Cluster-Based LTL Model Checking of Large Systems

• Published in: Formal Methods for Components and Objects pp. 259 - 279
• Main Authors: Barnat, Jiří, Brim, Luboš, Černá, Ivana
• Format: Book Chapter Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin, Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 2006; Springer
• Series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Computer science; control theory; systems; Computer systems and distributed systems. User interface; Exact sciences and technology; Initial Vertex; Model Check; Negative Cycle; Quotient Graph; Software; Software engineering; Strongly Connect Component; First depth search; Parallel algorithm; Formal method; Automaton; Software development; Finite state machine; Graph theory; Software component; Distributed system; Cluster model; Temporal logic; Program verification; Distributed memory; Linear logic; Communicating process; Message passing; Distributed algorithm; Object oriented; Model checking; Cycle(graph)
• ISBN: 9783540367499; 3540367497
• ISSN: 0302-9743; 1611-3349
• DOI: 10.1007/11804192_13

In recent years a bundle of parallel and distributed algorithms for verification of finite state systems has appeared. We survey distributed-memory enumerative LTL model checking algorithms designed for networks of workstations communicating via MPI. In the automata-based approach to LTL model checking the problem is reduced to the accepting cycle detection problem in a graph. Distributed algorithms, in opposite to sequential ones, cannot rely on depth-first search postorder which is essential for efficient detection of accepting cycles. Therefore, diverse conditions that characterise the existence of cycles in a graph have to be employed in order to come up with efficient and practical distributed algorithms. We compare these algorithms both theoretically and experimentally and determine cases where particular algorithms can be successful.