Static Analysis and Validation of Composite Behaviors in Composable Behavior Technology

Compute Generated Forces (CGF) have long been used in combination with human players as semi-automated forces (SAF) in the DIS and HLA contexts to represent opposing or friendly forces. The Composable Behavior Technology (CBT) was developed to provide the capability of representing complex behaviors in terms of primitive behaviors, allowing new behaviors to be easily defined to meet simulation objectives in the SAF systems. The resulting compound behaviors are stored in XML format in the Behavior Repository for future use in defining more complex composite behaviors and missions. A drawback of the current CBT implementation is that non-doctrinal behaviors can be created using the Behavior Editor, since the CBT does not provide behavior validation. Behaviors developed by the end users using the Behavior Editor may be illogical, incomplete, contradictory, and possibly leading to deadlocked situations. The goal of our research was to implement a tool that performs static analysis and validation of the behaviors defined using the CBT for ModSAF. Using advanced XML and JAVA technologies, together with graph algorithms, we developed a tool called LogicChecker to provide static behavior validation for behaviors created using the CBT methodology. Our static validation techniques perform assessment on the basis of the characteristics of the static model design and source code, prior to machine execution.