Chapter 6

Question 1

What is model deployment?

Answer 1

Model deployment implies model transformation that transforms platform-independent models into platform-specific models, model optimisation, transformation of models into code, and compilation of generated code.

Question 2

What is platform integration?

Answer 2

Platform integration is about the integration of code generated from models with a platform runtime environment.

It is also about the integration of code generated from multiple models with each other.

Question 3

Platform-independent input models

Answer 3

describe embedded systems consisting of components with defined specifications and realisation.

Question 4

Highlight the steps model deployment and integration go through

Answer 4

1. Verification:
   verification activities checks one or multiple models based on rules. Checks are used to ensure conformance of component realisations to their specifications.
   Can be carried out manually or automatically
2. Transformation:
   Transformation activities transform input data to output data based on rules.
   Automated and manual transformations are used for model-driven development.
3. Compilation :
   it is a special transformation that takes models or text as input data and generates a binary.
4. Linking :
   Linking is about combining multiple outputs of compilation activities into one executable.

Question 5

What is the basic difference between model deployment and compilers/code generators?

Answer 5

The basic difference is that model deployment should consist of a number of model-to-model transformations. The last step is a model-to-text transformation which produces the code used as inputs for the compilation steps.

Code generators on the other hand are often monolithic and implements the whole transformation process as a black box that takes an input model and output a C code.

Question 6

What is platform models?

Answer 6

Platform models store and provide data about the hardware and software platform that an embedded system is deployed to.

Question 7

What is the most important aspect of platform models in embedded systems development?

Answer 7

Controlling code generation is its most important task

Question 8

What do you understand by platform specific models?

Answer 8

Platform-specific models are an intermediate step between the design models that are provided by developers, and generated code.

Question 9

What is the purpose of platform-specific model?

Answer 9

the purpose is to provide low-level model that serves as starting point for code generation.

Question 10

Levels of models

Answer 10

1. M3 level: exists the basic meta-meta-modelling language
2. M2 level exist meta-models describing modeling languages
3. M1 : models of software systems created using modeling language reside here
4. M0: Instances of the software system