An overview of JSD

The Jackson System Development (JSD) method addresses most of the software lifecycle. JSD specifications consist mainly of a distributed network of processes that communicate by message-passing and read-only inspection of each other's data. A JSD specification is therefore directly executable, at least in principle. Specifications are developed middle-out from an initial set of `model' processes. The model processes define a set of events, which limit the scope of the system, define its semantics, and form the basis for defining data and outputs. Implementation often involves reconfiguring or transforming the network to run on a smaller number of real or virtual processors. The main phase of JSD are introduced and illustrated by a small example system. The rationale for the approach is discussed.