A systematic review of approaches for testing concurrent programs

Abstract

SUMMARYConcurrent programs are replacing the sequential programs as they utilize the true capabilities of multicore architecture. The extensive use of multicore systems and multithreaded paradigms warrants more attention to the testing of the concurrent programs. The testing concurrent program is not a new field as it has been more than 40 years because the first problem related to the testing concurrent program was addressed by the researchers. The field covers various domains, which include concurrency problems, testing approaches, techniques, graphical representations, tools, and subject systems. This paper aims at providing an overview of research in the domain of testing concurrent programs by classifying it into eight categories: (a) reachability testing, (b) structural testing, (c) model-based testing, (d) mutation-based testing, (e) slicing-based testing, (f) formal methods, (g) random testing, and (h) search-based testing. The survey is focused on the techniques applied, methodologies followed, and tools used in these aforementioned approaches. Furthermore, the gaps are also identified in different approaches. The paper concludes with the consolidation of various testing parameters along with the future directions.

Specification-based Testing with Simulation Relations (S)

“…We used one node of SGI UV3000 Figure 7. Time taken when the number of state sequences is fixed (1) and the length of the state sequence is changed (100, 1000, 10000, 50000, 100000, 250000 & 500000) that carries 2.90GH microprocessor and 256GB memory for the experiments. Two sets of experiments were conducted.…”

“…Because there is such a transition sequence, the commands finds it. If [1,1] is used instead of [1,2], then because there is no transition sequence from s 1 to s 2 in depth 1, the command does not find any such transition sequences. Maude has meta-programming (or reflexive programming) facilities with which we can develop software tools, such as Real-Time Maude.…”

“…Major concepts of programming languages that can be used to write concurrent programs emerged in the 1980s and since nearly then studies on testing concurrent programs have been conducted. Arora, et al have comprehensively surveyed testing concurrent programs [1]. They categorize it into eight classes: (a) reachability testing, (b) structural testing, (c) model-based testing, (d) mutation-based testing, (e) slicing-based testing, (f) formal method-based testing, (g) random testing, and (h) search-based testing.…”

Structural testing criteria for concurrent programs considering loop execution

“…(LU et al, 2008) and (KRAWCZYK; WISZNIEWSKI; MORK, ) present classifications applicable for both memory paradigms. As observed, it is commonly seen (PEDERSEN, 2006;ARORA;BHATIA;SINGH, 2016;DES-OUZA et al, 2005) that most defects in concurrent programs relate to deadlock situations and data races issues. Deadlock category collects errors caused by synchronization events related to locking management in shared memory programs, and to non-determinism in distributed memory programs.…”

Um framework para avaliação sistemática de técnicas de teste no contexto de programação concorrente

“…Embora o teste de software concorrente tenha sido intensivamente investigado nos últimos anos, apresentando uma grande variedade de técnicas e ferramentas publicadas na academia, conforme resultados descritos nas revisões de literatura em Mamun e Khanam (2009), Souza et al (2011), Arora et al (2015) e Melo et al (2015), essas técnicas ainda permanecem pouco usadas na prática. Esse fator pode estar relacionado, dentre outros, ao fato de não existir uma metodologia para auxiliar o processo de seleção da técnica de teste mais apropriada para este contexto específico.…”