Method and system for performing software verification

摘要

Described is a method, system, and computer program product that provides control of a hardware/software system, and allows deterministic execution of the software under examination. According to one approach, a virtual machine for testing software is used with a tightly synchronized stimulus for the software being tested. A verification tool external to the virtual machine is used to provide test stimulus to and to collect test information from the virtual machine. Test stimulus from the verification tool that is external to the virtual machine provides the stimulation that incrementally operates and changes the state of the virtual machine. The stimulus is created and coverage is collected from outside the virtual machine by first stopping the virtual machine, depositing stimulus, and then reading coverage directly from the virtual machine memory while the machine is stopped.

主权项

1. A computer program product that includes a non-transitory computer readable medium, the computer readable medium comprising a plurality of computer instructions which, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform a process for verifying software, the process comprising:
implementing software to be tested on a virtual machine; generating one or more test stimuli for the software, where the one or more test stimuli are generated external to the virtual machine; performing coverage driven verification by at least performing a controlled stop and a controlled start of the virtual machine without sending the one or more test stimuli to the software through a networking socket, wherein the controlled stop is performed to apply at least one constrained random stimulus of the one or more test stimuli to the software on the virtual machine for a coverage item or a coverage event for which coverage is desired, and the controlled start of the virtual machine is performed after the at least one constrained random stimulus of the one or more test stimuli is applied; and collecting results of the coverage driven verification from outside the virtual machine while the virtual machine is stopped.