False Path Pruner for Directed Acyclic Graph Analysis
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for analyzing directed acyclic graphs (DAGs) in software programs struggle to efficiently distinguish between valid and false paths, leading to excessive false positive results and potential misses of valid defects, due to the computational expense of detecting false paths.
Innovation Solution
A False Path Pruner (FPP) system that traverses DAGs concurrently with checkers, annotates nodes with traversal states derived from false path signatures, and uses cache hit/miss decisions to optimize path evaluation, thereby reducing false positives and improving defect detection efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional path analysis methods are used to detect false paths in DAGs, then measurement precision of path validity is improved, but loss of time and computational resources increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary actions by maintaining traversal states at merge points that capture historical path information before complete path exploration. This allows the system to prepare state information in advance that can be quickly compared during subsequent traversals, avoiding the need to re-analyze entire paths and reducing computational time while maintaining detection accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts essential state information from complete path histories by maintaining condensed traversal states at merge points. Instead of storing and analyzing entire path histories, the system extracts key state variables and conditions that are sufficient for false path detection, significantly reducing the computational burden while preserving detection precision.
2Reliability
If comprehensive path analysis is performed to ensure no valid defects are missed, then reliability of defect detection is improved, but false positive results increase due to inability to distinguish false paths
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms by comparing current traversal states with previously stored traversal states at merge points. When a mismatch is detected, it provides feedback that indicates a potential false path, allowing the system to adjust its analysis and avoid reporting false positives while maintaining comprehensive coverage for valid defects.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces traversal states as intermediary representations between complete path histories and defect detection decisions. These intermediate states serve as mediators that capture essential path information without requiring full path re-analysis, enabling reliable defect detection while filtering out false positives through state comparison.
3Measurement precision
If high-precision state information is maintained for all paths, then measurement precision of path differentiation is improved, but device complexity increases due to state management overhead
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the graph into components with traversal states maintained only at merge points rather than for every node or complete path. This segmentation approach maintains high-precision state information where it is most needed for path differentiation while avoiding the complexity of managing states throughout the entire graph structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by maintaining detailed traversal states only at critical merge points where path differentiation is most important, rather than uniformly across all nodes. This localized approach preserves measurement precision for path differentiation while reducing device complexity by concentrating state management resources where they provide maximum benefit.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods are provided that allow a false path pruner to traverse a directed acyclic graph in conjunction with one or more checker programs that are analyzing a program for defects or other artifacts of interest. While the checkers may have ways of avoiding re-traversal of portions of the graph that have already been traversed, the false path pruner may override such decisions made by the checkers as a result of a false path in order to allow re-traversal during a future different traversal when that same defect or artifact may not lie along a false path, and therefore avoid missing a valid defect or artifact. Computer programs stored on tangible media are provided that implement the methods of the invention.