Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Reducing State Explosion for Software Model Checking with Relaxed Memory Consistency Models

  • Conference paper
  • First Online:
Dependable Software Engineering: Theories, Tools, and Applications (SETTA 2016)

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNPSE,volume 9984))

Abstract

Software model checking suffers from the so-called state explosion problem, and relaxed memory consistency models even worsen this situation. What is worse, parameterizing model checking by memory consistency models, that is, to make the model checker as flexible as we can supply definitions of memory consistency models as an input, intensifies state explosion. This paper explores specific reasons for state explosion in model checking with multiple memory consistency models, provides some optimizations intended to mitigate the problem, and applies them to McSPIN, a model checker for memory consistency models that we are developing. The effects of the optimizations and the usefulness of McSPIN are demonstrated experimentally by verifying copying protocols of concurrent copying garbage collection algorithms. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first model checking of the concurrent copying protocols under relaxed memory consistency models.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 39.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  1. Abe, T., Maeda, T.: Model checking with user-definable memory consistency models. In: Proceedings of PGAS, short paper, pp. 225–230 (2013)

    Google Scholar 

  2. Abe, T., Maeda, T.: A general model checking framework for various memory consistency models. In: Proceedings of HIPS, pp. 332–341 (2014)

    Google Scholar 

  3. Abe, T., Maeda, T.: Optimization of a general model checking framework for various memory consistency models. In: Proceedings of PGAS (2014)

    Google Scholar 

  4. Abe, T., Maeda, T.: Concurrent program logic for relaxed memory consistency models with dependencies across loop iterations. J. Inform. Process. (2016, to appear)

    Google Scholar 

  5. Abe, T., Maeda, T.: A general model checking framework for various memory consistency models. Int. J. Softw. Tools Technol. Transf. (2016, to appear)

    Google Scholar 

  6. Abe, T., Maeda, T.: Observation-based concurrent program logic for relaxed memory consistency models. In: Proceedings of APLAS (2016, to appear)

    Google Scholar 

  7. Abe, T., Maeda, T., Sato, M.: Model checking with user-definable abstraction for partitioned global address space languages. In: Proceedings of PGAS (2012)

    Google Scholar 

  8. Abe, T., Maeda, T., Sato, M.: Model checking stencil computations written in a partitioned global address space language. In: Proceedings of HIPS, pp. 365–374 (2013)

    Google Scholar 

  9. Abe, T., Maeda, T., Ugawa, T.: McSPIN. https://bitbucket.org/abet/mcspin/

  10. Abe, T., Ugawa, T., Maeda, T., Matsumoto, K.: Reducing state explosion for software model checking with relaxed memory consistency models (2016). arXiv:1608.05893

  11. Adve, S., Gharachorloo, K.: Shared memory consistency models: a tutorial. Computer 29(12), 66–76 (1996)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Boehm, H.J., Adve, S.V.: Foundations of the C++ concurrency memory model. In: Proceedings of PLDI, pp. 68–78 (2008)

    Google Scholar 

  13. Cavada, R., Cimatti, A., Jochim, C.A., Olivetti, G.K.E., Pistore, M., Roveri, M., Tchaltsev, A.: NuSMV User Manual. 2.5 edn. (2002)

    Google Scholar 

  14. Dan, A.M., Meshman, Y., Vechev, M., Yahav, E.: Predicate abstraction for relaxed memory models. In: Logozzo, F., Fähndrich, M. (eds.) SAS 2013. LNCS, vol. 7935, pp. 84–104. Springer, Heidelberg (2013). doi:10.1007/978-3-642-38856-9_7

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  15. Doligez, D., Gonthier, G.: Portable, unobtrusive garbage collection for multiprocessor systems. In: Proceedings of POPL, pp. 70–83 (1994)

    Google Scholar 

  16. Ferreira, R., Feng, X., Shao, Z.: Parameterized memory models and concurrent separation logic. In: Gordon, A.D. (ed.) ESOP 2010. LNCS, vol. 6012, pp. 267–286. Springer, Heidelberg (2010). doi:10.1007/978-3-642-11957-6_15

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  17. Gammie, P., Hosking, T., Engelhardt, K.: Relaxing safely: verified on-the-fly garbage collection for x86-TSO. In: Proceedings of PLDI, pp. 99–109 (2015)

    Google Scholar 

  18. Graf, S., Saidi, H.: Construction of abstract state graphs with PVS. In: Grumberg, O. (ed.) CAV 1997. LNCS, vol. 1254, pp. 72–83. Springer, Heidelberg (1997). doi:10.1007/3-540-63166-6_10

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  19. Holzmann, G.J.: The SPIN Model Checker. Addison-Wesley, Reading (2003)

    Google Scholar 

  20. Holzmann, G.J., Smith, M.H.: An automated verification method for distributed systems software based on model extraction. IEEE Trans. Softw. Eng. 28(4), 364–377 (2002)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. IBM: PowerPC Architechture Book, Version 2.02 (2005)

    Google Scholar 

  22. Intel: A Formal Specification of Intel Itanium Processor Family Memory Ordering (2002)

    Google Scholar 

  23. Intel: Intel 64 and IA-32 Architectures Software Developer’s Manual (2016)

    Google Scholar 

  24. ISO/IEC 14882: 2011: Programming Language C++ (2011)

    Google Scholar 

  25. Jonsson, B.: State-space exploration for concurrent algorithms under weak memory orderings: (preliminary version). SIGARCH Comput. Archit. News 36(5), 65–71 (2008)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Kroening, D., Tautschnig, M.: CBMC – C bounded model checker (Competition Contribution). In: Ábrahám, E., Havelund, K. (eds.) TACAS 2014. LNCS, vol. 8413, pp. 389–391. Springer, Heidelberg (2014). doi:10.1007/978-3-642-54862-8_26

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  27. Kwiatkowska, M., Norman, G., Parker, D.: PRISM 4.0: verification of probabilistic real-time systems. In: Gopalakrishnan, G., Qadeer, S. (eds.) CAV 2011. LNCS, vol. 6806, pp. 585–591. Springer, Heidelberg (2011). doi:10.1007/978-3-642-22110-1_47

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  28. Linden, A., Wolper, P.: An automata-based symbolic approach for verifying programs on relaxed memory models. In: Pol, J., Weber, M. (eds.) SPIN 2010. LNCS, vol. 6349, pp. 212–226. Springer, Heidelberg (2010). doi:10.1007/978-3-642-16164-3_16

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  29. Linden, A., Wolper, P.: A verification-based approach to memory fence insertion in relaxed memory systems. In: Groce, A., Musuvathi, M. (eds.) SPIN 2011. LNCS, vol. 6823, pp. 144–160. Springer, Heidelberg (2011). doi:10.1007/978-3-642-22306-8_10

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  30. Linden, A., Wolper, P.: A verification-based approach to memory fence insertion in PSO memory systems. In: Piterman, N., Smolka, S.A. (eds.) TACAS 2013. LNCS, vol. 7795, pp. 339–353. Springer, Heidelberg (2013). doi:10.1007/978-3-642-36742-7_24

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  31. Manson, J., Pugh, W., Adve, S.V.: The Java memory model. In: Proceedings of POPL, pp. 378–391 (2005)

    Google Scholar 

  32. McCloskey, B., Bacon, D.F., Cheng, P., Grove, D.: Staccato: a parallel and concurrent real-time compacting garbage collector for multiprocessors. Report RC24504, IBM (2008)

    Google Scholar 

  33. Oracle: The Java Language Specification. Java SE 8 edn. (2015)

    Google Scholar 

  34. Pizlo, F., Frampton, D., Petrank, E., Steensgaard, B.: Stopless: a real-time garbage collector for multiprocessors. In: Proceedings of ISMM, pp. 159–172 (2007)

    Google Scholar 

  35. Pizlo, F., Petrank, E., Steensgaard, B.: A study of concurrent real-time garbage collectors. In: Proceedings of PLDI, pp. 33–44 (2008)

    Google Scholar 

  36. Ridge, T.: A rely-guarantee proof system for x86-TSO. In: Leavens, G.T., O’Hearn, P., Rajamani, S.K. (eds.) VSTTE 2010. LNCS, vol. 6217, pp. 55–70. Springer, Heidelberg (2010). doi:10.1007/978-3-642-15057-9_4

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  37. Sarkar, S., Sewell, P., Alglave, J., Maranget, L., Williams, D.: Understanding POWER multiprocessors. In: Proceedings of PLDI, pp. 175–186 (2011)

    Google Scholar 

  38. SPARC International Inc: The SPARC Architecture Manual, Version 9 (1994)

    Google Scholar 

  39. SV-COMP: Competition on Software Verification. https://sv-comp.sosy-lab.org/

  40. The UPC Consortium: UPC Language Specifications Version 1.3 (2013)

    Google Scholar 

  41. Travkin, O., Mütze, A., Wehrheim, H.: SPIN as a linearizability checker under weak memory models. In: Bertacco, V., Legay, A. (eds.) HVC 2013. LNCS, vol. 8244, pp. 311–326. Springer, Heidelberg (2013). doi:10.1007/978-3-319-03077-7_21

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  42. Vafeiadis, V., Narayan, C.: Relaxed separation logic: a program logic for C11 concurrency. In: Proceedings of OOPSLA, pp. 867–884 (2013)

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The authors thank the anonymous reviewers for several comments to improve the final version of the paper. This research partly used computational resources under Collaborative Research Program for Young Scientists provided by Academic Center for Computing and Media Studies, Kyoto University. This work was supported by JSPS KAKENHI Grant Numbers 25871113, 25330080, and 16K21335.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. STAIR Lab, Chiba Institute of Technology, Narashino, Japan

    Tatsuya Abe & Toshiyuki Maeda

  2. Kochi University of Technology, Kami, Japan

    Tomoharu Ugawa & Kousuke Matsumoto

Authors
  1. Tatsuya Abe
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Tomoharu Ugawa
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Toshiyuki Maeda
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Kousuke Matsumoto
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Tatsuya Abe .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Carl von Ossietzky Universität, Oldenburg, Germany

    Martin Fränzle

  2. University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA

    Deepak Kapur

  3. Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China

    Naijun Zhan

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2016 Springer International Publishing AG

About this paper

Cite this paper

Abe, T., Ugawa, T., Maeda, T., Matsumoto, K. (2016). Reducing State Explosion for Software Model Checking with Relaxed Memory Consistency Models. In: Fränzle, M., Kapur, D., Zhan, N. (eds) Dependable Software Engineering: Theories, Tools, and Applications. SETTA 2016. Lecture Notes in Computer Science(), vol 9984. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-47677-3_8

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-47677-3_8

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-47676-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-47677-3

  • eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation