paul@loki.pttrnl.nl (Paul Tilanus) (08/09/90)
5th SDL FORUM
Introduction and Call for Papers
1. INTRODUCTION
===============
The following offers some background information for the enclosed call for
papers for the 5th SDL Forum. The Forum is held every second year to stimulate
the interchange of information related to SDL. The previous Forum attracted 160
participants from 23 countries. The proceedings are distributed as hardcover
books ([1], [2]).
SDL (CCITT Specification and Description Language) is recommended by CCITT
(recommendation Z.100) for specification and description of telecommunication
systems. For these purposes and as a design language, SDL is widely used in
telecommunications applications. In general, SDL is suited for discrete,
reactive systems such as industrial process control or trafic control, and in a
recent joint ISO/CCITT project on modelling OSI concepts in FDTs (Formal
Description Techniques), it has been recognized as a suitable FDT within this
area also (the other FDTs considered were LOTOS and Estelle).
Through this announcement we hope to attract interest from a potential audience
in particular from outside the telecommunication community.
Features of the language include:
** choice between graphical and textual syntax,
** description of high-level structure as well as detailed behaviour of
systems,
** concept of abstract data types,
** behaviour description based on communicating extended finite state
machine.
Because of the wide usage of SDL and the investment in CASE-tools, CCITT
intends to keep the language definition as stable as possible. The only major
foreseen extension is expected in the area of object-orientation.
Object orientation is an increasingly popular concept for systems engineering
in telecommunications and for this reason CCITT is considering extensions in
that area. In fact SDL is already quite object oriented, but elaborated
contributions for additional features like inheritance and parameterization are
now being considered.
Textbooks on SDL have been published, e.g. [3]. An overview of available
CASE-tools is included in [1].
References
----------
[1] O. Faergemand and M. Manuela Marques eds.,
SDL '89 The Language at Work, Proceedings of the Fourth SDL Forum,
Lisbon, Portugal, 9--13 October, 1989,
North Holland 1989.
[2] R. Saracco and P.A.J. Tilanus eds.,
SDL '87 State of the Art and Future Trends, Proceedings of the Third
SDL Forum, The Hague, Netherlands, April 1987,
North Holland 1987.
[3] R. Saracco, J.R.W. Smith and R. Reed,
Telecommunications Systems Engineering using SDL,
North Holland 1989.
2. CALL FOR PAPERS
==================
Place: Scotland
Dates: 29 September - 4 October 1991
The International Telecommunications Union first published a standard for a
Specification and Description Language (CCITT SDL) in the 1970's. Since then
it has evolved to a language with a formal basis which is used throughout the
worlds telecommunications industry as the major league for software and
systems engineering specification, design and description. Although this large
user base needs SDL to be stable, enrichment to meet the changing demands of
telecommunications engineering is also essential.
The SDL Forum was established so that all aspects of engineering involving SDL
can be discussed at an international level. The Forum also provides tutorials
on SDL and a showcase for tools. The attendance spread and numbers, and
feedback demonstrate that the Forum is successful and useful. The delegates
use, maintain and provide support tools for SDL.
The scope of the Forum extends beyond SDL to related formal description
techniques (FDT's) environments for SDL use, methodologies, limits of SDL and
the use of other FDT's.
Objectives of the Forum
-----------------------
** Exchange of information and ideas
** Discussion of SDL related issues
** Tool demonstrations
** Tutorials on SDL usage (29 sept.)
Suggested Topics for Papers
---------------------------
** Use and experience
** Education and Training Courses
** Testing, Verification and Validation
** Environments for SDL tool and usage
** Methods, Methodologies, S/W Engineering
** Component Reuse with SDL
** Object Orientation using SDL
** Combining SDL and other approaches
** The benefits of Formality
Publication and Deadlines
-------------------------
Papers will be published as a North-Holland book for the Forum. Dates to be
met are:
Draft Paper 15 February 1991
Acceptance Notified 31st March 1991
Final Copy 15th May 1991
Publication 1st September 1991
Contact for More Information
----------------------------
Rick Reed, EB8876, GPT, New Century Park, Coventry, CV3 1HJ, England.
Tel: +44 203 446902 Fax: +44 203 446914
email: Rick_Reed@eurokom.ie
The participation fee (excluding accomodation) is less than 200 British
pounds. Authors should sent the paper title/scope as soon as possible.
On contact more details and authors guidelines will be sent.
Programme Committee
-------------------
Chairman: Ove Faergemand, TFL, Denmark (CCITT Study Group X/3 chairman)
Ferenc Belina, Swedish Telecom.
Laura Cerchio, CSELT, Italy.
Lars Kahn, RACE Industrial Consortium, Belgium.
Maria Manuela Marques, INESC, Portugal
Birger Moller-Pedersen, Norwegian Computing Center.
Rick Reed, GPT, UK.
Paul Tilanus, PTT Research - Dr. Neher Laboratories, Netherlands.
Corresponding Members:
---------------------
Dr. Audris Kalninsh, Latvian State University;
Dr. Joao Franco, Telebras, Brazil;
Prof. Dieter Hogrefe, University of Bern, Switzerland;
Jin P. Hong, Electronics and Telecom. Research Institute, Korea;
Dr. Lindsay Jackson, Royal Melbourne Institure of Technology, Australia;
Yasushi Wakahara, Kokusai Denshin Denwa, Japan;
Dr. Piotr Ostrowski, Warsaw University of Technology, Poland;
Anders Rockstrom, Televerket, Sweden;
Dave Rypka, AT&T Bell Lab, USA;
Milan Zoric, University of Zagreb, Yugoslavia.