Combining static worst-case timing analysis and program proof

Chapman, Roderick; Burns, Alan; Wellings, Andy

doi:10.1007/bf00365316

Cited by 54 publications

(42 citation statements)

References 22 publications

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“…One simple solution for static analysis is to assume that all instructions are fetched from main memory every time they are needed. This guarantees the safety of the estimate, but makes it so overly pessimistic that it becomes practically useless [6].…”

Section: B Caches In Real-time Systemsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Learning Bayesian Networks for Improved Instruction Cache Analysis

Bartlett

Bate

Cussens

2010

2010 Ninth International Conference on Machine Learning and Applications

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Abstract-As modern processors can execute instructions at far greater rates than these instructions can be retrieved from main memory, computer systems commonly include caches that speed up access times. While these improve average execution times, they introduce additional complexity in determining the Worst Case Execution Times crucial for Real-Time Systems. In this paper, an approach is presented that utilises Bayesian Networks in order to more accurately estimate the worst-case caching behaviour of programs. With this method, a Bayesian Network is learned from traces of program execution that allows both constructive and destructive dependencies between instructions to be determined and a joint distribution over the number of cache hits to be found. Attention is given to the question of how the accuracy of the network depends on both the number of observations used for learning and the cardinality of the set of potential parents considered by the learning algorithm.

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Section: B Caches In Real-time Systemsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Learning Bayesian Networks for Improved Instruction Cache Analysis

Bartlett

Bate

Cussens

2010

2010 Ninth International Conference on Machine Learning and Applications

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“…2 Chapman et al [7,8] adopted SPARK Ada for WCET analysis. The SPARK language is a subset of Ada83 that is extended by a special 2 SPARK is an acronym for SPADE Ada Kernel; SPADE is an acronym for Southampton Program Analysis Development Environment.…”

Section: Interactive Annotations With the Timing Toolmentioning

confidence: 99%

Beyond loop bounds: comparing annotation languages for worst-case execution time analysis

et al. 2010

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Worst-case execution time (WCET) analysis is concerned with computing a precise-as-possible bound for the maximum time the execution of a program can take. This information is indispensable for developing safety-critical real-time systems, e. g., in the avionics and automotive fields. Starting with the initial works of Chen, Mok, Puschner, Shaw, and others in the mid and late 1980s, WCET analysis turned into a well-established and vibrant field of research and development in academia and industry. The increasing number and diversity of hardware and software platforms and the ongoing rapid technological advancement became drivers for the development of a wide array of distinct methods and tools for WCET analysis. The precision, generality, and efficiency of these methods and tools depend much on the expressiveness and usability of the annotation languages that are used to describe feasible and infeasible program paths. In this article we survey the annotation languages which we consider formative for the field. By investigating and comparing their individual strengths and limitations with respect to a set of pivotal criteria, we provide a coherent overview of the state of the art. Identifying open issues, we encourage further research. This way, our approach is orthogonal and complementary to a recent approach of Wilhelm et al. who provide a thorough survey of WCET analysis methods and tools that have been developed and used in academia and industry.Keywords Worst-case execution time (WCET) analysis · Annotation languages · Path-oriented, constraint-oriented, and hierarchy-oriented WCET annotation languages · WCET annotation language challenge MotivationComputing the time that the execution of a program can take in the worst case is challenging. It requires to cope with analysis problems that are computationally intractable or undecidable. Tools and methods for worst-case execution time analysis (WCET) thus usually content themselves to computing an upper bound of the actual WCET. The precision, generality, and efficiency of these tools and methods depend much on the accurate description and identification of feasible and infeasible program paths. A program path is feasible, 123 412 R. Kirner et al. if there is an actual program execution taking this path; it is infeasible otherwise. In practice, this information is computed by fully automatic program analyses, where possible; it is manually provided by application programmers otherwise. In both cases this requires a dedicated language in order to annotate this information and to pass it on to a subsequent WCET analysis. Such a language is commonly called an annotation language. Over the past two decades, an array of conceptually quite diverse annotation languages has been proposed to support the needs of different WCET analysis methods and tools.In this article, we present a systematic and comprehensive comparison of the various approaches for WCET annotation languages. This acts on our suggestion of the WCET annotation language challenge [32] comple...

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“…WCET analysis can be performed by splitting software into blocks, where a block is a sequence of instructions that has only one branch at the start or at the end. Every feasible path through the blocks is then examined in order to find the longest [1]. The length is determined simply by adding up the WCET of each individual instruction.…”

Section: Execution Of Instructionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Use of Modern Processors in Safety-Critical Applications

Bate

Conmy²,

Kelly³

et al. 2001

The Computer Journal

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This paper investigates the implications of using modern superscalar processors in the safety-critical domain. Firstly, a description of current certification practice and devices is given as background. This is followed by an exposition of the certification argument for a processor when used in a safetycritical application. Throughout the presentation of the argument two types of modern processor are considered, commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) processors and purpose-designed bespoke devices. This allows the elaboration of positive and negative features of processors that can be used as part of the selection (for COTS) or design (for bespoke) process.

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Combining static worst-case timing analysis and program proof

Cited by 54 publications

References 22 publications

Learning Bayesian Networks for Improved Instruction Cache Analysis

Learning Bayesian Networks for Improved Instruction Cache Analysis

Beyond loop bounds: comparing annotation languages for worst-case execution time analysis

Use of Modern Processors in Safety-Critical Applications

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