Annealing harvest event testcase collection within a batch simulation farm

• US 20030101041A1
• Filed: 10/30/2001
• Published: 05/29/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2001
• 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 7,092,868 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 703/22
• 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: G01R 31/318364 as a result of hardware simulation, e.g. in an HDL environment computer-aided simulation of circuits G06F30/3308
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/33 Design verification, e.g. functional simulation or model checking

Abstract

A method and system for resolving testcase collection inconsistencies between a testcase list which includes testcases that have triggered harvest events within a simulation model, and a harvest hit table which records harvest events that have been triggered during simulation of the simulation model. First, the harvest hit table is updated from a simulation client to include a harvest event triggered by a testcase during simulation of the simulation model. The testcase is then collected within the testcase list. Finally, testcases identified within the testcase list are compared to testcases identified within the harvest hit table to determine inconsistencies therebetween.

Claims

1. A method for resolving testcase collection inconsistencies between a testcase list which includes testcases that have triggered harvest events within a simulation model, and a harvest hit table which records harvest events that have been triggered during simulation of said simulation model, said method comprising:

updating said harvest hit table from a simulation client to include a harvest event triggered by a testcase during simulation of said simulation model;

collecting said testcase within said testcase list; and

comparing testcases identified within said testcase list to testcases identified within said harvest hit table to determine inconsistencies therebetween.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said testcase list is maintained by a harvest testcase server which collects harvest event testcases for said simulation model, said method further comprising:

retrieving harvest event data for said harvest event that has been triggered within said simulation client;

comparing said retrieved harvest event data 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 testcase server.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said comparing said testcase list to said harvest hit table further comprises, responsive to finding a given harvest event within said harvest hit table that does not correspond to a collected testcase within said testcase list, removing said given harvest event from said harvest hit table.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said harvest hit table includes a single testcase entry for each triggered harvest event within said simulation model, said comparing said testcase list to said harvest hit table further comprising, responsive to finding a collected testcase in said testcase list which does not correspond to an entry within said harvest hit table removing said non-corresponding testcase from said testcase server.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said harvest hit table is maintained by an instrumentation server, said removing said non-corresponding testcase from said testcase server comprising including said non-corresponding testcase in a redundant testcase list within said instrumentation server.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said testcase server includes a harvest testcase bucket which maintains all testcases triggering harvest events for said simulation model, said method further comprising:

delivering said redundant testcase list from said instrumentation server to said testcase server; and

removing testcases included within said redundant testcase list from said harvest testcase bucket.

7. A system for resolving testcase collection inconsistencies between a testcase list which includes testcases that have triggered harvest events within a simulation model, and a harvest hit table which records harvest events that have been triggered during simulation of said simulation model, said system comprising:

processing means for updating said harvest hit table from a simulation client to include a harvest event triggered by a testcase during simulation of said simulation model;

processing means for collecting said testcase within said testcase list; and

processing means for comparing testcases identified within said testcase list to testcases identified within said harvest hit table to determine inconsistencies therebetween.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein said testcase list is maintained by a harvest testcase server which collects harvest event testcases for said simulation model, said system further comprising:

processing means for retrieving harvest event data for said harvest event that has been triggered within said simulation client;

processing means for comparing said retrieved harvest event data 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 testcase server.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein said processing means for comparing said testcase list to said harvest hit table further comprises processing means responsive to finding a given harvest event within said harvest hit table that does not correspond to a collected testcase within said testcase list for removing said given harvest event from said harvest hit table.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein said harvest hit table includes a single testcase entry for each triggered harvest event within said simulation model, said processing means for comparing said testcase list to said harvest hit table further comprising processing means responsive to finding a collected testcase in said testcase list which does not correspond to an entry within said harvest hit table for removing said non-corresponding testcase from said testcase server.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein said harvest hit table is maintained by an instrumentation server, said processing means for removing said non-corresponding testcase from said testcase server comprising processing means for including said non-corresponding testcase in a redundant testcase list within said instrumentation server.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein said testcase server includes a harvest testcase bucket which maintains all testcases triggering harvest events for said simulation model, said system further comprising:

processing means for delivering said redundant testcase list from said instrumentation server to said testcase server; and

processing means for removing testcases included within said redundant testcase list from said harvest testcase bucket.

13. A computer program product for resolving testcase collection inconsistencies between a testcase list which includes testcases that have triggered harvest events within a simulation model, and a harvest hit table which records harvest events that have been triggered during simulation of said simulation model, said computer program product comprising:

program instructions for updating said harvest hit table from a simulation client to include a harvest event triggered by a testcase during simulation of said simulation model;

program instructions for collecting said testcase within said testcase list; and

program instructions for comparing testcases identified within said testcase list to testcases identified within said harvest hit table to determine inconsistencies therebetween.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein said testcase list is maintained by a harvest testcase server which collects harvest event testcases for said simulation model, said computer program product further comprising:

program instructions for retrieving harvest event data for said harvest event that has been triggered within said simulation client;

program instructions for comparing said retrieved harvest event data 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 testcase server.

15. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein said program instructions for comparing said testcase list to said harvest hit table further comprises program instructions responsive to finding a given harvest event within said harvest hit table that does not correspond to a collected testcase within said testcase list for removing said given harvest event from said harvest hit table.

16. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein said harvest hit table includes a single testcase entry for each triggered harvest event within said simulation model, said program instructions for comparing said testcase list to said harvest hit table further comprising program instructions responsive to finding a collected testcase in said testcase list which does not correspond to an entry within said harvest hit table for removing said non-corresponding testcase from said testcase server.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein said harvest hit table is maintained by an instrumentation server, said program instructions for removing said non-corresponding testcase from said testcase server comprising program instructions for including said non-corresponding testcase in a redundant testcase list within said instrumentation server.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein said testcase server includes a harvest testcase bucket which maintains all testcases triggering harvest events for said simulation model, said computer program product further comprising:

program instructions for delivering said redundant testcase list from said instrumentation server to said testcase server; and

program instructions for removing testcases included within said redundant testcase list from said harvest testcase bucket.