Snowcat: Efficient Kernel Concurrency Testing using a Learned Coverage Predictor

Abstract

Random-based approaches and heuristics are commonly used in kernel concurrency testing due to the massive scale of modern kernels and corresponding interleaving space. The lack of accurate and scalable approaches to analyze concurrent kernel executions makes existing testing approaches heavily rely on expensive dynamic executions to measure the effectiveness of a new test. Unfortunately, the high cost incurred by dynamic executions limits the breadth of the exploration and puts latency pressure on finding effective concurrent test inputs and schedules, hindering the overall testing effectiveness.

Topics & Concepts