A Compiler and Runtime Environment for Execution of Coloured Petri Net Models

Abstract

Reliance on software systems is ever increasing in our world. Alongside the application of concurrent software systems that embody communication, syn- chronization and resource sharing. Many problems in software engineering have strict requirements regarding concurrency and correctness. Designing correct concurrent software is challenging, and a range of formalisms and tools exists that can help the development process. Coloured Petri nets are an extension of the mathematical concept of Petri nets and a widely used language for spec- ification and modelling concurrent systems. CPN Tools is a tool for editing, simulating, and analyzing Coloured Petri nets models. A need has been iden- tified to develop new software tools to execute Coloured Petri net models to facilitate further development and increase portability. This thesis proposes a compiler and a runtime environment for Coloured Petri nets using the F# pro- gramming language and the .NET platform. The result is a CPN simulation system consisting of a compiler that can parse a .cpn file and generate code and a simulator that can use the code generated and execute the model. A state-space exploration strongly supports the functional correctness of the system.