Abstract
In directed model checking, the traversal of the state space is guided by an estimate of the distance from the current state to the nearest error state. This paper presents a distance-preserving abstraction for concurrent systems that allows one to compute an interesting estimate of the error distance without hitting the state explosion problem. Our experiments show a dramatic reduction both in the number of states explored by the model checker and in the total runtime.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Behrmann G., Fehnker A., Hune T., Larsen K.G., Pettersson P., Romijn J.: Efficient guiding towards cost-optimality in uppaal. In: Margaria, T., Yi, W. (eds) Proceedings of TACAS’01. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol. 2031, pp. 174–188. Springer, Berlin (2001)
Bloem, R., Ravi, K., Somenzi, F.: Symbolic guided search for CTL model checking. In: Design Automation Conference, pp. 29–34 (2000)
Dierks H.: Comparing model checking and logical reasoning for real-time systems. Formal Aspects Comput. 16(2), 104–120 (2004)
Edelkamp, S., Leue, S., Lluch-Lafuente, A.: Directed explicit-state model checking in the validation of communication protocols. Software Tools for Technology Transfer (2003)
Edelkamp, S., Lluch-Lafuente, A.: Abstraction databases in theory and model checking. In: Proc. ICAPS Workshop on Connecting Planning Theory with Practice (2004)
Edelkamp S., Lluch-Lafuente A., Leue S.: Directed explicit model checking with hsf-spin. In: Dwyer, M.B. (eds) Proceedings of SPIN’01. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol. 2057, pp. 57–79. Springer, Berlin (2001)
Edelkamp, S., Lluch-Lafuente, A., Leue, S.: Trail-directed model checking. Electr. Notes Theor. Comput. Sci. 55(3) (2001)
Graf S., Steffen B., Lüttgen G.: Compositional minimization of finite state systems using interface specifications. Formal Aspects Comput. 8, 607–616 (1996)
Groce, A., Visser, W.: Heuristics for model checking Java programs. In: Proceedings of SPIN’02, Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol. 2318, pp. 242–245. Springer, Berlin (2002)
Kaltenbach M., Misra J.: A theory of hints in model checking. In: Aichernig, B.K., Maibaum, T. (eds) Formal Methods at the Crossroads: From Panacea to Foundational Support. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol. 2757, pp. 423–438. Springer, Berlin (2003)
Krieg-Brückner, B., Peleska, J., Olderog, E.-R., Baer, A.: The UniForM workbench, a universal development environment for formal methods. In: Wing, J., Woodcock, J., Davies, J. (eds.) FM’99—Formal Methods: World Congress on Formal Methods in the Development of Computing Systems. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol. 1709 (1999)
Kupferschmid, S., Hoffmann, J., Dierks, H., Behrmann, G.: Adapting an AI planning heuristic for directed model checking. In: Valmari, A. (ed.) 13th International SPIN Workshop on Model Checking of Software. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol. 3925, pp. 35–52 (2006)
Lafuente, A.L.: Directed Search for the Verification of Communication Protocols. Ph.D. thesis, Institute of Computer Science, University of Freiburg, June (2003)
Larsen K., Petterson P., Yi W.: Uppaal in a nutshell. STTT—Int. J. Softw. Tools Technol. Transf. 1(1+2), 134–152 (1997)
Matsumoto M., Nishimura T.: Mersenne twister: a 623-dimensionally equidistributed uniform pseudo-random number generator. ACM Trans. Model. Comput. Simul. 8(1), 3–30 (1998)
Pearl J.: Heuristics. Morgan Kaufmann, San Francisco (1983)
Qian, K., Nymeyer, A.: Guided invariant model checking based on abstraction and symbolic pattern databases. In: Jensen, K., Podelski, A. (eds.) Proceedings of TACAS’04. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol. 2988, pp. 497–511 (2004)
Sabnani K.K., Lapone A.M., Uyar M.Ü.: An algorithmic procedure for checking safety properties of protocols. IEEE Trans. Commun. 37(9), 940–948 (1989)
Seitz C.: Ideas about arbiters. Lambda 1, 10–14 (1980)
Yang, C.H., Dill, D.L.: Validation with guided search of the state space. In: Design Automation Conference, pp. 599–604 (1998)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
Open Access This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial License ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0 ), which permits any noncommercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author(s) and source are credited.
About this article
Cite this article
Dräger, K., Finkbeiner, B. & Podelski, A. Directed model checking with distance-preserving abstractions. Int J Softw Tools Technol Transfer 11, 27–37 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10009-008-0092-z
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10009-008-0092-z