Abstract

Abstract
VirtuosoNextTM is a distributed real-time operating system (RTOS) featuring a generic programming model dubbed Interacting Entities. This paper focuses on these interactions, implemented as so-called Hubs. Hubs act as synchronisation and communication mechanisms between the application tasks and implement the services provided by the kernel. While the kernel provides the most basic services, each carefully designed, tested and optimised, tasks are limited to this handful of basic hubs, leaving the development of more complex mechanisms up to application specific implementations. This work presents a toolset that supports the building of new services compositionally, using notions borrowed from the Reo coordination language, on which the developer can delegate coordination-related duties. This toolset uses a formal compositional semantics for hubs that captures dataflow and time, formalising the behaviour of existing hubs, and allowing the definition of new ones. Furthermore, it enables the analysis and verification of hubs under our automata interpretation, including time-sensitive behaviour via the UPPAAL model checker, usable on http://arcatools .org /hubs. We illustrate the proposed tools and methods by verifying key properties on different interaction scenarios between tasks and a composed hub.

Abstract

Abstract
As our dependence on automated systems grows, so does the need for guaranteeing their safety, cybersecurity, and privacy (SCP). Dedicated methods for verification and validation (V&V) must be used to this end and it is necessary that the methods and their characteristics can be clearly differentiated. This can be achieved via method classifications. However, we have experienced that existing classifications are not suitable to categorise V&V methods for SCP of automated systems. They do not pay enough attention to the distinguishing characteristics of this system type and of these quality concerns. As a solution, we present a new classification developed in the scope of a large-scale industry-academia project. The classification considers both the method type, e.g., testing, and the concern addressed, e.g., safety. Over 70 people have successfully used the classification on 53 methods. We argue that the classification is a more suitable means to categorise V&V methods for SCP of automated systems and that it can help other researchers and practitioners. © 2021, Springer Nature Switzerland AG.

Abstract
Manufacturers of automated systems and their components have been allocating an enormous amount of time and effort in R&D activities, which led to the availability of prototypes demonstrating new capabilities as well as the introduction of such systems to the market within different domains. Manufacturers need to make sure that the systems function in the intended way and according to specifications. This is not a trivial task as system complexity rises dramatically the more integrated and interconnected these systems become with the addition of automated functionality and features to them. This effort translates into an overhead on the V&V (verification and validation) process making it time-consuming and costly. In this paper, we present VALU3S, an ECSEL JU (joint undertaking) project that aims to evaluate the state-of-the-art V&V methods and tools, and design a multi-domain framework to create a clear structure around the components and elements needed to conduct the V&V process. The main expected benefit of the framework is to reduce time and cost needed to verify and validate automated systems with respect to safety, cyber-security, and privacy requirements. This is done through identification and classification of evaluation methods, tools, environments and concepts for V&V of automated systems with respect to the mentioned requirements. VALU3S will provide guidelines to the V&V community including engineers and researchers on how the V&V of automated systems could be improved considering the cost, time and effort of conducting V&V processes. To this end, VALU3S brings together a consortium with partners from 10 different countries, amounting to a mix of 25 industrial partners, 6 leading research institutes, and 10 universities to reach the project goal. © 2021 The Authors

Abstract
Context The development of solutions to improve battery life in Android smartphones and the energy efficiency of apps running on them is hindered by diversity. There are more than 24k Android smartphone models in the world. Moreover, there are multiple active operating system versions, and a myriad application usage profiles. Objective In such a high-diversity scenario, profiling for energy has only limited applicability. One would need to obtain information about energy use in real usage scenarios to make informed, effective decisions about energy optimization. The goal of our work is to understand how Android usage, apps, operating systems, hardware, and user habits influence battery lifespan. Method We leverage crowdsourcing to collect information about energy in real-world usage scenarios. This data is collected by a mobile app, which we developed and made available to the public through Google Play store, and periodically uploaded to a centralized server and made publicly available to researchers, app developers, and smartphone manufacturers through multiple channels (SQL, REST API, zipped CSV/Parquet dump). Results This paper presents the results of a wide analysis of the tendency several smart-phone characteristics have on the battery charge/discharge rate, such as the different models, brands, networks, settings, applications, and even countries. Our analysis was performed over the crowdsourced data, and we have presented findings such as which applications tend to be around when battery consumption is the highest, do users from different countries have the same battery usage, and even showcase methods to help developers find and improve energy inefficient processes. The dataset we considered is sizable; it comprises 23+ million (anonymous) data samples stemming from a large number of installations of the mobile app. Moreover, it includes 700+ million data points pertaining to processes running on these devices. In addition, the dataset is diverse. It covers 1.6k+ device brands, 11.8k+ smartphone models, and more than 50 Android versions. We have been using this dataset to perform multiple analyses. For example, we studied what are the most common apps running on these smartphones and related the presence of those apps in memory with the battery discharge rate of these devices. We have also used this dataset in teaching, having had students practicing data analysis and machine learning techniques for relating energy consumption/charging rates with many other hardware and software qualities, attributes and user behaviors. Conclusions The dataset we considered can support studies with a wide range of research goals, be those energy efficiency or not. It opens the opportunity to inform and reshape user habits, and even influence the development of both hardware (manufacturers) and software (developers) for mobile devices. Our analysis also shows results which go outside of the common perception of what impacts battery consumption in real-world usage, while exposing new varied, complex, and promising research avenues.