PEW: A tool for the automated performance analysis of protocols

Abstract

The Protocol Engineering Workbench (PEW) is an integrated software system or tool for the analysis of communication protocols specified using the Estelle Formal Description Technique or FDT. The execution of systems specified in Estelle are simulated and data about the execution are gathered in the process. The PEW is thus aimed primarily at the performance analysis of such systems but, by virtue of the simulated execution, also ensures that some correctness errors will be detected. The paper describes the design philosophy and various components of the PEW as well as the facilities it provides for data collection and performance analysis. Pan of the data gathered is the Markovian transition probability matrix where each transition in the protocol system is considered to be a state in a semi-Markov chain describing the protocol system execution.