Functional verification using targeted commands and simulated interaction

A computer system comprising:

• at least one computing device;
• a set of one or more computer readable storage media;
• and
• program instructions, collectively stored in the set of one or more computer readable storage media, for causing the at least one computing device to perform computer operations including:
• commencing a simulation in a simulation environment, the simulation executing a test case using a model of a processor core for functional verification of the processor core, wherein the test case includes (i) a targeted command, performance of which is triggered based on a trigger condition that occurs during the simulation, for simulating interaction between the processor core and another processor core to change an architected state of the model from an initial state to a changed state and (ii) indications of a state change condition, to trigger the change in the architected state of the model according to timing predefined in the test case, and a state restore condition, and wherein the commencing the simulation commences the simulation using the test case with the included targeted command and the indications of the state change condition and the state restore condition;
• monitoring progression of the simulation, with the architected state of the model in the initial state, for a trigger condition for simulated interaction;
• based on recognizing the trigger condition for simulated interaction at a point in the test case, changing the architected state of the model from the initial state to the changed state, wherein the changing directs the progression of the simulation, at the point in the test case, to simulate the interaction;
• and
• based on a determination to end the simulated interaction, continuing progression of the simulation from the point in the test case.

A computer program product comprising:

• a set of one or more computer readable storage media;
• and
• program instructions, collectively stored in the set of one or more computer readable storage media, for causing at least one computing device to perform computer operations including:
• commencing a simulation in a simulation environment, the simulation executing a test case using a model of a processor core for functional verification of the processor core, wherein the test case includes (i) a targeted command, performance of which is triggered based on a trigger condition that occurs during the simulation, for simulating interaction between the processor core and another processor core to change an architected state of the model from an initial state to a changed state and (ii) indications of a state change condition, to trigger the change in the architected state of the model according to timing predefined in the test case, and a state restore condition, and wherein the commencing the simulation commences the simulation using the test case with the included targeted command and the indications of the state change condition and the state restore condition;
• monitoring progression of the simulation, with the architected state of the model in the initial state, for a trigger condition for simulated interaction;
• based on recognizing the trigger condition for simulated interaction at a point in the test case, changing the architected state of the model from the initial state to the changed state, wherein the changing directs the progression of the simulation, at the point in the test case, to simulate the interaction;
• and
• based on a determination to end the simulated interaction, continuing progression of the simulation from the point in the test case.