VIATRA - visual automated transformations for formal verification and validation of UML models

The VIATRA (visual automated model transformations) framework is the core of a transformation-based verification and validation environment for improving the quality of systems designed using the Unified Modeling Language by automatically checking consistency, completeness, and dependability requirements. In the current paper, we present an overview of (i) the major design goals and decisions, (ii) the underlying formal methodology based on metamodeling and graph transformation, (iii) the software architecture based upon the XMI standard, and (iv) several benchmark applications of the VIATRA framework.

1. Introduction

The advent of visual design languages promises not only a better requirement capture and easier software architecture process, but a radical increase in software productivity, as well. The rapid spread of UML, the Unified Modeling Language [9], as the dominant object-oriented CASE technology clearly indicates the market need for effective visual design technologies.