Transcript Overview of ClassMate

IBM Labs in Haifa
Generation Core:
IBM's Systematic Constraint Solver
IBM Haifa Labs
Outline
 Introduction to constraint satisfaction problems (CSP)
 Constraint satisfaction at IBM Haifa
 Solving approaches
 Generation Core (GEC): IBM’s systematic CSP solver
 Special features
– Large domains
– Specialized propagators
– Random solutions
– Hierarchical soft constraints
– Conditional sub-problems
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© 2008 IBM Corporation
IBM Haifa Labs
A CSP consists of:
 A set of Variables
v1, v2, ..., vn
 A finite domain for each variable:
for each vi, vi є Di
 Constraints
A set of relations between the variables
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© 2008 IBM Corporation
IBM Haifa Labs
The round-table problem
 King Arthur would like to
seat all his knights around
the round table
 Each knight must sit
between two knights he
knows
Lancelot knows Galahad
Ector knows Kay
Percival knows Lancelot
Gareth knows Gawain
Gareth knows Lionel
Galahad knows Percival
Pellinore knows Kay
...
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IBM Haifa Labs
Solution for a CSP
Every variable is assigned a value from its domain, such that all
constraints are satisfied
All solutions are created equal
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© 2008 IBM Corporation
IBM Haifa Labs
Constraint satisfaction at IBM Haifa Research Labs
 Two state-of-the-art solving engines – systematic and
stochastic
 Major application: test generation for hardware
verification
 Other applications
– Workforce management
– Truck configuration
– Floor planning
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© 2008 IBM Corporation
IBM Haifa Labs
Generation Core (GEC)
 IBM’s systematic CSP engine
 On a par with leading tools in the industry (ILOG,
SICStus)
 Generic
 Dozens of engineers involved in development,
modeling, and applications of CSP
 15 years of development experience
 Research activity
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© 2008 IBM Corporation
IBM Haifa Labs
GEC solution algorithm
Systematic approach
Based on Maintain Arc Consistency (MAC)
[Mackworth 1977]
MAC
Instantiation
MAC
Instantiation
backtrack
MAC
Instantiation
MAC
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© 2008 IBM Corporation
IBM Haifa Labs
MAC Example
R1: {(x,y,z): x=y+z}
X: {1,2,3}
Y: {1,2,3}
Z: {1,2,3}
X: {1,2,3}
Y: {1,2,3}
Z: {1,2,3}
X: {1,2,3}
Y: {1,2,3}
Z: {1,2,3} instantiation
X: {1,2,3}
Y: {1,2,3}
Z: {1,2,3}
AC
X: {1,2,3}
Y: {1,2,3}
Z: {1,2,3}
AC
AC
R2: {(y,z): ygz}
Don’t give up yet
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© 2008 IBM Corporation
IBM Haifa Labs
MAC example - backtracking
R1: {(x,y,z): x=y+z}
R2: {(y,z): ygz}
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X: {1,2,3}
Y: {1,2,3}
Z: {1,2,3}
X: {1,2,3}
Y: {1,2,3}
Z: {1,2,3}
X: {1,2,3}
Y: {1,2,3}
Z: {1,2,3} instantiation
X: {1,2,3}
Y: {1,2,3}
Z: {1,2,3} instantiation
X: {1,2,3}
Y: {1,2,3}
Z: {1,2,3}
AC
© 2008 IBM Corporation
IBM Haifa Labs
GEC algorithm summary
Repeat until all variables are reduced to a single value or failure occurs
 Make all constraints locally consistent
 Through reducing the variable domains
 Iteratively until a fixed-point is achieved
 Backtrack if a domain is reduced to an empty set
 If backtracking is exhausted
problem is unsolvable
 Choose a variable (which was not yet assigned)
 Choose a soft constraint and activate it
 Choose and assign a value for the selected variable
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© 2008 IBM Corporation
IBM Haifa Labs
Main Application:
Simulation-Based Functional Verification of Processors
Stimuli
Generator
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Stimuli (test-cases)
Functional
Specification
Design
Simulator
Expected Behavior
Actual Behavior
© 2008 IBM Corporation
IBM Haifa Labs
How GEC fits into the test generation process
Expert knowledge defining
corner cases
Architecture
specification
Model
Stimuli Generator
Constraint solver
GEC constraint solver
Stimuli (test-cases)
Used to verify all PowerPC designs in IBM over the last seven years :
i/p series servers, Cell, Xbox™
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© 2008 IBM Corporation
IBM Haifa Labs
Example of constraints
Quality: sum zero
add R1  R2 , R3
load Rx  1000 (Ry)
???? ??  Rz
mult Rz  ?? , ??
Validity: x != y
Input scenario: same register
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© 2008 IBM Corporation
IBM Haifa Labs
Special features: Large number domains
Represented as masks:
0X0X = {0000, 0100, 0001, 0101}
Length of numbers often 64 or 128 bits long
Domains can have sizes of 264
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© 2008 IBM Corporation
IBM Haifa Labs
Special Features: Specialized propagators
 For arithmetic operations: +, *, /, ...
 For logical expressions: and, or, implies, ...
 For bit operations: shift, rotate, concatenate, ...
Rich expression language to represent constraints
But users also have the option of defining their own
propagators in C++ code!
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© 2008 IBM Corporation
IBM Haifa Labs
Special Features: Random Solutions
 Every operation of the solver on a given problem
produces a different solution
 Strive toward uniformity of solutions (sometimes
difficult)
 Guarantee not to ‘lose’ solutions
 Essential for testing because of unpredictability of bugs
All solutions are created equal
User preferences allowed by
 Allowing hierarchy of soft constraints
 Value ordering
 Variable ordering
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© 2008 IBM Corporation
IBM Haifa Labs
Special Features: Conditional Sub-problems
 Existence variables control the existence of certain
sub-problems
{true,false}
false
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© 2008 IBM Corporation
IBM Haifa Labs
Summary
 CSP is a dynamic field used to solve ‘hard’
problems (non-polynomial, non-linear)
 Haifa Research Labs have a large group working
on research and development in CSP
 Haifa CSP tools are already in usage as a critical
link in the chain of processor development
 Also used in other applications within and
outside of IBM
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© 2008 IBM Corporation