Fast PokeEMU: Scaling generated instruction tests using aggregation and state chaining

Qiuchen Yan; Stephen A McCamant

doi:10.1145/3186411.3186417

Fast PokeEMU: Scaling generated instruction tests using aggregation and state chaining

Qiuchen Yan, Stephen A McCamant

Computer Science and Engineering

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution

3 Scopus citations

Abstract

Software that emulates a CPU has many applications, but is difficult to implement correctly and requires extensive testing. Since a large number of test cases are required for full coverage, it is important that the tests execute efficiently. We explore techniques for combining many instruction tests into one program to amortize overheads such as booting an emulator. To ensure the results of each test are reflected in a final result, we use the outputs of one instruction test as an input to the next, and adopt the “Feistel network” construction from cryptography so that each step is invertible. We evaluate this approach by applying it to PokeEMU, a tool that generates emulator tests using symbolic execution. The combined tests run much faster, but still reveal most of the same behavior differences as when run individually.

Original language	English (US)
Title of host publication	VEE 2018 - Proceedings of the 2018 International Conference on Virtual Execution Environments
Publisher	Association for Computing Machinery, Inc
Pages	71-83
Number of pages	13
Volume	53
Edition	3
ISBN (Electronic)	9781450355797
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1145/3186411.3186417
State	Published - Mar 25 2018
Event	14th ACM SIGPLAN/SIGOPS International Conference on Virtual Execution Environments, VEE 2018 - Williamsburg, United States Duration: Mar 25 2018 → Mar 25 2018

Publication series

Name	VEE 2018 - Proceedings of the 2018 International Conference on Virtual Execution Environments

Other

Other	14th ACM SIGPLAN/SIGOPS International Conference on Virtual Execution Environments, VEE 2018
Country/Territory	United States
City	Williamsburg
Period	3/25/18 → 3/25/18

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
We thank the anonymous reviewers for suggestions which have helped us improve the paper's presentation. This paper is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under grant no. 1514444.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2018 Copyright held by the owner/author(s).

Keywords

CPU emulators
Cross-validation
Symbolic binary execution

Access

10.1145/3186411.3186417

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Cite this

Yan, Q., & McCamant, S. A. (2018). Fast PokeEMU: Scaling generated instruction tests using aggregation and state chaining. In VEE 2018 - Proceedings of the 2018 International Conference on Virtual Execution Environments (3 ed., Vol. 53, pp. 71-83). (VEE 2018 - Proceedings of the 2018 International Conference on Virtual Execution Environments). Association for Computing Machinery, Inc. https://doi.org/10.1145/3186411.3186417

Fast PokeEMU: Scaling generated instruction tests using aggregation and state chaining. / Yan, Qiuchen; McCamant, Stephen A.
VEE 2018 - Proceedings of the 2018 International Conference on Virtual Execution Environments. Vol. 53 3. ed. Association for Computing Machinery, Inc, 2018. p. 71-83 (VEE 2018 - Proceedings of the 2018 International Conference on Virtual Execution Environments).

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution

Yan, Q & McCamant, SA 2018, Fast PokeEMU: Scaling generated instruction tests using aggregation and state chaining. in VEE 2018 - Proceedings of the 2018 International Conference on Virtual Execution Environments. 3 edn, vol. 53, VEE 2018 - Proceedings of the 2018 International Conference on Virtual Execution Environments, Association for Computing Machinery, Inc, pp. 71-83, 14th ACM SIGPLAN/SIGOPS International Conference on Virtual Execution Environments, VEE 2018, Williamsburg, United States, 3/25/18. https://doi.org/10.1145/3186411.3186417

Yan Q, McCamant SA. Fast PokeEMU: Scaling generated instruction tests using aggregation and state chaining. In VEE 2018 - Proceedings of the 2018 International Conference on Virtual Execution Environments. 3 ed. Vol. 53. Association for Computing Machinery, Inc. 2018. p. 71-83. (VEE 2018 - Proceedings of the 2018 International Conference on Virtual Execution Environments). doi: 10.1145/3186411.3186417

Yan, Qiuchen ; McCamant, Stephen A. / Fast PokeEMU : Scaling generated instruction tests using aggregation and state chaining. VEE 2018 - Proceedings of the 2018 International Conference on Virtual Execution Environments. Vol. 53 3. ed. Association for Computing Machinery, Inc, 2018. pp. 71-83 (VEE 2018 - Proceedings of the 2018 International Conference on Virtual Execution Environments).

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Fast PokeEMU: Scaling generated instruction tests using aggregation and state chaining

Abstract

Publication series

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Bibliographical note

Keywords

Access

OpenUrl availability

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