Parallel testing of concurrent programs

• Grant number: 13/01818-7
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Duration: August 01, 2013 - July 31, 2015
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Computer Science - Computer Systems
• Principal Investigator: Paulo Sérgio Lopes de Souza
• Grantee: Paulo Sérgio Lopes de Souza
• Host Institution: Instituto de Ciências Matemáticas e de Computação (ICMC). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Carlos , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: Edward John Zaluska ; João Manuel dos Santos Lourenço ; Júlio Cézar Estrella ; Marcos José Santana ; Regina Helena Carlucci Santana ; Sarita Mazzini Bruschi ; Simone Do Rocio Senger de Souza

Abstract

Computing is considered pervasive and distributed nowadays. Computing Systems take part in different sectors of the society and interact to improve our life quality. Concurrent programming takes part in such systems, offering primitives for the interaction (communication and synchronization) of processes. These primitives are widely used and are responsible for defects that are difficult to reveal, since such defects are strongly influenced by the inherent non-determinism of the concurrent programming. Testing of concurrent programs is inserted in this context as an essential activity looking for defects, which uses specific testing criteria and test software tools. The TestPar project, under development at ICMC/USP, aims to improve the concurrent program testing; however, a problem is still open: the high cost to apply this test activity. This particular research project is concerning the cost problem, investigating the proposition of a parallel version of the structural testing of concurrent programs. The main objective of this parallel testing is reducing the test response time, thereby reducing the cost without losing quality in terms of source code coverage. The investigations consider the test process as a whole, including models, criteria and the ValiPar testing tool. Researchers from University of Southampton and University Nova of Lisboa contribute in this project. The group also has the involvement of undergraduate and graduate students. The main contributions of this project are: (1) improving the effectiveness of the test activity for concurrent programs, reducing its cost without losing quality and (2) making available a parallel platform directed to the test of concurrent programs, which will contribute to the industry, to the research and to the teaching in Software Engineering, Parallel Computing and Distributed Systems. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

SOUZA, S. R. S.; SOUZA, P. S. L.; BRITO, M. A. S.; SIMAO, A. S.; ZALUSKA, E. J.. Empirical evaluation of a new composite approach to the coverage criteria and reachability testing of concurrent programs. SOFTWARE TESTING VERIFICATION & RELIABILITY, v. 25, n. 3, SI, p. 310-332, MAY 2015. (10/02839-0, 13/01818-7, 09/04517-2)

MELO, SILVANA MORITA; DE SOUZA, SIMONE DO ROCIO SENGER; SARMANHO, FELIPE SANTOS; LOPES DE SOUZA, PAULO SERGIO. Contributions for the structural testing of multithreaded programs: coverage criteria, testing tool, and experimental evaluation. SOFTWARE QUALITY JOURNAL, v. 26, n. 3, SI, p. 921-959, SEP 2018. (15/23653-5, 13/01818-7, 13/05046-9, 10/04042-1)