Protocol half-converters derivation using the formal approach

To have real world-wide global computer networking, intercommunication between heterogeneous network architectures is the main issue to be resolved. Protocol converters are the kernel components for intercommunication between heterogeneous network architectures. To have correct protocol converters, formal methods should be applied in the design phase of protocol converters. Therefore, protocol conversion, which is the formal approach to deriving error-free protocol converters, has become an important issue for heterogeneous computer networking. By combining a protocol verification technique and a half-converter derivation method, this paper presents a half-converter derivation method using an Automatic Half-Converter Generator (AHCG). There are four main components in AHCG: a partitioning processor, a candidate converter generator, a logical error detector, and a final converter generator. Given two protocol specifications and a conversion specification which are formally specified in the Communicating Finite State Machine (CFSM) model, AHCG will generate the two error-free formal specifications of paired half-converters in the CFSM model.