Abstract
We present a new verification technique for Promela which exploits state-space symmetries induced by scalarset values used in a model. The technique involves efficiently computing a marker for each state encountered during search. We propose a complete verification method which only partially exploits symmetry, and an approximate verification method which fully exploits symmetry. We describe how symmetry markers can be efficiently computed and integrated into the Spin tool, and provide an empirical evaluation of our technique using the Topspin symmetry reduction package, which shows very good performance results and a high degree of precision for the approximate method (i.e. very few non-symmetric states receive the same marker). We also identify a class of models for which the approximate technique is precise.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Abrial, J.-R.: The B-Book. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge (1996)
Bosnacki, D., Dams, D., Holenderski, L.: Symmetric Spin. STTT 4(1), 92–106 (2002)
Clarke, E., Enders, R., Filkorn, T., Jha, S.: Exploiting symmetry in temporal logic model checking. Form. Methods Syst. Des. 9(1-2), 77–104 (1996)
Clarke, E., Emerson, E., Jha, S., Sistla, A.: Symmetry reductions in model checking. In: Vardi, M.Y. (ed.) CAV 1998. LNCS, vol. 1427, pp. 147–158. Springer, Heidelberg (1998)
Clarke, E., Grumberg, O., Peled, D.: Model Checking. MIT Press, Cambridge (1999)
Calder, M., Miller, A.: Generalising feature interactions in email. In: FIW 2003, pp. 187–204. IOS Press, Amsterdam (2003)
Donaldson, A., Miller, A.: Automatic symmetry detection for model checking using computational group theory. In: Fitzgerald, J.A., Hayes, I.J., Tarlecki, A. (eds.) FM 2005. LNCS, vol. 3582, pp. 481–496. Springer, Heidelberg (2005)
Donaldson, A., Miller, A.: Exact and approximate strategies for symmetry reduction in model checking. In: Misra, J., Nipkow, T., Sekerinski, E. (eds.) FM 2006. LNCS, vol. 4085, pp. 541–556. Springer, Heidelberg (2006)
Donaldson, A., Miller, A.: Extending symmetry reduction techniques to a realistic model of computation. ENTCS 185, 63–76 (2007)
Emerson, E., Sistla, A.: Symmetry and model checking. Formal Methods in System Design 9(1/2), 105–131 (1996)
Holzmann, G.: An improved protocol reachability analysis technique. Softw. Pract. Exper. 18(2), 137–161 (1988)
Holzmann, G.: The SPIN model checker: Primer and reference manual. Addison-Wesley, Reading (2003)
Ip, C., Dill, D.: Better verification through symmetry. Formal Methods in System Design 9(1/2), 41–75 (1996)
Leuschel, M., Massart, T.: Efficient approximate verification of B via symmetry markers. In: Proc. of the International Symmetry Conference, Edinburgh, UK, pp. 71–85 (January 2007)
McMillan, K.: Symbolic Model Checking. PhD thesis, Boston (1993)
Peterson, G.: Myths about the mutual exclusion problem. Inf. Process. Lett. 12(3), 115–116 (1981)
Sistla, A., Gyuris, V., Emerson, E.: SMC: a symmetry-based model checker for verification of safety and liveness properties. ACM Trans. Softw. Eng. Methodol. 9(2), 133–166 (2000)
Valiente, G.: Algorithms on Trees and Graphs. Springer, Heidelberg (2002)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2007 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
About this paper
Cite this paper
Bošnački, D., Donaldson, A.F., Leuschel, M., Massart, T. (2007). Efficient Approximate Verification of Promela Models Via Symmetry Markers. In: Namjoshi, K.S., Yoneda, T., Higashino, T., Okamura, Y. (eds) Automated Technology for Verification and Analysis. ATVA 2007. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 4762. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-75596-8_22
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-75596-8_22
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-540-75595-1
Online ISBN: 978-3-540-75596-8
eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)