Review of Static Analyzer Service Models

Programming tools have expanded both in scope of the problems they solve, and in the kinds of techniques they use. Traditionally, programming tools have focused on detecting errors in programs. Recently, this scope has broadened to help with other programming tasks, including inferring specifications, helping diagnose root cause of errors during debugging, and managing knowledge in large projects. Also, traditionally programming tools have been based on either static or dynamic program analysis. Modern programming tools combine static and dynamic program analysis together with techniques from other disciplines such as statistical and probabilistic inference, and information retrieval. This paper reports on some such tools built by the Rigorous Software Engineering group at Microsoft Research India.

Optimality and condensing of information flow through linear refinement

The upcoming standardization of the Ada Semantic Interface Specification (ASIS) makes possible the development of portable static analysis tools for Ada programs. This paper introduces this class of back-end CASE tools, lists their capabilities, and describes how they can be used during the software-development process to increase overall software quality. The description is based on one such tool: the Ada Analyzer developed by Little Tree Consulting.

The article is devoted to establishing the relationship between the concepts of the HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) food safety system and the technical aspects of food security with a focus on enhancing the predictability and reliability of long-term food storage. The significance of the research is the priority of the HACCP system for the reliable storage of food products, especially long-term storage for the purpose of state reservation. To conduct the research, methods of a systematic approach to the analyzed material and an abstract-logical approach to their generalization and formulation of conclusions were used. The suitability of food products for storage directly depends on the inherent quality characteristics of these products – primarily on their food safety as a fundamental component of quality. Thus, the implementation and successful operation of HACCP plans in the agricultural sector affects the suitability of food products for storage. At the end of the production process indicators of the quality and food safety of products are provided, based on the said indicators it is possible to predict the shelf life of food products with a reasonable degree of probability. The scientific novelty lies in highlighting HACCP not only as a food safety tool but also as a technical framework for storage-related decision-making within food security systems. The work related to the study of the concept of safe storage of food products, in particular long-term storage products stored for state reserve purposes, as well as the scientific basis for predicting the permissible periods of such storage, showed the possibility and feasibility of an integrated approach to solving these problems.

We present ClonEvol, a visual analysis tool that assists in obtaining insight into the state and the evolution of a C/C++/Java source code base on project, file and scope level. ClonEvol combines information obtained from the software versioning system and contents of files that change between versions; The tool operates as tool-chain of Subversion (SVN), Doxygen (applied as static analyzer) and Simian as code duplication detector. The consolidated information is presented to the user in an interactive visual manner. The focus of the presented tool lies on scalability (in time and space) concerning data acquisition, data processing and visualization, and ease of use. The visualization is approached by using a (mirrored) radial tree to show the file and scope structures, complemented with hierarchically bundled edges that show clone relations. We demonstrate the use of ClonEvol on a real world code base.

Automatic static cost analysis infers information about the resources used by programs without actually running them with concrete data and presents such information as functions of input data sizes. Most of the analysis tools for logic programs (and many for other languages), as CiaoPP, are based on setting up recurrence relations representing (bounds on) the computational cost of predicates and solving them to find closed-form functions. Such recurrence solving is a bottleneck in current tools: many of the recurrences that arise during the analysis cannot be solved with state-of-the-art solvers, including computer algebra systems (CASs), so that specific methods for different classes of recurrences need to be developed. We address such a challenge by developing a novel, general approach for solving arbitrary, constrained recurrence relations, that uses machine learning (sparse-linear and symbolic) regression techniques to guess a candidate closed-form function, and a combination of an SMT-solver and a CAS to check whether such function is actually a solution of the recurrence. Our prototype implementation and its experimental evaluation within the context of the CiaoPP system show quite promising results. Overall, for the considered benchmark set, our approach outperforms state-of-the-art cost analyzers and recurrence solvers and can find closed-form solutions, in a reasonable time, for recurrences that cannot be solved by them.

Static program analyzers (SPA) are interactive tools that enhance program understanding by answering queries about programs. An SPA parses source programs and builds a so-called program knowledge base (PKB) that enables automatic processing of program queries. An SPA design method described in this paper consists of steps during which we (1) identify, a class of program queries we wish to answer, (2) model program information that is required to resolve queries, (3) define physical representation for programs, based on the concept of a hybrid PKB, and (4) implement other SPA components such as a front-end and user interface. Generally, queries related to global properties of programs are best handled if we store program information in a relational database. On the other hand, detailed queries are best supported if we represent programs as attributed syntax trees. A hybrid PKB described in this paper integrates these two program representations. Our notation for specifying a hybrid PKB forms a basis for a generation system that automates some of the routine, but time consuming, tasks involved in implementation of programming tools. >

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to propose an approach that helps in acquisition of live data as well as data stored in the internal/external memory of android mobile device considering that the data on the device are not much altered during the extraction process. Also, the emphasis is laid on testing the validity of existing forensic tools against the data obtained manually and by using this approach. Smartphones have spurred the mobile computing technology, and Android is widely used as an Operating System in these devices. These days, users store most of their personal information like emails, images, contacts etc., on Phones/Tablets as their data would be readily accessible and thus convenient for them. Design/methodology/approach – Android Operating System is built on the Linux Kernel and scripts to extract data from Android Mobile Device with the use of Android Debugging Bridge have been written. The approach is more focused on the logical acquisition of data from devices rather than acquisition using physical methods. Findings – Live data of the Facebook application running on the device can be extracted. Also, the password of the LuksManager application (used to create an encrypted volume on the device), which is stored in the internal memory, is also extracted and identified. Research limitations/implications – The study has been conducted in an academic environment, thereby limiting external validity. Another limitation is the limited edition of some of the software forensics tools that are used. The full access to these software tools are restricted by Law enforcement and Investigation policies. The research provides a different approach which could aid in criminal investigation activities on mobile devices. Practical implications – The devices which have the latest versions of Android not only store messages and mails, but a lot of information about GPS, as well as information about popular applications like Facebook, WhatsApp, etc. This could practically help a lot in criminal investigation. Originality/value – This study is important because very few works have been done on recent versions (Jellybean and Kitkat) of Android. The proposed approach could extract large amounts of information as compared to earlier approaches with the newer versions of Android having larger memory and new features.

Service-oriented architecture of adaptive, intelligent data acquisition and processing systems for long-pulse fusion experiments

In order to coordinate automatic voltage control (AVC) systems of a large interconnected system, a multi-level multi-area hybrid automatic voltage control (MLMA-HAVC) system was constructed. This system began its trial operation in the Northeast China Grid in January 2010, and for the first time in China and abroad it realized automatic close-loop control of multi-area and multi-level interconnected power grid and multi-objective self-approaching optimization in aspects of security, high quality and economic operation. This system has three breakthroughs in theory and engineering application: 1) Established the MLMA-HAVC theory to solve multi-objective optimization of large-scale system; 2) proposed reactive power/voltage coordination control method to inhibit or further eliminate regional oscillations; 3) presented advanced state estimation algorithm to guarantee acquisition of high reliability data. This paper summarizes the basic principle of MLMA-HAVC, and reports engineering realization of MLMA-HAVC system in the Northeast China Grid.

Complex machines like synchrotron light sources or newly proposed Free Electron Lasers (FEL) posses a variety of coupled parameters that need complex optimization procedures to achieve best possible working conditions. A programming tool like LabVIEW, with its emphasis on easy data acquisition and its very high flexibility, is used extensively to simultaneously access diverse measurement instruments like Scopes, Spectrum Analyzers, and Waveform Generators and combine them into measurement routines which can access all process variables available under EPICS.

ABSTRACTA method based on workflow technology and Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) specification is proposed to establish a universal workflow conceptual model in the network environment. In this paper, the soil fertility evaluation conceptual model was developed as an evaluation method of soil fertility by analyzing the GIS-based fertility evaluation method and extracting the dynamic variable to verify the feasibility model. This validation process involves determining the instantiation of the conceptual model. The proposed conceptual model achieved the following goals. All data acquisition and processing functions were packaged into an OGC-compliant service model; these service models were organized into a processing chain in a certain order on the workflow platform by Petri-Net; the fertility evaluation was realized on the workflow platform by calling the processing chain. Results showed that processing functions and data can be shared in the network environment, and the network workflow model can be realized by the workflow technology. The successful implementation of fertility evaluation proved the feasibility of the network-based universal workflow conceptual model. In addition, the flexibility of our modeling method is demonstrated by reconstructing the workflow model.

In this paper, a detailed description of the analytical modelling of a full-scale irregular RC test structure intended for Pseudo-dynamic (PsD) testing is presented. Extensive pretest assessment was performed to investigate the capacity and dynamic characteristics of the test structure. The use and applicability of static and dynamic analysis methods are discussed. A systematic approach to determine an earthquake scenario for the highly irregular test model was developed which satisfies three criteria: (i) collapse prevention, (ii) severe damage level for the acquisition of data on structural damage and (iii) maximum torsional response. Four pretest models with different assumptions were compared in addition to the comparison of analytical and experimental results.

This study investigated operational and structural health monitoring (SHM) as well as damage evaluations for building structures. The study involved damage detection and the assessment of buildings by placing sensors and by assuming weak areas, and considered situations of assessment and self-monitoring. From this perspective, advanced sensor technology and data acquisition techniques can systematically monitor a building in real time. Furthermore, the structure’s response and behavior were observed and recorded to predict the damage to the building. In this paper, we discuss the real-time monitoring and response of buildings, which includes both static and dynamic analyses along with numerical simulation studies such as finite element analysis (FEA), and recommendations for the future research and development of SHM are made.

A novel setup for testing of stiffened panels in ship decks subjected to axial and lateral loads is developed in the Department of Ocean Engineering, IITMadras. The entire setup consists of self-straining test rig, imperfection measuring device, displacement controlled hydraulic jacks, rigid grillage, inflatable air balloon with and without opening, and a data acquisition system. The fabricated deformable test rig replicates similar boundary conditions along the loaded and unloaded edges of stiffened panels in between transverse stiffeners of a ship deck. An imperfection measuring device located on the test rig is designed and fabricated to measure geometrical initial imperfections on the plate and stiffener. A unique displacement controlled twin hydraulic jack system is developed to apply axial load on the panel. A rigid grillage connected to the bottom of the test rig to act as reactive support for the application of lateral load on the panel is fabricated by performing static nonlinear analysis using ANSYS. An inflatable air balloon with and without opening is fabricated to simulate constant cargo (lateral) load acting on the panels. The applied axial load and produced axial deformation measured by load cells and LVDT, respectively, is plotted simultaneously while testing using an integrated data acquisition system. Nonlinear finite element analysis of tested specimens is performed using ANSYS to compare the ultimate load obtained from experiments. A close agreement between the experimental data and finite element analysis results indicates realistic simulation of truly combined axial and lateral loads with deformable supports acting on stiffened panels as in ship decks achieved in the laboratory and numerically.