UML-based reconfigurable middleware for design-level timing verification in model-based approach

Model-based approaches for the development of software intensive real-time embedded systems allow early verification of timing properties at the design phase. In order to perform such verification, some aspects of the target software platform (i.e. the Real-Time Operating System (RTOS)) need to be considered such as priorities, scheduling policies, etc. However, one of the basic principles of model-based approaches, is to keep RTOS-independence of the design model. Hence, some assumptions on the software platform are implicitly made to achieve timing verification. This approach may lead to a mismatch between the design model and the RTOS-specific model describing the real-time application and thus, at the implementation level, timing properties may be affected. To tackle this issue, we define in this paper a reconfigurable middleware called RT-Mw. This middleware aims to explicitly describe the software assumptions at the design level for timing verification. Such approach allows early verification of these assumptions before the effective deployment which may prevents the mismatch between the design and the RTOS-Specific models. RT-Mw is described using UML modeling language together with the MARTE Standard.