Modeling and Verifying Distributed Systems Using Priorities: a Case Study Modeling and Verifying Distributed Systems Using Priorities 1

This paper illustrates the use of priorities in process algebras by a real-world example dealing with the design of a safety-critical network which is part of a railway signaling system. Priorities in process algebras support an intuitive modeling of distributed systems since undesired inter-leavings can be suppressed. This fact also leads to a substantial reduction of the sizes of models. We have implemented a CCS-based process algebra with priorities as a new front-end for the NCSU Concurrency Workbench, and we use model checking for verifying properties of the signaling system.