Model curation for integrated circuit designs

• US 7,739,654 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2004
• Issued: 06/15/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Lacey, David John, Zelle, Nathan Dirk
• Primary Examiner(s): Zhen; Wei Y
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rampuria; Satish
• Application Number:
  US11/021,314
• Publication Number:
  US 20060136521A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,001 Days
• Field of Search: 717104-113, 716/16, 716/18, 707/3, 707/102, 707/203, 707/204, 703/1, 703/8, 703/13, 703/14, 703/16, 703/17
• US Class Current: 717/104
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/30 Circuit design

Abstract

Exemplary techniques for model curation are described. In a described embodiment, a method comprises generating a manifest of a plurality of files corresponding to a design model; utilizing a revision control system to determine whether the generated manifest has changed relative to a previous version of the manifest; and if the generated manifest has changed, obtaining copies of the plurality of files to validate stability of the design model and curating the design model.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method comprising:

generating a manifest of a plurality of files corresponding to a design model corresponding to an integrated circuit device;

utilizing a revision control system to determine whether the generated manifest has changed relative to a previous version of the manifest; and

if the generated manifest has changed, obtaining copies of the plurality of files to validate stability of the design model and curating the design model, wherein data corresponding to the manifest is to be stored in a storage unit and used in the design model of the integrated circuit device, wherein the method is performed periodically to detect incompatibilities present in a subsequent generation of the design model and wherein the curating of the design model comprises;

checking one or more regression results generated by the act of validating stability of the design model;

determining whether the design model is stable;

wherein one or more regression results are checked to determine whether the files contained within the generated manifest represent the design model with a minimum level of correctness;

if the minimum level of correctness is not present then the design model is determined to be unstable and curating the design model is terminated; and

if it is determined that the design model is stable, adding the generated manifest to the revision control system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the curating of the design model comprises:

checking one or more regression results generated by the act of validating stability of the design model;

determining whether the design model is stable; and

if it is determined that the design model is stable, adding the generated manifest to the revision control system and determining whether the design model is to be released.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the curating of the design model comprises:

checking one or more regression results generated by the act of validating stability of the design model;

determining whether the design model is stable;

if it is determined that the design model is stable, adding the generated manifest to the revision control system and determining whether the design model is to be released; and

if it is determined that the design model is to be released, releasing the design model.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the generated manifest is stored in a data file.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising initializing a curation, wherein the curation initialization comprises generating a new working directory to store the obtained copies of the plurality of files.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

modifying an integrated circuit sub-block design corresponding to an integrated circuit sub-block, the design model comprising the integrated circuit sub-block design;

validating the integrated circuit sub-block design to determine whether the modification produces a select result; and

submitting the modified and validated integrated circuit sub-block design to the revision control system to generate the subsequent generation of the design model.

7. A system comprising:

a memory to store a manifest generation module and a processor to generate a manifest of a plurality of files corresponding to a design model corresponding to an integrated circuit device;

a revision control system to determine whether the generated manifest has changed relative to a previous version of the manifest;

a file management module to obtain copies of the plurality of files to validate stability of the design model;

a curation module to curate the design model;

a storage unit to store data corresponding to the manifest, wherein the stored data is to be used in design of the integrated circuit device; and

a scheduler module to periodically run one or more of the other system modules to detect incompatibilities present in a subsequent generation of the design model,

wherein the curation module is configured to perform one or more acts comprising;

checking one or more regression results generated by a stability validation module;

determining whether the design model is stable;

wherein one or more regression results are checked to determine whether the files contained within the generated manifest represent the design model with a minimum level of correctness;

if the minimum level of correctness is not present then the design model is determined to be unstable and curating the design model is terminated; and

if it is determined that the design model is stable, adding the generated manifest to the revision control system.

8. The system of claim 7, further comprising a stability validation module to validate stability of the design model.

9. The system of claim 7, further comprising a scheduler module to perform one or more acts selected from a group comprising running one or more of the other system modules, initializing the system, checking for completion of one or more tasks, checking for failure of one or more tasks, and performing one or more post-processing tasks.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the system has access to a data source to provide design modeling information to the system.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the curation module is configured to perform one or more acts comprising:

checking one or more regression results generated by a stability validation module;

determining whether the design model is stable; and

if it is determined that the design model is stable, adding the generated manifest to the revision control system and determining whether the design model is to be released.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the curation module is configured to perform one or more acts comprising:

checking one or more regression results generated by a stability validation module;

determining whether the design model is stable; and

if it is determined that the design model is stable, adding the generated manifest to the revision control system and determining whether the design model is to be released; and

if it is determined that the design model is to be released, releasing the design model.

13. The system of claim 7, wherein the generated manifest is stored in a data file.

14. The system of claim 7, further comprising:

an integrated circuit sub-block design corresponding to an integrated circuit sub-block, the design model comprising the integrated circuit sub-block design,

wherein the subsequent generation of the design model is generated based on;

modifying the integrated circuit sub-block design and validating whether the integrated circuit sub-block design produces a select result,

wherein the modified and validated integrated circuit sub-block design is submitted to the revision control system.

15. One or more computer-readable media having instructions stored thereon that, when executed, direct a machine to perform acts comprising:

generating a manifest of a plurality of files corresponding to a design model corresponding to an integrated circuit device;

utilizing a revision control system to determine whether the generated manifest has changed relative to a previous version of the manifest; and

if the generated manifest has changed, obtaining copies of the plurality of files to validate stability of the design model and curating the design model, wherein data corresponding to the manifest is to be stored in a storage unit and used in design of the integrated circuit device,

wherein the acts are to be performed periodically to detect incompatibilities present in a subsequent generation of the design model and wherein the curating of the design model comprises;

checking one or more regression results generated by the act of validating stability of the design model;

determining whether the design model is stable;

wherein one or more regression results are checked to determine whether the files contained within the generated manifest represent the design model with a minimum level of correctness;

if the minimum level of correctness is not present then the design model is determined to be unstable and curating the design model is terminated; and

if it is determined that the design model is stable, adding the generated manifest to the revision control system.

16. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 15, having instructions stored thereon that, when executed, direct a machine to perform acts further comprising:

modifying an integrated circuit sub-block design corresponding to an integrated circuit sub-block, the design model comprising the integrated circuit sub-block design;

validating the integrated circuit sub-block design to determine whether the modification produces a select result; and

submitting the modified and validated integrated circuit sub-block design to the revision control system to generate the subsequent generation of the design model.

17. An apparatus comprising:

means for generating a manifest of a plurality of files corresponding to a design model corresponding to an integrated circuit device; and

means for utilizing a revision control system to determine whether the generated manifest has changed relative to a previous version of the manifest;

means for validating stability of the design model and curating the design model;

means for storing data corresponding to the manifest for use in design of the integrated circuit device; and

scheduling means for periodically running one or more of the other means for detecting incompatibilities present in a subsequent generation of the design model,

wherein means for curating the design model is configured to perform one or more acts comprising;

checking one or more regression results generated by a stability validation module;

determining whether the design model is stable;

wherein one or more regression results are checked to determine whether the files contained within the generated manifest represent the design model with a minimum level of correctness;

if the minimum level of correctness is not present then the design model is determined to be unstable and curating the design model is terminated; and

if it is determined that the design model is stable, adding the generated manifest to the revision control system.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising means for initializing a curation.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising:

means for generating the subsequent generation of the design model, wherein means for generating the subsequent generation of the design model is configured to perform one or more acts comprising;

modifying an integrated circuit sub-block design corresponding to an integrated circuit sub-block, the design model comprising the integrated circuit sub-block design;

validating the integrated circuit sub-block design to determine whether the modification produces a select result; and

submitting the modified and validated integrated circuit sub-block design to the revision control system.