Coloured Petri Nets

Lars M. Kristensen
Department of Computer Engineering
Bergen University College, NORWAY
Email: lmkr@[Link] /Web: [Link]/ansatte/lmkr

Advanced Course on Petri Nets 2010 - 1

Coloured Petri Nets (CPNs)
ƒ Petri Nets and a programming language:
Petri Nets:
concurrency
control structures
synchronisation
communication

Standard ML:
Colour sets (data types)
and markings
Arc expressions
Guards

ƒ Standard ML enables compact modelling and

convenient modelling of data manipulation.
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CPN Tools
[ [Link]/CPNTools ]
ƒ Modelling and validation of Coloured Petri
Net models are supported by CPN Tools:
ƒ Editing and syntax check.
ƒ Interactive- and
automatic simulation.
ƒ State space exploration and
verification.
ƒ Performance analysis.
ƒ Behavioural visualisation using
application domain graphics.

ƒ Currently 8000+ CPN Tools license holders in

130+ countries.
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 Example: A Simple
Communication Protocol

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The Problem – in Greendale

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The Problem – in Data Networks
Data sequence numbers
01101010 1
00101010 2
11010100
3
01101101 Receiver
4 01101100
Packet

Sender
Network
ƒ Receiver must assemble original data.
ƒ Stop-and-wait protocol: transmit one data packet at a
time and wait for a matching acknowledgement.
ƒ Initially we will assume a reliable network (no loss).

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Part 1:
Basic Protocol CPN Model

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The Coloured Petri Net Model

Sender Network Receiver

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 Place

Arc

Transition

Net inscriptions

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Places model the state of the system
Initial marking
(multi-set of tokens)

Definition of colour sets:

colset NO = int; (* integers *)
Name
colset DATA = string; (* text strings *)
colset NOxDATA = product NO * DATA;

ƒ Each place may contain a number

of tokens.
Colour set
(type) ƒ Each token carries a colour
(data value).
ƒ The colour set of a place specifies
the set of allowed token colours.
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Current marking
Token coefficient

Values:
Circle: 6 tokens Token colours

Square: Detailed
token values

Information about
current marking

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Initial marking of CPN model

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Intermediate marking of model

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Transitions model events of the system
The type of the arc expression must match
the colour set of the attached place
(or the multi-set type over the colour set)
Arc expression

Declaration of variables:
var n : NO; (* integers *)
var d : DATA; (* strings *)

Binding of transition variables:

<n=3,d="CPN">

Evaluation of expressions:
(n,d) → (3,"CPN") : NOxDATA
n → 3 : NO

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 Enabling of transitions
Two variables:
var n : NO; (* integers *)
var d : DATA; (* strings *)

?
Binding: < n=? , d=? >
NO DATA
Green border line
indicates that the
transition is enabled
(ready to occur) ? Transition is enabled if we can find a
binding so that each input arc expression
evaluates to a multi-set of tokens that are
present on the corresponding input place.

Advanced Course on Petri Nets 2010 - 16

 Enabling of SendPacket

Binding: < n=1 , d=? >

We want to find a binding for the variable n

such that the arc expression n evaluates to
a multi-set of colours which is present on
Arc expression the place NextSend.

One token with value 1

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 Enabling of SendPacket

Six different tokens

Arc expression
Binding: < n=1 , d="COL"
d=? > >

We want to find a binding for the variable d

such that the arc expression (n,d) evaluates
to a multi-set which is present on the place
PacketsToSend.

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Enabling of SendPacket
We have found a binding so that
each input arc expression
evaluates to a colour that is
present on the corresponding
input place

Binding: < n=1 , d="COL" >

(1,"COL")

Transition is enabled
1
(ready to occur)

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 Occurrence of SendPacket
in binding <n=1,d=“COL”>

Remove: (1,"COL")

(1,"COL") Add a new token: (1,"COL")

(1,"COL")

Remove: 1

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 New marking after occurrence of
SendPacket in binding <n=1,d=“COL”>

The first packet has

been removed

Transition is no A copy of the first

longer enabled packet has been
(no green border line) put on A

No token on this place

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New marking M1

Transition
enabled

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Part 2:
Extended Protocol CPN Model

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The Simple Protocol Revisited
Data
01101010 1
00101010 2
11010100
3
01101101 Receiver
4 01101100
Packet

Sender
Network

ƒ Unreliable network (loss and overtaking).

ƒ Sender must retransmit packets and keep track of the
data packet currently being sent.
ƒ Receiver keeps track of the data packet expected next.

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Second Version
val AllPackets = 1‘(1,"COL") ++ 1‘(2,"OUR") ++
1‘(3,"ED ") ++ 1‘(4,"PET") ++
1‘(5,"RI ") ++ 1‘(6,"NET");

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Double Arcs
A double arc is a shorthand
for two oppositely directed
arcs with the same arc
expression
Double arc

We no longer remove the

Double arc tokens from the input places

Retransmission
becomes possible

Advanced Course on Petri Nets 2010 - 26

Occurrence of SendPacket <n=1,d=“COL”>

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More Complex Arc Expression
More complicated
arc expression
(if-then-else expression)

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If-then-else Expression
1`(1,"COL") 1`(1,"COL")
1 1

success = true

New variable: 1`(1,"COL")

var success : BOOL; Successful transmission
over the network
bsucc = <n=1, d="COL", success=true>
bfail = <n=1, d="COL", success=false>

Advanced Course on Petri Nets 2010 - 29

If-then-else Expression
No packet is
1`(1,"COL") added
1

success = false

empty
var success : BOOL; Packet is lost during
transmission
bsucc = <n=1, d="COL", success=true>
bfail = <n=1, d="COL", success=false>

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New Name and Type New name

Initial marking:
empty text string

New type

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New Place: NextRec

Plays a similar New place

role as NextSend

Contains the
number of the
expected packet

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 Correct packet arrives
Empty text string

Packet no 1 arriving
Binding:
<n=1, d="COL“, k=1, data="">

^ is the string
Packet no 1 expected "COL" concatenation
operator

Update NextRec (from 1 to 2)

2 Send acknoweledgement
(with sequence number of next packet)

2 Add received data: "COL"

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Correct Packet Received

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 Wrong Packet Arrives

Packet no 1 arriving
Binding:
<n=1, d="COL“, k=3, data="COLOUR">

Packet no 3 expected "COLOUR"

Do not change NextRec

3
Send acknowledgement
(with sequence number of next packet )
3
No data is added to DataReceived

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Wrong Packet Arrived

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Acknowledgements can be lost

Also possible to loose

acknowledgements

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NextSend is updated

NextSend is updated with sequence

number from acknowledgement

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Advanced Course on Petri Nets 2010 - 39
Transitions can have a guard
ƒ Boolean expression which must evaluate
to true for the binding to be enabled.
ƒ Additional enabling condition.

Wrong Correct
packets packets

Guard Guard
(<> is the (tests whether n and k
Inequality operator) are equal)

Advanced Course on Petri Nets 2010 - 40

 Guard must evaluate to true

false RN1 = (ReceiveNext, <n=1, k=2, d="COL", data="COL">)

true RN2 = (ReceiveNext, <n=2, k=2, d="OUR", data="COL">)

Advanced Course on Petri Nets 2010 - 41

Guard must evaluate to true

true DP1 = (DiscardPacket, <n=1, k=2, d="COL" )

false DP2 = (DiscardPacket, <n=2, k=2, d="OUR")

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Formal Definition of CPNs

Net structure

Types and
variables

Net inscriptions

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Enabling and Occurrence

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Part 3: Hierarchical
Protocol CPN Model

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CPN Modules
ƒ CPN models can be hierarchically organised into a
set of modules with well-defined interfaces:
ƒ Makes it possible to split models of large systems into
manageable parts.
ƒ Makes it possible to work at different abstraction levels
and have the model reflect the structure of the system.
ƒ Makes it possible to create building blocks that are used
repeatedly in the CPN model.

ƒ CPN models of larger systems typically have up to

10 abstraction (hierarchical) levels.
ƒ CPN models with modules are also called
hierarchical Coloured Petri Nets.

Advanced Course on Petri Nets 2010 - 46

Simple Protocol

ƒ The protocol model

can be divided into
three modules:
ƒ Sender
ƒ Network
ƒ Receiver

ƒ The buffer places

are used as
interfaces between
the modules.
Sender Network Receiver

Advanced Course on Petri Nets 2010 - 47

Sender Module
Input/output port
Used to import and
export tokens

Output port
Used to export tokens
to the environment

Internal place The module interacts

Local to the with other modules
module
via three port places.

Input port
Used to import tokens
from the environment

Advanced Course on Petri Nets 2010 - 48

Receiver module
Input/output port
Used to import and
export tokens

Input port
Used to import tokens
from the environment

Internal place
Local to the module

Output port
Used to export tokens
to the environment

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Network module
Input port Output port

Interaction with Interaction with

the sender the receiver

Output port Input port

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Protocol Module
ƒ Ties the three other modules together using
substitution transitions.
ƒ Provides a more abstract view of the protocol
system.

Name of
substitution
transition
Name of
submodule

Advanced Course on Petri Nets 2010 - 51

Protocol Module

""
AllPackets
Data
Packets I/O
Received
I/O
To Send if success
DATA
NOxDATA then 1`(n,d)
(n,d) (n,d) Transmit else empty
In A B Out
Packet In B
(n,d)
Send (n,d)
A Out
Packet NOxDATA NOxDATA NOxDATA
NOxDATA data if n=k
then data^d
n else data
1`1
1`1 k
NextRec Receive
NextSend Packet
NO if n=k
Out Transmit In then k+1
NO D C else k if n=k
k n
if success Ack n then k+1
else k
NO then 1`n NO Out C
Receive
Ack n
D In else empty
NO
NO

Network Receiver
Sender

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 Protocol Module
ƒ The places connected to the substitution
transitions are socket places.
ƒ They constitute the interface for the substitution
transition. Input socket for Network substitution transition
Output socket for Sender substitution transition

Input/output socket
for Sender substitution
transition

Advanced Course on Petri Nets 2010 - 53

Port-Socket Relation
ƒ Each port place of a submodule is related to a
socket place of its substitution transition:
ƒ input port ↔ input socket.
ƒ output port ↔ output socket.
ƒ input/output port ↔ input/output socket.

ƒ Ports and sockets that are related to each other

constitute a single compound place.
ƒ They have the same marking.
ƒ When a token is added/removed at one of
them it is also added/removed at the other.
ƒ Also the colour sets and initial markings are
required to be identical.
Advanced Course on Petri Nets 2010 - 54
Port-Socket Relation

""
AllPackets
Data
Packets I/O
Received
I/O
To Send if success
DATA
NOxDATA then 1`(n,d)
(n,d) (n,d) Transmit else empty
In A B Out
Packet In B
(n,d)
Send (n,d)
A Out
Packet NOxDATA NOxDATA NOxDATA
NOxDATA data if n=k
then data^d
n else data
1`1
1`1 k
NextRec Receive
NextSend Packet
NO if n=k
Out Transmit In then k+1
NO D C else k if n=k
k n
if success Ack n then k+1
else k
NO then 1`n NO Out C
Receive
Ack n
D In else empty
NO
NO

Network Receiver
Sender

For the protocol system ports and sockets have identical

names, but this is not required in general.
Advanced Course on Petri Nets 2010 - 55
References: Getting Started
ƒ K. Jensen, L.M. Kristensen, and L. Wells. Coloured
Petri Nets and CPN Tools for Modelling and
Validation of Concurrent Systems. In International
Journal on Software Tools for Technology Transfer
(STTT), Vol 9, No. 3-4, pp. 213-254. Springer-
Verlag, 2007.
ƒ CPN Tools:
[ [Link]/CPNtools ]
(see Download and Installation section)
ƒ K. Jensen and L.M. Kristensen.
Coloured Petri Nets: Modelling and Validation
of Concurrent Systems. Springer, 2009.
[book web: [Link]/CPnets/cpnbook/ ]

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