Integrating Low Level Symmetries into Reachability Analysis
We present three methods for the integration of symmetries into reachability analysis. Two of them lead to maximal reduction but their runtime depends on the symmetry structure. The third one works always fast but does not always yield maximal reduction.

title: LoLA: a low level analyser
abstract: With LoLA, we put recently developed state space oriented algorithms to other tool developers disposal. Providing a simple interface was a major design goal such that it is as easy as possible to integrate LoLA into tools of different application domains. LoLA supports place/transition nets. Implemented verification techniques cover standard properties (liveness, reversibility, boundedness, reachability, dead transitions, deadlocks, home states) as well as satisfiability of state predicates and CTL model checking. For satisfiability, both exhaustive search and heuristically goal oriented system execution are supported. For state space reduction, LoLA features symmetries, stubborn sets, and coverability graphs.

title: Model-Checking with Coverability Graphs
abstract: We show that several formulas of a temporal logic can be verified using the coverability graph of the underlying system. Of course, the procedure is not capable of verifying all formulae, since already the reachability problem for (unbounded) Petri nets is computationally hard. Thus, the procedure returns true, false, or unknown for a query. The formulae that can be verified cover most of the well known standard properties which have been listed in the context of coverability graph analysis so far.

title: Verification of Siphons and Traps for Algebraic Petri Nets
abstract: Siphons and traps are structures which allow for some implications on the net's behaviour and can be used in manual correctness proofs for concurrent systems. We introduce symbolic representations of siphons and traps which work quite well even in infinite cases and are still intuitively readable. The verification of symbolic siphons and traps is traced back to unification and structural induction on the terms. This approach is motivated by some additional considerations. For unification and other proposed structural reasoning mechanisms tool support is given by completeness proof tools studied in the theorem-proving community.

title: Distributed verification with LoLA
abstract: We report work in progress on a distributed version of explicit state space generation in the Petri net verification tool LoLA. We propose a data structure where all available memory of all involved workstations can be fully exploited, and load balancing actions are possible at any time while the verification is running. It is even possible to extend the set of involved workstations while a verification is running.

title: How to calculate symmetries of Petri nets
abstract: Symmetric net structure yields symmetric net behaviour. Thus, knowing the symmetries of a net, redundant calculations can be skipped. We present a framework for the calculation of symmetries for several net classes including place/transition nets, timed nets, stochastic nets, self–modifying nets, nets with inhibitor arcs, and many others. Our approach allows the specification of different symmetry groups. Additionally it provides facilities either to calculate symmetries on demand while running the actual analysis algorithm, or to calculate them in advance. For the latter case we define and calculate a ground set of symmetries. Such a set has polynomial size and is sufficient for an efficient implementation of the for all symmetries loop and the partition of net elements into equivalence classes. These two constructions are the usual way to integrate symmetries into an analysis algorithm.

title: Essential Performance Drivers in Native XML DBMSs
abstract: As a multi-layered XML database management system, we have designed, implemented, and optimized over the recent five years our prototype system XTC, a native XDBMS providing multi-lingual query interfaces (XQuery, XPath, DOM). In particular in higher system layers, we have compared competing concepts and iteratively found salient solutions which drastically improved the overall XDBMS performance. XML query processing is critically affected by the smooth interplay of concepts and methods on all architectural layers: node labeling and mapping options for storage structures; availability of suitable index mechanisms; provision of a spectrum of path processing operators; query language compilation and optimization. Furthermore, effective and efficient locking protocols must be present to guarantee the ACID properties for XML processing and to achieve high transaction throughput. 
 
In this survey, we outline our experiences gained during the implementation and optimization of XTC. We figure out the "key drivers" to maximize throughput while keeping the response times at an acceptable level. Because we have implemented all options and alternatives in XTC, dedicated benchmark runs allow for comparisons in identical environments and illustrate the benefit of all implementation decisions.

title: Benchmarking Performance-Critical Components in a Native XML Database System
abstract: The rapidly increasing number of XML-related applications indicates a growing need for efficient, dynamic, and native XML support in database management systems (XDBMS). So far, both industry and academia primarily focus on benchmarking of high-level performance figures for a variety of applications, queries, or documents --- frequently executed in artificial workload scenarios --- and, therefore, may analyze and compare only specific or incidental behavior of the underlying systems. To cover the full XDBMS support, it is mandatory to benchmark performance-critical components bottom-up, thereby removing bottlenecks and optimizing component behavior. In this way, wrong conclusions are avoided when new techniques such as tailored XML operators, index types, or storage mappings with unfamiliar performance characteristics are used. As an experience report, we present what we have learned from benchmarking a native XDBMS and recommend certain setups to do it in a systematic and meaningful way.

title: Comparison of Complete and Elementless Native Storage of XML Documents
abstract: Because XML documents tend to be very large, are accessed by declarative and navigational languages, and often are processed in a collaborative way using read/write transactions, their fine-grained storage and management in XML DBMSs is a must for which, in turn, a flexible and space-economic tree representation is mandatory. In this paper, we explore a variety of options to natively store, encode, and compress XML documents thereby preserving the full DBMS processing flexibility on the documents required by the various language models and usage characteristics. Important issues of our empirical study are related to node labeling, document container layout, indexing, as well as structure and content compression. Encoding and compression of XML documents with their complete structure leads to a space consumption of ~40% to ~60% compared to their plain representation, whereas structure virtualization (elementless storage) saves in the average more than 10%, in addition.

title: The promise of solid state disks: increasing efficiency and reducing cost of DBMS processing
abstract: Most database systems (DBMSs) today are operating on servers equipped with magnetic disks. In our contribution, we want to motivate the use of two emerging and striking technologies, namely native XML DBMSs (XDBMSs for short) and solid state disks. In this context, the traditional read/write model optimized by a sophisticated cache hierarchy and the IO cost model for databases needs adjustment. Such new devices together with optimized storage mapping of XML documents provide a number of challenging characteristics. We discuss howtheir optimization potential ca be exploited to enhance transactional DB performance under reduced energy consumption to match increasing application demands and, at the same time, to guarantee economic energy use in data centers.

title: Fallstudie zur Modellierung von Software-Entwicklungsprozessen auf Basis von SPEM 2.0
abstract: The instant invention is directed to a method of producing a reaction mixture for forming solid or cellular materials from flowable reactants and, optionally, fillers, comprising premixing the components and, optionally, fillers in a first mixing zone and after-mixing in a second mixing zone, the improvement wherein said after-mixing is carried out in a slit-like annular zone which extends radially from the center, the surface boundaries of said annular zone are not parallel and one of said surface boundaries is rotated while the opposite facing surface boundary remains stationary. The instant invention is also directed to an apparatus for producing a reaction mixture for forming solid or cellular materials from flowable reactants and, optionally, fillers, comprising: (a) storage containers for reactants, from which (b) feed pipes lead via (c) metering pumps to a (d) premixing chamber which is arranged in a (e) housing, and on whose outlet opening an (f) after-mixing chamber is connected, the improvement wherein (g) said after-mixing chamber comprises a slit which is formed by (h) two baffle plates, one of which is provided with a (i) rotary drive.