scope:

Purpose

This International Standard defines a Petri net technique, called High-level Petri Nets, including its syntax and semantics. It provides a reference definition that can be used both within and between organisations, to ensure a common understanding of the technique and of the specifications written using the technique. This International Standard will also facilitate the development and interoperability of Petri net computer support tools.

Part 1 of this International Standard defines a mathematical semantic model, an abstract mathematical syntax for annotations and a graphical notation for High-level Petri Nets, known as the High-level Petri Net Graph. A mathematical mapping is provided that defines the graphical form in terms of the semantic model. A transfer format for the High-level Petri Net Graph is the subject of Part 2 of this International Standard, while Part 3 addresses techniques for modularity (such as hierarchies) and the augmentation of High-level Petri Nets with time.

Field of Application

This International Standard is applicable to a wide variety of concurrent discrete event systems and in particular distributed systems. Generic fields of application include:

• requirements analysis;
• development of specifications, designs and test suites;
• descriptions of existing systems prior to re-engineering;
• modelling business and software processes;
• providing the semantics for concurrent languages;
• simulation of systems to increase confidence;
• formal analysis of the behaviour of systems; and
• development of Petri net support tools.

This International Standard may be applied to the design of a broad range of systems and processes, including aerospace, air traffic control, avionics, banking, biological and chemical processes, business processes, communication protocols, computer hardware architectures, control systems, databases, defence command and control, distributed computing, electronic commerce, fault-tolerant systems, hospital procedures, information systems, Internet protocols and applications, legal processes, logistics, manufacturing systems, metabolic processes, music, nuclear power systems, operating systems, transport systems (including railway control), security systems, telecommunications and workflow.

Audience

Part 1 of this International Standard is written as a reference for systems analysts, designers, developers, maintainers and procurers, and for Petri net tool designers and standards developers.