Executable system-level specification models containing UML-based behavioral patterns

Behavioral patterns are useful abstractions to simplify the design of the communication-centric systems. Such patterns are traditionally described using UML diagrams, but the lack of execution semantics in UML prevents the co-validation of the patterns together with simulation models and executable specifications which are the mainstream in today's system level design flows. This paper proposes a method to validate UML-based behavioral patterns within executable system models. The method is based on actor orientation and was implemented as an extension of the Ptolemy II framework. A case study is presented and potential applications and extensions of the proposed method are discussed.