Using UML diagrams for system safety and security environment analysis

Abstract

In this paper, the use of UML (Unified Modelling Language) diagrams as software tools for system safety and security environment analysis is proposed and evaluated. The UML diagrams are used to plan and build systems based on the Object-Oriented approach. As these diagrams allow many system aspect viewpoints, they also allow a deep analysis and understanding of the system architecture and implementation details, as well as system functioning and operational features. When a system safety/security environment analysis is accomplished, many aspects of system operation, functioning, data flow, data types, architecture and implementation details must be well known, understood and modelled in order to determine possible weak points for the system safety (or security, or both, depending on the system application). The various UML diagrams supply all the information needed for a safety/security system analysis and many aspects of the UML methodology can be applied for the same purpose. Finally, a case study for an Object-Oriented ATO (Automatic Train Operation) control system proposed for use on a subway system is conducted in order to analyse the safety environment and to identify possible risks and danger situations to the system operation. This control system proposed was presented and discussed in COMPRAIL 2004, in the paper called "Object-Oriented Approach for Automatic Train Operation Control Systems"; now this paper presents a complement of that study, using the drawn diagrams to make an analysis of the system safety environment.