Kernel data race detection using debug register in Linux

Abstract

Data races in parallel programs are notoriously difficult to detect and resolve. Existing research has mostly focused on data race detection at the user level and significant progress has been made in this regard. It is difficult to apply detection methods designed for user-level applications to identify OS kernel level races. In this paper, we present a new detection tool that is able to effectively detect race conditions in the Linux kernel environment. We use a dynamic detection approach, employing hardware debug registers available on commodity processors, to catch races on the fly during runtime. Preliminary experimental results show that our tool can effectively identify real data race instances.