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Software Validation via Model Animation

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Tests and Proofs (TAP 2015)

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNPSE,volume 9154))

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Abstract

This paper explores a new approach to validating software implementations that have been produced from formally-verified algorithms. Although visual inspection gives some confidence that the implementations faithfully reflect the formal models, it does not provide complete assurance that the software is correct. The proposed approach, which is based on animation of formal specifications, compares the outputs computed by the software implementations on a given suite of input values to the outputs computed by the formal models on the same inputs, and determines if they are equal up to a given tolerance. The approach is illustrated on a prototype air traffic management system that computes simple kinematic trajectories for aircraft. Proofs for the mathematical models of the system’s algorithms are carried out in the Prototype Verification System (PVS). The animation tool PVSio is used to evaluate the formal models on a set of randomly generated test cases. Output values computed by PVSio are compared against output values computed by the actual software. This comparison improves the assurance that the translation from formal models to code is faithful and that, for example, floating point errors do not greatly affect correctness and safety properties.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, Virginia, 23681-2199, USA

    Aaron M. Dutle, César A. Muñoz, Anthony J. Narkawicz & Ricky W. Butler

Authors
  1. Aaron M. Dutle
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  2. César A. Muñoz
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  3. Anthony J. Narkawicz
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  4. Ricky W. Butler
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Aaron M. Dutle .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Inria Nancy & LORIA, Villers-lès-Nancy, France

    Jasmin Christian Blanchette

  2. CEA LIST Nano-Innov, Saclay, France

    Nikolai Kosmatov

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© 2015 Springer International Publishing Switzerland

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Dutle, A.M., Muñoz, C.A., Narkawicz, A.J., Butler, R.W. (2015). Software Validation via Model Animation. In: Blanchette, J., Kosmatov, N. (eds) Tests and Proofs. TAP 2015. Lecture Notes in Computer Science(), vol 9154. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-21215-9_6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-21215-9_6

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-21214-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-21215-9

  • eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)

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