Automated test sequence generation using sequencing constraints for concurrent programs

Sequencing constraints for a concurrent program specify restrictions on the allowed sequences of synchronization events, and they can be used in generating test sequences for the program. In earlier work, the notion of CSPE (constraints on succeeding and preceding events) constraint was defined, and the CSPE-1 coverage criterion, which requires the coverage of each CSPE constraint at least once, was shown to be effective for fault detection. We show how to automatically generate test sequences to satisfy, the CSPE-1 criterion for a set of CSPE constraints. Our test sequence generation strategy is to determine (a) the number of instances for each process type for accomplishing the CSPE-1 coverage criterion such that the total instance number is minimum and (b) the smallest sequence set among all sets satisfying (a). Empirical results of applying our test generation strategy to the bounded buffer problem and seven versions of the readers and writers problem are presented.