Modeling behavioral patterns of concurrent software architectures using Petri nets

To address behavioral modeling issues specific to concurrent software architectures, this paper outlines an approach for systematically modeling behavioral patterns found in concurrent software designs by applying colored Petri net (CPN) templates with UML artifacts. In this approach, CPNs are used as an underlying representation of the dynamic object-oriented architecture. These CPNs are then used to provide a simulated functional flow of the architecture and to analyze the concurrent behavior. By applying the results from the CPN analysis to the original UML model, an engineer can enhance the quality of the design and thereby gain additional insight to the behavioral properties of the software design prior to implementation.