Detecting Interactions between Behavioral Requirements with OWL and SWRL
High quality requirements analysis is one of the most
crucial activities to ensure the success of a software project, so that
requirements verification for software system becomes more and more
important in Requirements Engineering (RE) and it is one of the most
helpful strategies for improving the quality of software system.
Related works show that requirement elicitation and analysis can be
facilitated by ontological approaches and semantic web technologies.
In this paper, we proposed a hybrid method which aims to verify
requirements with structural and formal semantics to detect
interactions. The proposed method is twofold: one is for modeling
requirements with the semantic web language OWL, to construct a
semantic context; the other is a set of interaction detection rules which
are derived from scenario-based analysis and represented with
semantic web rule language (SWRL). SWRL based rules are working
with rule engines like Jess to reason in semantic context for
requirements thus to detect interactions. The benefits of the proposed
method lie in three aspects: the method (i) provides systematic steps
for modeling requirements with an ontological approach, (ii) offers
synergy of requirements elicitation and domain engineering for
knowledge sharing, and (3)the proposed rules can systematically assist
in requirements interaction detection.
[1] A. Nhlabatsi, R. Laney, and B. Nuseibeh, "Feature interaction: The
security threat from within software systems," Progress in Informatics,
no. 5, pp. 75-90, 2008.
[2] R. G. Crespo, "Identification of feature denial of services," in 2nd
International Conference on Next Generation Mobile Applications,
Services, and Technologies, NGMAST 2008, September 16-19, 2008, pp.
571-575, 2008.
[3] W. Pree, "Component-based software development - a new paradigm in
software engineering?," in Proceedings of the 1997 Asia-Pacific Software
Engineering Conference and International Computer Science Conference,
APSEC'97 and ICSC'97, December 2-5, 1997, pp. 523-524, 1997.
[4] S. Apel and C. Kästner, "An Overview of Feature-Oriented Software
Development," Journal of Object Technology, vol. 8, no. 5, pp. 49-84,
Aug. 2009.
[5] T. Elrad, R. E. Filman, and A. Bader, "Aspect-oriented programming,"
Communications of the ACM, vol. 44, no. 10, pp. 29-32, 2001.
[6] G. A. Lewis, E. Morris, S. Simanta, and L. Wrage, "Effects of
Service-Oriented Architecture on software development lifecycle
activities," Software Process Improvement and Practice, vol. 13, no. 2, pp.
135-144, 2008.
[7] I. Sommerville, "Integrated requirements engineering: A tutorial," IEEE
Software, vol. 22, no. 1, pp. 16-23, 2005.
[8] V. Gervasi and D. Zowghi, "Reasoning about inconsistencies in natural
language requirements," ACM Transactions on Software Engineering and
Methodology, vol. 14, no. 3, pp. 277-330, 2005.
[9] W. N. Robinson, S. D. Pawlowski, and V. Volkov, "Requirements
Interaction Management," ACM Computing Surveys, vol. 35, no. 2, pp.
132-190, Jun. 2003.
[10] A. Nhlabatsi, "Initialisation Problems in Feature Composition," PhD
thesis, The Open University, 2009.
[11] M. Shehata, A. Eberlein, and A. Fapojuwo, "A taxonomy for identifying
requirement interactions in software systems," Computer Networks, vol.
51, no. 2, pp. 398-425, Feb. 2007.
[12] A. Classen, P. Heymans, and P. Schobbens, "What's in a Feature: A
Requirements Engineering Perspective," in Proceedings of the 11th
International Conference on Fundamental Approaches to Software
Engineering, vol. 4961, pp. 16-30, 2008.
[13] M. Heisel and J. Souquières, "A Heuristic Approach to Detect Feature
Interactions in Requirements," in Feature Interactions in
Telecommunications and Software Systems V, pp. 165-171, 1998.
[14] E. Sarmiento, M. R. S. Borges, and M. L. M. Campos, "Applying an
event-based approach for detecting requirements interaction," in ICEIS
2009 - 11th International Conference on Enterprise Information Systems,
May 6-10, 2009, pp. 225-230, 2009.
[15] M. Shehata, "Detecting Requirements Interactions Using Semi-Formal
Methods," PhD thesis, University of Calgary, 2005.
[16] R. Laney, T. T. Tun, M. Jackson, and B. Nuseibeh, "Composing Features
by Managing Inconsistent Requirements," in Feature Interactions in
Software and Communication Systems IX, pp. 129-144, 2007.
[17] C. Liu, "Ontology-based requirements conflicts analysis in activity
diagrams," in International Conference on Computational Science and Its
Applications, ICCSA 2009, June 29-July 2, 2009, LNCS, vol. 5593, pp.
1-12, 2009.
[18] O. Lassila and R. R. Swick, "Resource Description Framework (RDF)
Model and Syntax Specification." [Online]. Available:
http://www.w3.org/TR/1999/REC-rdf-syntax-19990222/. [Accessed:
02-Oct-2010].
[19] S. Bechhofer et al., "OWL Web Ontology Language Reference."
[Online]. Available: http://www.w3.org/TR/owl-ref/. [Accessed:
07-Oct-2010].
[20] F. Baader et al. The Description Logic Handbook: Theory,
Implementation, and Applications. Cambridge University Press, 2003.
[21] I. Horrocks, P. F. Patel-Schneider, H. Boley, S. Tabet, B. Grosof, and M.
Dean, "SWRL: A Semantic Web Rule Language Combining OWL and
RuleML." [Online]. Available: http://www.w3.org/Submission/SWRL/.
[Accessed: 07-Oct-2010].
[22] H. Boley, S.Tabet, and G.Wagner, "Design rationale of RuleML: a
markup language for Semantic Web rules". Proc. Semantic Web Working
Symp, California, USA, Aug. 2001, pp. 381-401, 2001.
[23] N. Noy, M. Sintek, S. Decker, M. Crubezy, R. Fergerson, and M. Musen,
"Creating semantic web contents with protege-2000," IEEE Intelligent
Systems and Their Applications, vol. 16, no. 2, pp. 60-71, 2001.
[24] E. Wang and Y. S. Kim, "A teaching strategies engine using translation
from SWRL to Jess," in 8th International Conference on Intelligent
Tutoring Systems, ITS 2006, June 26-30, 2006, LNCS vol. 4053, pp.
51-60, 2006.
[25] M. Shehata, A. Eberlein, and A. Fapojuwo, "Using semi-formal methods
for detecting interactions among smart homes policies," Science of
Compter Programming, vol. 67, no. 2, pp. 125-161, Jul. 2007.
[1] A. Nhlabatsi, R. Laney, and B. Nuseibeh, "Feature interaction: The
security threat from within software systems," Progress in Informatics,
no. 5, pp. 75-90, 2008.
[2] R. G. Crespo, "Identification of feature denial of services," in 2nd
International Conference on Next Generation Mobile Applications,
Services, and Technologies, NGMAST 2008, September 16-19, 2008, pp.
571-575, 2008.
[3] W. Pree, "Component-based software development - a new paradigm in
software engineering?," in Proceedings of the 1997 Asia-Pacific Software
Engineering Conference and International Computer Science Conference,
APSEC'97 and ICSC'97, December 2-5, 1997, pp. 523-524, 1997.
[4] S. Apel and C. Kästner, "An Overview of Feature-Oriented Software
Development," Journal of Object Technology, vol. 8, no. 5, pp. 49-84,
Aug. 2009.
[5] T. Elrad, R. E. Filman, and A. Bader, "Aspect-oriented programming,"
Communications of the ACM, vol. 44, no. 10, pp. 29-32, 2001.
[6] G. A. Lewis, E. Morris, S. Simanta, and L. Wrage, "Effects of
Service-Oriented Architecture on software development lifecycle
activities," Software Process Improvement and Practice, vol. 13, no. 2, pp.
135-144, 2008.
[7] I. Sommerville, "Integrated requirements engineering: A tutorial," IEEE
Software, vol. 22, no. 1, pp. 16-23, 2005.
[8] V. Gervasi and D. Zowghi, "Reasoning about inconsistencies in natural
language requirements," ACM Transactions on Software Engineering and
Methodology, vol. 14, no. 3, pp. 277-330, 2005.
[9] W. N. Robinson, S. D. Pawlowski, and V. Volkov, "Requirements
Interaction Management," ACM Computing Surveys, vol. 35, no. 2, pp.
132-190, Jun. 2003.
[10] A. Nhlabatsi, "Initialisation Problems in Feature Composition," PhD
thesis, The Open University, 2009.
[11] M. Shehata, A. Eberlein, and A. Fapojuwo, "A taxonomy for identifying
requirement interactions in software systems," Computer Networks, vol.
51, no. 2, pp. 398-425, Feb. 2007.
[12] A. Classen, P. Heymans, and P. Schobbens, "What's in a Feature: A
Requirements Engineering Perspective," in Proceedings of the 11th
International Conference on Fundamental Approaches to Software
Engineering, vol. 4961, pp. 16-30, 2008.
[13] M. Heisel and J. Souquières, "A Heuristic Approach to Detect Feature
Interactions in Requirements," in Feature Interactions in
Telecommunications and Software Systems V, pp. 165-171, 1998.
[14] E. Sarmiento, M. R. S. Borges, and M. L. M. Campos, "Applying an
event-based approach for detecting requirements interaction," in ICEIS
2009 - 11th International Conference on Enterprise Information Systems,
May 6-10, 2009, pp. 225-230, 2009.
[15] M. Shehata, "Detecting Requirements Interactions Using Semi-Formal
Methods," PhD thesis, University of Calgary, 2005.
[16] R. Laney, T. T. Tun, M. Jackson, and B. Nuseibeh, "Composing Features
by Managing Inconsistent Requirements," in Feature Interactions in
Software and Communication Systems IX, pp. 129-144, 2007.
[17] C. Liu, "Ontology-based requirements conflicts analysis in activity
diagrams," in International Conference on Computational Science and Its
Applications, ICCSA 2009, June 29-July 2, 2009, LNCS, vol. 5593, pp.
1-12, 2009.
[18] O. Lassila and R. R. Swick, "Resource Description Framework (RDF)
Model and Syntax Specification." [Online]. Available:
http://www.w3.org/TR/1999/REC-rdf-syntax-19990222/. [Accessed:
02-Oct-2010].
[19] S. Bechhofer et al., "OWL Web Ontology Language Reference."
[Online]. Available: http://www.w3.org/TR/owl-ref/. [Accessed:
07-Oct-2010].
[20] F. Baader et al. The Description Logic Handbook: Theory,
Implementation, and Applications. Cambridge University Press, 2003.
[21] I. Horrocks, P. F. Patel-Schneider, H. Boley, S. Tabet, B. Grosof, and M.
Dean, "SWRL: A Semantic Web Rule Language Combining OWL and
RuleML." [Online]. Available: http://www.w3.org/Submission/SWRL/.
[Accessed: 07-Oct-2010].
[22] H. Boley, S.Tabet, and G.Wagner, "Design rationale of RuleML: a
markup language for Semantic Web rules". Proc. Semantic Web Working
Symp, California, USA, Aug. 2001, pp. 381-401, 2001.
[23] N. Noy, M. Sintek, S. Decker, M. Crubezy, R. Fergerson, and M. Musen,
"Creating semantic web contents with protege-2000," IEEE Intelligent
Systems and Their Applications, vol. 16, no. 2, pp. 60-71, 2001.
[24] E. Wang and Y. S. Kim, "A teaching strategies engine using translation
from SWRL to Jess," in 8th International Conference on Intelligent
Tutoring Systems, ITS 2006, June 26-30, 2006, LNCS vol. 4053, pp.
51-60, 2006.
[25] M. Shehata, A. Eberlein, and A. Fapojuwo, "Using semi-formal methods
for detecting interactions among smart homes policies," Science of
Compter Programming, vol. 67, no. 2, pp. 125-161, Jul. 2007.
@article{"International Journal of Information, Control and Computer Sciences:51688", author = "Haibo Hu and Dan Yang and Chunxiao Ye and Chunlei Fu and Ren Li", title = "Detecting Interactions between Behavioral Requirements with OWL and SWRL", abstract = "High quality requirements analysis is one of the most
crucial activities to ensure the success of a software project, so that
requirements verification for software system becomes more and more
important in Requirements Engineering (RE) and it is one of the most
helpful strategies for improving the quality of software system.
Related works show that requirement elicitation and analysis can be
facilitated by ontological approaches and semantic web technologies.
In this paper, we proposed a hybrid method which aims to verify
requirements with structural and formal semantics to detect
interactions. The proposed method is twofold: one is for modeling
requirements with the semantic web language OWL, to construct a
semantic context; the other is a set of interaction detection rules which
are derived from scenario-based analysis and represented with
semantic web rule language (SWRL). SWRL based rules are working
with rule engines like Jess to reason in semantic context for
requirements thus to detect interactions. The benefits of the proposed
method lie in three aspects: the method (i) provides systematic steps
for modeling requirements with an ontological approach, (ii) offers
synergy of requirements elicitation and domain engineering for
knowledge sharing, and (3)the proposed rules can systematically assist
in requirements interaction detection.", keywords = "Requirements Engineering, Semantic Web, OWL,Requirements Interaction Detection, SWRL.", volume = "4", number = "12", pages = "1839-7", }
