Formal Methods for MPI Programs

Abstract

High-end computing is universally recognized to be a strategic tool for leadership in science and technology. A significant portion of high-end computing is conducted on clusters running the Message Passing Interface (MPI) library. MPI has become the de facto standard in high performance computing (HPC). Our research addresses the need to avoid bugs in MPI programs through a combination of techniques ranging from the use of formal specifications to the use of in-situ model checking techniques. This paper details an assessment of the efficacy of these techniques, as well as our future work plans.