Serialization in electronic design automation flows

A system comprising:

• a processor arrangement;
• a memory arrangement coupled to the processor arrangement and configured with instructions that when executed by the processor arrangement cause the processor arrangement to execute an electronic design automation (EDA) tool that performs operations including:
• interrupting processing of a circuit design at a selected phase of a plurality of phases of processing;
• serializing EDA state data into serialized state data while processing is interrupted;
• writing the serialized state data;
• reading the serialized state data and deserializing the serialized state data into the memory arrangement;
• bypassing one or more phases of processing of the plurality of phases of processing after reading the serialized state data;
• and
• resuming processing of the circuit design at the selected phase of processing after bypassing the one or more phases of processing.