Determining conditions associated with accessing data stores

• US 9,582,768 B1
• Filed: 03/14/2013
• Issued: 02/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The MathWorks, Inc.
• Original Assignee: The MathWorks, Inc.
• Inventors: Englehart, Matthew J., Han, Zhi, Mosterman, Pieter J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hill, Stanley K
• Assistant Examiner(s): Smith, Paulinho E
• Application Number:
  US13/826,812
• Time in Patent Office: 1,447 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2205/123 Contention resolution, i.e. resolving conflicts between simultaneous read and write operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/00 Computer-aided design [CAD]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/453 Help systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 20/00 Machine learning

Abstract

A device may receive, from a user, a selection of one of a graphical representation of a data store included in a model or a string of text that identifies a variable associated with the model. The device may provide, based on the selection, a user interface for providing pattern information associated with the data store. The device may receive, via the user interface, the pattern information associated with the data store. The pattern information may identify one or more elements included in the model and a pattern associated with the one or more elements accessing the data store during an execution of the model. The device may analyze the model based on the pattern information and may output a result. The result may indicate whether the model accesses the data store in compliance with the pattern.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions, the instructions comprising:

one or more instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to;

receive, from a user, a selection of one of;

a graphical representation of one of a first data store or a second data store included in a model,

the model, when executed, simulating a behavior of a system, or

a string of text that identifies a data store variable associated with the model,

provide, based on the selection, a user interface for providing patterns information associated with the first data store or the second data store,

receive, via the user interface, the patterns information associated with the first data store or the second data store,

the patterns information including an identifier that indicates that the patterns information is to be associated with the first data store or the second data store,

the patterns information identifying one or more elements included in the model, and

the patterns information identifying patterns associated with the one or more elements accessing the first data store or the second data store during an execution of the model,

analyze the model, based on the patterns information, to determine whether the model accesses the first data store or the second data store in compliance with the patterns, and

output a result indicating whether the model accesses the first data store or the second data store in compliance with the patterns.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, where the instructions further comprise:

one or more instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to;

perform a logical time analysis of the model,

determine that the one or more elements access the first data store or the second data store in compliance with the patterns based on the logical time analysis,

perform a physical time analysis of the model to determine;

one or more write times associated with data being written to the first data store or the second data store, and

one or more read times associated with data being read from the first data store or the second data store, and

determine, based on the one or more write times and the one or more read times, whether the one or more elements access the first data store or the second data store in compliance with the patterns.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, where the graphical representation of the one of the first data store or the second data store includes a block corresponding to the first data store or the second data store, and the instructions further comprise:

one or more instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to;

receive a selection of the block, and

provide the user interface based on the selection of the block.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, where the patterns information comprises first pattern information,

where the patterns comprise a first pattern,

where the instructions further comprise:

one or more instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to;

determine that the first pattern information includes information indicating that the first pattern is to be associated with the first data store or the second data store, and

determine that the patterns information includes second pattern information that identifies a second pattern that is to be associated with the first data store or the second data store,

the second pattern being different from the first pattern,

determine whether the one or more elements access the first data store or the second data store in compliance with the first pattern, and

determine whether the one or more elements access the first data store or the second data store in compliance with the second pattern.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, where the patterns information includes constraint information that indicates one of:

that the patterns are required,

that the patterns are forbidden,

that the patterns are desirable, or

that the patterns are undesirable.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1,

where the patterns comprise a first pattern associated with the one or more elements of the model accessing the first data store or the second data store during execution of the model,

where the patterns information identifies a second pattern associated with one or more other elements of the model accessing the first data store or the second data store during the execution of the model,

where the patterns information indicates a first level of priority associated with the first pattern and a second level of priority associated with the second pattern,

where the first level or priority is a higher level of priority relative to the second level of priority, and

where the one or more instructions further comprise:

one or more instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to;

determine that when the model is executed based on a first sorted order, the one or more elements access the first data store or the second data store in compliance with the first pattern and the one or more other elements do not access the first data store or the second data store in compliance with the second pattern,

determine that when the model is executed based on a second sorted order, the one or more other elements access first data store or the second data store in compliance with the second pattern and the one or more elements do not access the first data store or the second data store in compliance with the first pattern, and

cause, based on the first pattern being associated with the first level of priority, the model to execute based on the first sorted order.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, where the patterns information includes temporal information that defines the patterns.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, where the instructions further comprise:

one or more instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to;

simulate an execution of the model to determine one or more logical times associated with the one or more elements accessing the first data store or the second data store, and

determine whether the one or more elements access the first data store or the second data store in compliance with the patterns based on the one or more logical times.

9. A device comprising:

one or more processors to;

receive a model,

the model, when executed, simulating a behavior of a system,

the model including a first data store and a second data store,

the first data store being associated with first pattern information,

the first pattern information indicating that a first portion of the model is to access the first data store according to a first pattern, and

the second data store being associated with second pattern information, the second pattern information indicating that a second portion of the model is to access the second data store according to a second pattern, and

the second pattern being different from the first pattern;

analyze the model based on the first pattern information and the second pattern information; and

output a result indicating;

whether the first portion of the model accesses the first data store in compliance with the first pattern, and

whether the second portion of the model accesses the second data store in compliance with the second pattern.

10. The device of claim 9, where the one or more processors are further to:

perform a physical time analysis of the model to determine;

one or more write times associated with data being written to the first data store and data being written to the second data store, and

one or more read times associated with data being read from the first data store and the second data store, and

determine, based on the one or more write times and the one or more read times, whether a sorted order can be computed,

where, during an execution of the model based on the sorted order, the first portion of the model accesses the first data store in compliance with the first pattern and the second portion of the model accesses the second data store in compliance with the second pattern based on the one or more write times and the one or more read times.

11. The device of claim 9, where the one or more processors are further to:

cause a graphical representation of the model to be displayed via a technical computing environment;

receive, via the technical computing environment, a request to provide pattern information;

provide, via the technical computing environment, a user interface for providing the pattern information based on the request; and

receive, via the user interface, the first pattern information and the second pattern information.

12. The device of claim 9, where a third portion of the model accesses the first data store during an execution of the model, and

where the one or more processors are further to:

determine, based on the first pattern information, not to analyze the third portion of the model with respect to the first pattern.

13. The device of claim 9, where the one or more processors are further to:

determine, based on the first pattern information and the second pattern information, a set of constraints for a sorted order for the model, and

determine, based on the set of constraints, whether the sorted order can be computed,

where, during an execution of the model based on the sorted order, the first portion of the model accesses the first data store in compliance with the first pattern and the second portion of the model accesses the second data store in compliance with the second pattern.

14. The device of claim 9, where the one or more processors are further to:

determine, based on the first pattern information and the second pattern information, a set of constraints for a plurality of sorted orders for the model,

determine, based on the set of constraints, whether each sorted order of the plurality of sorted orders can be computed such that the first portion of the model accesses the first data store in compliance with the first pattern and the second portion of the model accesses the second data store in compliance with the second pattern, and

determine that the first portion of the model accesses the first data store in compliance with the first pattern and that the second portion of the model access the second data store in compliance with the second pattern when each sorted order of the plurality of sorted orders can be computed such that the first portion of the model accesses the first data store in compliance with the first pattern and the second portion of the model accesses the second data store in compliance with the second pattern.

15. A method comprising:

receiving a model,

the model, when executed, simulating a behavior of a system,

the model including a first data store and a second data store,

the first data store being associated with first pattern information,

the first pattern information indicating that a first portion of the model is to access the first data store according to a first pattern,

the second data store being associated with second pattern information,

the second pattern information indicating that a second portion of the model is to access the second data store according to a second pattern, and

the second pattern being different from the first pattern, and

the receiving the model being performed by a device;

analyzing the model based on the first pattern information and the second pattern information,

the analyzing the model being performed by the device; and

outputting a result,

the outputting the result being performed by the device, and

the result indicating;

whether the first portion of the model accesses the first data store in compliance with the first pattern, and

whether the second portion of the model accesses the second data store in compliance with the second pattern.

16. The method of claim 15, the method further comprising:

performing a physical time analysis of the model, and

determining, based on the physical time analysis, whether a sorted order can be computed for the model,

where, during an execution of the model based on the sorted order, the first portion of the model accesses the first data store in compliance with the first pattern and the second portion of the model accesses the second data store in compliance with the second pattern based on the physical time analysis.

17. The method of claim 15, the method further comprising:

receiving a request to provide pattern information;

providing a user interface for providing the pattern information based on the request; and

receiving one or more of the first pattern information or the second pattern information via the user interface.

18. The method of claim 15, the method further comprising:

receiving a selection of a graphical representation of the first data store;

providing a user interface for providing the first pattern information based on the selection; and

receiving the first pattern information via the user interface.

19. The method of claim 15, where a third portion of the model accesses the first data store and the second data store during the execution of the model, the method further comprising:

determining, based on the first pattern information, not to analyze the third portion of the model with respect to the first pattern; and

determining, based on the second pattern information, to analyze the third portion of the model with respect to the second pattern.

20. The method of claim 15, the method further comprising:

determining, based on the first pattern information and the second pattern information, a set of constraints for a sorted order for the model;

determining, based on the set of constraints, a first sorted order for the model and a second sorted order for the model,

where the second sorted order is different from the first sorted order,

where, during an execution of the model based on the first sorted order, the first portion of the model accesses the first data store in compliance with the first pattern and the second portion of the model accesses the second data store in compliance with the second pattern, and

where, during an execution of the model based on the second sorted order, the first portion of the model does not access the first data store in compliance with the first pattern or the second portion of the model does not access the second data store in compliance with the second pattern;

outputting information identifying the first sorted order and the second sorted order;

outputting information indicating that, during the execution of the model based on the first sorted order, the first portion of the model accesses the first data store in compliance with the first pattern and the second portion of the model accesses the second data store in compliance with the second pattern;

outputting information indicating that, during the execution of the model based on the second sorted order, the first portion of the model does not access the first data store in compliance with the first pattern or the second portion of the model does not access the second data store in compliance with the second pattern;

receiving a selection of the first sorted order; and

modifying the model based on the selection,

modifying the model causing the model to be executed based on the first sorted order.

21. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions, the instructions comprising:

one or more instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to;

receive, from a user, a selection of one of;

a graphical representation of a first data store and a second data store included in a model,

the model, when executed, simulating a behavior of a system, or

a string of text that identifies a data store variable associated with the model,

provide, based on the selection, a user interface for providing patterns information associated with the first data store and the second data store,

receive, via the user interface, the patterns information associated with the first data store and the second data store,

the patterns information identifying one or more elements included in the model, and

the patterns information identifying patterns associated with the one or more elements accessing the first data store and the second data store during an execution of the model,

analyze the model, based on the patterns information, to determine whether the one or more elements access the first data store or the second data store in compliance with the patterns, and

output a result indicating whether the one or more elements access the first data store or the second data store in compliance with the patterns.