Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Symbolic Reachability Analysis of B Through ProB and LTSmin

  • Conference paper
  • First Online:
Integrated Formal Methods (IFM 2016)

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNPSE,volume 9681))

Included in the following conference series:

Abstract

We present a symbolic reachability analysis approach for B that can provide a significant speedup over traditional explicit state model checking. The symbolic analysis is implemented by linking ProB to LTSmin, a high-performance language independent model checker. The link is achieved via LTSmin ’s Pins interface, allowing ProB to benefit from LTSmin ’s analysis algorithms, while only writing a few hundred lines of glue-code, along with a bridge between ProB and C using ØMQ. ProB supports model checking of several formal specification languages such as B, Event-B, Z and \({\textsc {Tla}}^{+}\). Our experiments are based on a wide variety of B-Method and Event-B models to demonstrate the efficiency of the new link. Among the tested categories are state space generation and deadlock detection; but action detection and invariant checking are also feasible in principle. In many cases we observe speedups of several orders of magnitude. We also compare the results with other approaches for improving model checking, such as partial order reduction or symmetry reduction. We thus provide a new scalable, symbolic analysis algorithm for the B-Method and Event-B, along with a platform to integrate other model checking improvements via LTSmin in the future.

J. Meijer—Supported by STW SUMBAT grant: 13859.

J. van de Pol—Supported by the 3TU.BSR project.

J. Whitefield—Partly supported by EPSRC grant: EP/M506655/1.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 69.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 89.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Notes

  1. 1.

    One subtle issue is that LTSmin actually only supports a single initial state; this is solved by introducing the artificial root state linked to the initial states proper. We ignore this technical issue in the paper.

  2. 2.

    We refrain from giving their formal definitions; they can be found in [23].

  3. 3.

    More detailed descriptions can be found in [5].

  4. 4.

    Reproduction notes at https://github.com/utwente-fmt/ProB-LTSmin-iFM16.

References

  1. Abrial, J.R.: Modeling in Event-B: System and Software Engineering. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge (2010)

    Book  MATH  Google Scholar 

  2. Abrial, J.: The B-Book - Assigning Programs to Meanings. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge (2005)

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  3. Arcaini, P., Gargantini, A., Riccobene, E.: AsmetaSMV: a way to link high-level ASM models to low-level NuSMV specifications. In: Frappier, M., Glässer, U., Khurshid, S., Laleau, R., Reeves, S. (eds.) ABZ 2010. LNCS, vol. 5977, pp. 61–74. Springer, Heidelberg (2010)

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  4. Bendisposto, J.: Directed and Distributed Model Checking of B Specifications. Ph.D. thesis, University of Düsseldorf (2015). http://docserv.uni-duesseldorf.de/servlets/DocumentServlet?id=34472

  5. Bendisposto, J., Körner, P., Leuschel, M., Meijer, J., van de Pol, J., Treharne, H., Whitefield, J.: Symbolic Reachability Analysis of B through ProB and LTSmin. CoRR abs/1603.04401 (2016)

    Google Scholar 

  6. Bicarregui, J.C., Fitzgerald, J.S., Larsen, P.G., Woodcock, J.C.P.: Industrial practice in formal methods: a review. In: Cavalcanti, A., Dams, D.R. (eds.) FM 2009. LNCS, vol. 5850, pp. 810–813. Springer, Heidelberg (2009)

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  7. Blom, S., van de Pol, J.: Symbolic reachability for process algebras with recursive data types. In: Fitzgerald, J.S., Haxthausen, A.E., Yenigun, H. (eds.) ICTAC 2008. LNCS, vol. 5160, pp. 81–95. Springer, Heidelberg (2008)

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  8. Burch, J.R., Clarke, E.M., McMillan, K.L., Dill, D.L., Hwang, L.J.: Symbolic model checking: \(10^{20}\) states and beyond. IC 98(2), 142–170 (1992)

    MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  9. Ciardo, G., Marmorstein, R.M., Siminiceanu, R.: The saturation algorithm for symbolic state-space exploration. STTT 8(1), 4–25 (2006)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Derrick, J., North, S., Simons, A.J.H.: Z2SAL - building a model checker for Z. In: Börger, E., Butler, M., Bowen, J.P., Boca, P. (eds.) ABZ 2008. LNCS, vol. 5238, pp. 280–293. Springer, Heidelberg (2008)

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  11. Dobrikov, I., Leuschel, M.: Optimising the ProB model checker for B using partial order reduction. In: Giannakopoulou, D., Salaün, G. (eds.) SEFM 2014. LNCS, vol. 8702, pp. 220–234. Springer, Heidelberg (2014)

    Google Scholar 

  12. Hansen, D., Leuschel, M.: Translating B to TLA\(^ \text{+ } \) for validation with TLC. In: Ait Ameur, Y., Schewe, K.-D. (eds.) ABZ 2014. LNCS, vol. 8477, pp. 40–55. Springer, Heidelberg (2014)

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  13. Heiner, M., Rohr, C., Schwarick, M.: MARCIE – model checking and reachability analysis done efficiently. In: Colom, J.-M., Desel, J. (eds.) PETRI NETS 2013. LNCS, vol. 7927, pp. 389–399. Springer, Heidelberg (2013)

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  14. Hintjens, P.: ZeroMQ: Messaging for Many Applications. O’Reilly Media Inc, Sebastopol (2013)

    Google Scholar 

  15. Hörne, T., van der Poll, J.A.: Planning as model checking: the performance of ProB vs NuSMV. In: SAICSIT Conference ACM ICPS, vol. 338, pp. 114–123. ACM (2008)

    Google Scholar 

  16. James, P., Moller, F., Nguyen, H.N., Roggenbach, M., Schneider, S., Treharne, H., Trumble, M., Williams, D.: Verification of scheme plans using CSP\(||\)B. In: Counsell, S., Núñez, M. (eds.) SEFM 2013. LNCS, vol. 8368, pp. 189–204. Springer, Heidelberg (2014)

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  17. Kant, G., Laarman, A., Meijer, J., van de Pol, J., Blom, S., van Dijk, T.: LTSmin: high-performance language-independent model checking. In: Baier, C., Tinelli, C. (eds.) TACAS 2015. LNCS, vol. 9035, pp. 692–707. Springer, Heidelberg (2015)

    Google Scholar 

  18. Laarman, A., Pater, E., Pol, J., Hansen, H.: Guard-based partial-order reduction. Int. J. Softw. Tools Technol. Transfer, 1–22 (2014). doi:10.1007/s10009-014-0363-9

    Google Scholar 

  19. Leuschel, M., Butler, M.J.: ProB: an automated analysis toolset for the B method. STTT 10(2), 185–203 (2008)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Leuschel, M., Massart, T.: Efficient approximate verification of B via symmetry markers. Ann. Math. Artif. Intell. 59(1), 81–106 (2010)

    Article  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  21. Matos, P.J., Fischer, B., Marques-Silva, J.: A lazy unbounded model checker for Event-B. In: Breitman, K., Cavalcanti, A. (eds.) ICFEM 2009. LNCS, vol. 5885, pp. 485–503. Springer, Heidelberg (2009)

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  22. McMillan, K.L.: Symbolic Model Checking. Ph.D. thesis, Boston (1993)

    Google Scholar 

  23. Meijer, J., Kant, G., Blom, S., van de Pol, J.: Read, write and copy dependencies for symbolic model checking. In: Yahav, E. (ed.) HVC 2014. LNCS, vol. 8855, pp. 204–219. Springer, Heidelberg (2014)

    Google Scholar 

  24. Molnár, V., Darvas, D., Vörös, A., Bartha, T.: Saturation-based incremental LTL model checking with inductive proofs. In: Baier, C., Tinelli, C. (eds.) TACAS 2015. LNCS, vol. 9035, pp. 643–657. Springer, Heidelberg (2015)

    Google Scholar 

  25. de Moura, L., Owre, S., Shankar, N.: The SAL language manual. Technical report, SRI International, technical Report SRI-CSL-01-02 (Rev. 2) (2003)

    Google Scholar 

  26. Plagge, D., Leuschel, M.: Seven at a stroke: LTL model checking for high-level specifications in B, Z, CSP, and more. STTT 11, 9–21 (2010)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Roig, O., Cortadella, J., Pastor, E.: Verification of asynchronous circuits by BDD-based model checking of petri nets. In: Proceedings ATPN, pp. 374–391 (1995)

    Google Scholar 

  28. Schneider, S., Treharne, H.: CSP theorems for communicating B machines. Formal Asp. Comput. 17(4), 390–422 (2005)

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  29. Sloan, S.W.: A FORTRAN program for profile and wavefront reduction. Int. J. Numer. Meth. Eng. 28(11), 2651–2679 (1989)

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  30. Whitefield, J.: Linking ProB and LTSmin (2015), Final Year Dissertation, University of Surrey

    Google Scholar 

  31. Winter, K.: Optimising ordering strategies for symbolic model checking of railway interlockings. In: Margaria, T., Steffen, B. (eds.) ISoLA 2012, Part II. LNCS, vol. 7610, pp. 246–260. Springer, Heidelberg (2012)

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  32. Yu, Y., Manolios, P., Lamport, L.: Model checking TLA\(^+\) specifications. In: Pierre, L., Kropf, T. (eds.) CHARME 1999. LNCS, vol. 1703, pp. 54–66. Springer, Heidelberg (1999)

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institut für Informatik, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany

    Jens Bendisposto, Philipp Körner & Michael Leuschel

  2. Formal Methods and Tools, University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands

    Jeroen Meijer & Jaco van de Pol

  3. Department of Computer Science, University of Surrey, Guildford, UK

    Helen Treharne & Jorden Whitefield

Authors
  1. Jens Bendisposto
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Philipp Körner
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Michael Leuschel
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Jeroen Meijer
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Jaco van de Pol
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Helen Treharne
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Jorden Whitefield
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jeroen Meijer .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany

    Erika Ábrahám

  2. University of Twente, Enschede, Overijssel, The Netherlands

    Marieke Huisman

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2016 Springer International Publishing Switzerland

About this paper

Cite this paper

Bendisposto, J. et al. (2016). Symbolic Reachability Analysis of B Through ProB and LTSmin . In: Ábrahám, E., Huisman, M. (eds) Integrated Formal Methods. IFM 2016. Lecture Notes in Computer Science(), vol 9681. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-33693-0_18

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-33693-0_18

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-33692-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-33693-0

  • eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation