Graph Transformation as a Conceptual and Formal Framework for System Modeling and Model Evolution

Distributed software systems are typically built according to a three layer conceptual structure: Objects on the lowest layer are clustered by components on the second layer, which themselves are located at nodes of a computer network on the third layer. Orthogonal to these three layers, an instance level and a type or schema level are distinguished when modeling these systems. Accordingly, the changes a system experiences during its lifetime can be classified as the system’s dynamic behavior on the instance level and as the evolution of the system on the schema level. This paper shows how concepts from the area of graph transformation can be applied to provide a conceptual and formal framework for describing the structural and behavioral aspects of such systems.