From ASN.1 into CafeOBJ: Some First Steps

Abstract Syntax Notation One (ASN.1) is a very popular specification language with many applications in networking. We work towards the correct translation from ASN.1, into the powerful algebraic specification language CafeOBJ. Our aim is to create a software environment that can translate correctly a protocol's specification written in ASN.1 into the powerful algebraic specification language CafeOBJ. We believe that such an environment would be a step towards the adoption of algebraic specification methodologies from the networking research community. This formal translation will allow the verification of system-critical properties of the designed protocol at the pre-coding stage of development. The software environment will make full use of the huge ASN.1 specification library and the powerful proving engine of CafeOBJ. In our paper we first introduce the key elements of both ASN.1 and CafeOBJ, and then we sketch our proposed translation rules and suggest a methodology for proving correctness. Finally, as a case study we translate an ASN.1 specification of a basic banking system into CafeOBJ and then use the resulting modules to find and verify some system-critical properties.