Non-redundant collection of harvest events within a batch simulation farm network

• US 20030101035A1
• Filed: 11/30/2001
• Published: 05/29/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Roesner, Wolfgang, Williams, Derek Edward, Gabele, Carol Ivash
• Granted Patent: US 7,143,018 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 703/13
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/318307 computer-aided, e.g. automatic test program generator [ATPG], program translations, test program debugging
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/318314 Tools, e.g. program interfaces, test suite, test bench, simulation hardware, test compiler, test program languages simulation software G01R31/318357; emulators G06F11/261
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/318357 Simulation computer simulation of digital circuits G06F30/3308
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/33 Design verification, e.g. functional simulation or model checking

Abstract

A method and system for minimizing redundancy in collected harvest event testcases from a batch simulation farm which includes a harvest testcase server that collects simulation data for a simulation model from at least one simulation client. In accordance with the method of the present invention, a testcase is executed on the simulation model within a simulation client. Responsive to the testcase triggering a harvest event, the harvest event is compared with a list of harvest events that have previously been triggered within the simulation model. In response to determining that the harvest event has not been previously triggered within the simulation model, the testcase is delivered to the harvest testcase server.

Claims

1. A method for minimizing redundancy in collected harvest event testcases from a batch simulation farm which includes a harvest testcase server that collects simulation data for a simulation model from at least one simulation client, said method comprising:

executing a testcase on said simulation model within a simulation client;

responsive to said testcase triggering a harvest event, comparing said harvest event with a list of harvest events that have previously been triggered within said simulation model; and

responsive to determining that said harvest event has not been previously triggered within said simulation model, delivering said testcase to said harvest testcase server.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said simulation batch farm includes an instrumentation server that includes a network harvest hit table which records harvest events that have been triggered during testcase simulation of said simulation model, said method further comprising delivering a copy of said network harvest hit table as a local harvest hit table to said at least one simulation client.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the triggering of said harvest event results in setting at least one harvest event flag within said simulation model, said method further comprising:

for each testcase executed on said simulation model;

comparing the setting of said at least one harvest event flag with said local harvest hit table to determine whether or not said harvest event has previously been triggered.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said comparing the setting of said at least one harvest event flag with said local harvest hit table is followed by:

responsive to the absence of said harvest event within said local harvest hit table, receiving an indication of said locally recorded harvest event within said instrumentation server;

comparing the received harvest event with said network harvest hit table to determine whether an interim occurrence of said harvest event has been recorded within said network harvest hit table; and

responsive only to said network harvest hit table not including said received harvest event, recording said harvest event within said network harvest hit table.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein said delivering said testcase to said testcase server is preceded by:

responsive to determining that said harvest event has not been previously triggered within said simulation model in accordance with said local harvest hit table, determining whether or not an interim occurrence of said harvest event has been recorded in said network harvest hit table; and

responsive only to no interim recordation of said harvest event within said network harvest hit table;

delivering said testcase to said testcase server; and

updating said network harvest hit table to include said harvest event.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein said delivering said testcase to said testcase server is preceded by:

responsive to determining that said harvest event has not been previously triggered within said simulation model in accordance with said local harvest hit table, delivering said harvest event to said instrumention server; and

within said instrumentation server;

determining whether or not an interim occurrence of said harvest event has occurred in accordance with said network harvest hit table; and

responsive only to no interim recordation of said harvest event within said network harvest hit table, updating said network harvest hit table to include said harvest event.

7. A system for minimizing redundancy in collected harvest event testcases from a batch simulation farm which includes a harvest testcase server that collects simulation data for a simulation model from at least one simulation client, said system comprising:

processing means for executing a testcase on said simulation model within a simulation client;

processing means responsive to said testcase triggering a harvest event for comparing said harvest event with a list of harvest events that have previously been triggered within said simulation model; and

processing means responsive to determining that said harvest event has not been previously triggered within said simulation model for delivering said testcase to said harvest testcase server.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein said simulation batch farm includes an instrumentation server that includes a network harvest hit table which records harvest events that have been triggered during testcase simulation of said simulation model, said system further comprising processing means for delivering a copy of said network harvest hit table as a local harvest hit table to said at least one simulation client.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the triggering of said harvest event results in setting at least one harvest event flag within said simulation model, said system further comprising:

for each testcase executed on said simulation model;

processing means for comparing the setting of said at least one harvest event flag with said local harvest hit table to determine whether or not said harvest event has previously been triggered.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising:

processing means responsive to the absence of said harvest event within said local harvest hit table for receiving an indication of said locally recorded harvest event within said instrumentation server;

processing means for comparing the received harvest event with said network harvest hit table to determine whether an interim occurrence of said harvest event has been recorded within said network harvest hit table; and

processing means responsive only to said network harvest hit table not including said received harvest event for recording said harvest event within said network harvest hit table.

11. The system of claim 8, further comprising:

processing means responsive to determining that said harvest event has not been previously triggered within said simulation model in accordance with said local harvest hit table for determining whether or not an interim occurrence of said harvest event has been recorded in said network harvest hit table; and

processing means for responsive only to no interim recordation of said harvest event within said network harvest hit table for;

delivering said testcase to said testcase server; and

updating said network harvest hit table to include said harvest event.

12. The system of claim 8, further comprising:

processing means responsive to determining that said harvest event has not been previously triggered within said simulation model in accordance with said local harvest hit table for delivering said harvest event to said instrumention server; and

processing means within said instrumentation server for;

determining whether or not an interim occurrence of said harvest event has occurred in accordance with said network harvest hit table; and

responsive only to no interim recordation of said harvest event within said network harvest hit table, updating said network harvest hit table to include said harvest event.

13. A computer program product for minimizing redundancy in collected harvest event testcases from a batch simulation farm which includes a harvest testcase server that collects simulation data for a simulation model from at least one simulation client, said computer program product comprising:

program instructions for executing a testcase on said simulation model within a simulation client;

program instructions responsive to said testcase triggering a harvest event for comparing said harvest event with a list of harvest events that have previously been triggered within said simulation model; and

program instructions responsive to determining that said harvest event has not been previously triggered within said simulation model for delivering said testcase to said harvest testcase server.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein said simulation batch farm includes an instrumentation server that includes a network harvest hit table which records harvest events that have been triggered during testcase simulation of said simulation model, said computer program product further comprising program instructions for delivering a copy of said network harvest hit table as a local harvest hit table to said at least one simulation client.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the triggering of said harvest event results in setting at least one harvest event flag within said simulation model, said computer program product further comprising:

for each testcase executed on said simulation model;

program instructions for comparing the setting of said at least one harvest event flag with said local harvest hit table to determine whether or not said harvest event has previously been triggered.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, further comprising:

program instructions responsive to the absence of said harvest event within said local harvest hit table for receiving an indication of said locally recorded harvest event within said instrumentation server;

program instructions for comparing the received harvest event with said network harvest hit table to determine whether an interim occurrence of said harvest event has been recorded within said network harvest hit table; and

program instructions responsive only to said network harvest hit table not including said received harvest event for recording said harvest event within said network harvest hit table.

17. The computer program product of claim 14, further comprising:

program instructions responsive to determining that said harvest event has not been previously triggered within said simulation model in accordance with said local harvest hit table for determining whether or not an interim occurrence of said harvest event has been recorded in said network harvest hit table; and

program instructions for responsive only to no interim recordation of said harvest event within said network harvest hit table for;

delivering said testcase to said testcase server; and

updating said network harvest hit table to include said harvest event.

18. The computer program product of claim 14, further comprising:

program instructions responsive to determining that said harvest event has not been previously triggered within said simulation model in accordance with said local harvest hit table for delivering said harvest event to said instrumention server; and

program instructions within said instrumentation server for;

determining whether or not an interim occurrence of said harvest event has occurred in accordance with said network harvest hit table; and

responsive only to no interim recordation of said harvest event within said network harvest hit table, updating said network harvest hit table to include said harvest event.