The Spin Model Checker - Primer and Reference Manual

Master SPIN, the breakthrough tool for improving software reliability

SPIN is the world's most popular, and arguably one of the world's most powerful, tools for detecting software defects in concurrent system designs. Literally thousands of people have used SPIN since it was first introduced almost fifteen years ago. The tool has been applied to everything from the verification of complex call processing software that is used in telephone exchanges, to the validation of intricate control software for interplanetary spacecraft.

This is the most comprehensive reference guide to SPIN, written by the principal designer of the tool. It covers the tool's specification language and theoretical foundation, and gives detailed advice on methods for tackling the most complex software verification problems.

• Sum Design and verify both abstract and detailed verification models of complex systems software
• Sum Develop a solid understanding of the theory behind logic model checking
• Sum Become an expert user of the SPIN command line interface, the Xspin graphical user interface, and the TimeLine editing tool
• Sum Learn the basic theory of omega automata, linear temporal logic, depth-first and breadth-first search, search optimization, and model extraction from source code

The SPIN software was awarded the prestigious Software System Award by the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), which previously recognized systems such as UNIX, SmallTalk, TCP/IP, Tcl/Tk, and the World Wide Web.

Contents

• Introduction
  • Finding bug in concurrent systems
  • Building verification model
  • An overview of Promela
  • Defining correctness claims
  • Using design abstraction
• Fundation
  • Automata and logic
  • Promela semantics
  • Search algorithms
  • Search optimization
  • Notes on model extraction
• Practice
  • Using Spin
  • Notes on XSpin
  • The timeline editor
  • A verification model of a telephone switch
  • Sample Spin models
• Reference Material
  • Promela langage reference
  • Embedded C code
  • Overview of Spin options
  • Overview of Pan options
  • Literature
• Appendices
  • Automata products
  • The great debate
  • Exercises with Spin
  • Downloading Spin