A Study Of Concurrent Program Testing Method Based On Event Sequencing Constraints

With the rapid development of computer and network technology, parallel and concurrent computation has been applied more and more widely. Due to synchronism and communication, the execution of concurrent program is non-deterministic, and concurrent program testing becomes much more difficult than before. Some of the traditional testing methods and theories of sequential programs are not applicable in concurrent program testing. Many problems have not been solved and no complete systems exist.The executed event sequences as well as inputs and outputs should be verified within concurrent program testing. Defining event constraints is a way to test the validation of event sequences. The testing technology based on event constraints has many advantages. It was used in tracking and debugging of Ada programs in earlier period. Some constraints have been presented, such as CSPE (Constraints on Succeeding and Preceding Events), which defines the dependency of sequential succeeding and preceding events. Through improving CSPE, E-CSPE defines event constraints under conditional predication, and it is more accurate for describing dependency relationship of events.However, neither CSPE nor E-CSPE is not complete in defining the dependency of sequential succeeding and preceding events, and fails to describe compound events. EE-CSPE formally describes and derives the dependency relationship between concurrent compound events, and extends the definition about exclusive constraints and post-determining constraints among events. Using non-deterministic testing and deterministic testing methods, the adequacy of testing and correctness of tested program can be verified through analysis of coverage or violation between executed event sequences and event constrains. EE-CSPE describes dependency of succeeding and preceding events more completely, and is more effective in finding faults.