the method described in this paper dramatically reduces development time and cost compared with prevailing system development methods where system implementation is accomplished manually. In this paper we demonstrate that the method is usable in practice for an industrial case, namely an access control system developed by the Danish security company Dalcotech A/S. A CPN model was made of a realistic access control system scenario. We describe this model and how Dalcotech applied the automatic code generation method in order to obtain a system implementation quickly and safely. In this way Dalcotech now has the capability to reduce the resources spent on the implementation phase.