Towards a composition model problem based on IEC61850

In order to define a real-world model problem for research work in the area of predictable assembly of certifiable software components, this paper introduces the substation automation domain, as a representative for the wide spectrum of data acquisition and process control systems. Special emphasis in the paper is put on those aspects of the application area, which make its employment as a model problem provider attractive. First, the compositions are required to meet several well defined quality requirements besides functionality and must therefore allow for the prediction of these qualities before the final system is assembled and is undergoing a potentially costly factory and/or onsite acceptance test. Second, the upcoming IEC61850 standard defines agreed upon domain models and quality attribute requirements on system operations. Third, the substation automation domain is comfortable with the notion of certification. Utilities require that such systems and their products be compliant with international standards and thus possess certificates issued by independent certification authorities. In order to make this problem domain attractive to research in the area of compositional reasoning of component assemblies, this paper provides the needed step of relating the domain models and the domain`s quality attribute requirements to software components and assembly properties.