Parameterized Model Checking on the TSO Weak Memory Model

Abstract

We present an extended version of the model checking modulo theories framework for verifying parameterized systems under the TSO weak memory model. Our extension relies on three main ingredients: (1) an axiomatic theory of the TSO memory model based on relations over (read, write) events, (2) a TSO-specific backward reachability algorithm and (3) an SMT solver for reasoning about TSO formulas. One of the main originality of our work is a partial order reduction technique that exploits specificities of the TSO memory model. We have implemented this framework in a new version of the Cubicle model checker called Cubicle- $$\mathscr {W}$$ . Our experiments show that Cubicle- $$\mathscr {W}$$ is expressive and efficient enough to automatically prove safety of concurrent algorithms, for an arbitrary number of processes, ranging from mutual exclusion to synchronization barriers translated from actual x86-TSO implementations.