Transformational Mapping of Formal Specifications onto Parallel Architectures

Suresoft Inc., is a commercial spinoff from Kestrel Institute, with the charter to commercialize Kestrel's advanced technology. Suresoft will design and build an advanced parallel software development environment, Parallelware, for systematically mapping high-level specifications onto diverse parallel architectures. The tool will be graphically based, providing visual interaction at the requirements, specification, design, implementation, and performance analysis stages. The tool may be used to produce highly efficient parallel software for parallel architectures while ensuring correctness. Parallelware will provide high-level design tactics for parallel algorithms, architecture-independent refinement and architecture-oriented translations. Parallelware will incorporate a development process model that will guide the user from abstract level to various detailed levels with embedded domain knowledge and design theories. The basis of the Parallelware is the generic software development environment SPECWARE (a realization of KBSA methodology), where a firm theoretical foundation exists. SPECWARE has an open architecture that supports its evolution to specialized development tasks, such as parallel software development; and integration with other tools. Parallelware will be basically a domain-specific extension of the more general SPECWARE system. Key individuals from Kestrel that helped develop SPECWARE and KIDS will assist in the technology transfer effort.