RONs Revisited: General Approach to Model Reconfigurable Object Nets based on Algebraic High-Level Nets

Abstract

Reconfigurable Object Nets (RONs) have been implemented in our
group to support the visual specification of controlled rule-based transformations
of marked place/transition (P/T) nets. RONs are high-level nets (system nets) with
two types of tokens: object nets (P/T nets) and net transformation rules. System net
transitions can be of different types to fire object net transitions, move object nets
through the system net, or to apply a net transformation rule to an object net. The
disadvantage of the RON approach and tool is the limitation of object nets to P/T
nets and the limitation of the underlying semantics of RONs due to the fixed types
for system net transitions. Often, a more general approach is preferred where the
type of object nets and the behavior of reconfigurations may be defined in a more
flexible way. In this paper, we propose to use Algebraic High-Level nets with individual
tokens (AHLI nets) as system nets. In this more general approach, tokens
may be any type of Petri nets, defined by the corresponding algebraic signature and
algebra. To support this general approach, a development environment for AHLI
nets is currently implemented which allows the user to edit and simulate AHLI nets.
We present the formalization of RONs as special AHLI nets and describe the current
state of the AHLI net tool environment.