Integrating petri net semantics in a model-driven approach: The renew meta-modeling and transformation framework

Abstract

This paper presents an approach to the development of modeling languages and automated generation of specific modeling tools based on meta-models. Modeling is one of the main tasks in engineering. Graphical modeling helps the engineer not only to understand the system but also to communicate with engineers and with other stakeholders that participate in the development (or analytic) process. In order to be able to provide adequately adapted modeling techniques for a given domain, it is useful to support the development of techniques that are designed for their special purpose, i.e. domain-specific modeling languages (DSML). For this purpose meta-modeling comes in handy. Meta-models provide a clear abstract syntax and model-driven design approaches allow for rapid prototyping of modeling languages. However, the transformation and also the original (source model) as well as the transformed (target) model often do not provide a clear semantics. We present an approach to model-driven development that is based on Petri nets: high- and low-level Petri nets in various formalisms can be used as target models. The presented approach uses ontology-based meta-models, code and graphical templates, as well as custom and predefined transformation engines. The RMT framework provides the generation of modeling tools and the transformation into executable and/or analyzable models based on the defined Petri net semantics.