Promela++: a language for constructing correct and efficient protocols

The challenge is to develop an easily usable protocol development framework that combines the flexibility of layered implementations, the efficiency of tightly-coupled monolithic implementations and the correctness achievable using high-level protocol validation languages. This challenge is addressed by a language-based framework that introduces a new protocol specification language called Promela++. The framework consists of a protocol verification tool and an optimizing compiler that generates efficient protocol code from Promela++ specifications. Promela++ is based on the Promela protocol validation language and has been designed with a rich set of domain-specific constructs. These constructs facilitate the task of protocol specification as well as enable the Promela++ compiler to perform domain-specific optimizations. The Promela++ compiler can also automatically transform protocol specifications in Promela++ to protocol models in Promela. The article presents a new language that unites the twin goals of checking protocol correctness using model checkers, and efficient protocol construction using optimizing compilers, under a single framework; exploits language design to provide mechanisms that simultaneously ease programming and enable generation of efficient protocol code; and demonstrates the effectiveness of this approach by doing a complete evaluation of multiple protocol implementations in Promela++.