Specification and Analysis of Human-Intensive System Resource-Utilization Policies
by Seung Yeob Shin, Yuriy Brun, Leon J. Osterweil
Abstract:

Complex, human-intensive systems, such as those used in hospital Emergency Departments, typically require the effective support of many types of resources, each governed by potentially complex utilization policies. Resource utilization policies range from simple, e.g., sickest patient first, to extremely complex, responding to changes in system environment, state, and stimuli. Further, policies may at times conflict with each other, requiring conflict resolution strategies that further increase the complexity. Sound policies for the management of these resources are crucial in assuring that these systems achieve their key goals.

To help system developers make sound resource management decisions, this paper presents a resource utilization policy specification and analysis framework for complex human-intensive systems. We provide (1) a precise specification language to describe very diverse and potentially complex resource utilization policies, (2) a process- and resource-aware discrete-event simulation engine that executes simulations to dynamically evaluate the policies' effects on the outcomes achieved by systems that use the resources, and (3) a process- and resource-aware finite state verification framework that supports formal verification that resource management policies are correctly implemented by these simulations.

Citation:
Seung Yeob Shin, Yuriy Brun, and Leon J. Osterweil, Specification and Analysis of Human-Intensive System Resource-Utilization Policies, in Proceedings of the 8th International Workshop on Software Engineering in Healthcare Systems (SEHS), 2016, pp. 8–14.
Bibtex:
@inproceedings{Shin16SEHS,
  author = {{Seung Yeob} Shin and Yuriy Brun and Leon J. Osterweil},
  title =
  {\href{http://people.cs.umass.edu/brun/pubs/pubs/Shin16SEHS.pdf}{Specification
  and Analysis of Human-Intensive System Resource-Utilization Policies}},
  booktitle = {Proceedings of the 8th International Workshop on Software Engineering in Healthcare Systems (SEHS)},
  venue = {SEHS},
  address = {Austin, TX, USA},
  month = {May},
  date = {14--15},
  year = {2016},
  pages = {8--14},
  doi = {10.1145/2897683.2897688},
  note = {\href{https://doi.org/10.1145/2897683.2897688}{DOI:
  10.1145/2897683.2897688}},
  accept = {$\frac{10}{16} \approx 63\%$},

  abstract = {<p>Complex, human-intensive systems, such as those used in
  hospital Emergency Departments, typically require the effective support of
  many types of resources, each governed by potentially complex utilization
  policies. Resource utilization policies range from simple, e.g., sickest
  patient first, to extremely complex, responding to changes in system
  environment, state, and stimuli. Further, policies may at times conflict
  with each other, requiring conflict resolution strategies that further
  increase the complexity. Sound policies for the management of these
  resources are crucial in assuring that these systems achieve their key
  goals.</p>

  <p>To help system developers make sound resource management decisions, this
  paper presents a resource utilization policy specification and analysis
  framework for complex human-intensive systems. We provide (1) a precise
  specification language to describe very diverse and potentially complex
  resource utilization policies, (2) a process- and resource-aware
  discrete-event simulation engine that executes simulations to dynamically
  evaluate the policies' effects on the outcomes achieved by systems that use
  the resources, and (3) a process- and resource-aware finite state
  verification framework that supports formal verification that resource
  management policies are correctly implemented by these simulations.</p>}, 

  fundedBy = {NSF IIS-1239334, NSF CMMI-1234070, NSF CNS-1513055, 
  NSF CCF-1453474.},
}