Generating a test suite from an abstract state machine

A method of generating a data structure representing a finite state machine (FSM) in a computer memory, the method comprising:

• selecting an initial state of an abstract state machine (ASM);
• generating a first encoding comprising a plurality of bits to represent the initial state, each bit of the first encoding representing a result of an evaluation of a non-trivial guard condition of the ASM;
• associating the initial state with the first encoding in the data structure for the FSM;
• identifying at least one other states of the ASM that result from applying at least one actions of the ASM to the initial state;
• generating at least one other encodings, each of the at least one other encodings corresponding to one of the at least one other states;
• and
• for each one of the at least one other states, including data in the data structure associating the one of the at least one other states and a corresponding of the at least one other encodings when the corresponding of the at least one other encodings is not the same as the any one encoding already associated with a state in the data structure.

An article comprising:

• a machine-readable medium comprising instructions to generate a data structure representing a finite state machine (FSM) in a computer memory, the instructions, when executed by a computer system, resulting in:
• generating a first encoding corresponding to a first state of an abstract state machine (ASM), the encoding generated from an evaluation of non-trivial guard conditions of the ASM;
• and
• when the first encoding is not the same as any encoding already associated with a state of the FSM, including data associating the first encoding with the first state in the data structure representing the FSM.

An article comprising:

• a machine-readable medium comprising instructions to generate a data structure representing a finite state machine (FSM) in a computer memory, the instructions, when executed by a computer system, resulting in:
• selecting an initial state of an abstract state machine (ASM);
• generating a first encoding comprising a plurality of bits to represent the initial state, each bit of the first encoding representing a result of an evaluation of a non-trivial guard condition of the ASM;
• associating the initial state with the first encoding in the data structure for the FSM;
• identifying at least one other states of the ASM that result from applying at least one actions of the ASM to the initial state;
• generating at least one other encodings, each of the at least one other encodings corresponding to one of the at least one other states;
• and
• for each one of the at least one other states, including data in the data structure associating the one of the at least one other states and a corresponding of the at least one other encodings when the corresponding of the at least one other encodings is not the same as the any one encoding already associated with a state in the data structure.

An apparatus comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• a machine-readable medium comprising instructions to generate a data structure representing a finite state machine (FSM) in a computer memory, the instructions, when executed by a computer system comprising the processor, resulting in:
• generating a first encoding corresponding to a first state of an abstract state machine (ASM), the encoding generated from an evaluation of non-trivial guard conditions of the ASM;
• and
• when the first encoding is not the same as any encoding already associated with a state of the FSM, including data associating the first encoding with the first state in the data structure representing the FSM.

An apparatus comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• a machine-readable medium comprising instructions to generate a data structure representing a finite state machine (FSM) in a computer memory, the instructions, when executed by a computer system comprising the processor, resulting in:
• selecting an initial state of an abstract state machine (ASM);
• generating a first encoding comprising a plurality of bits to represent the initial state, each bit of the first encoding representing a result of an evaluation of a non-trivial guard condition of the ASM;
• associating the initial state with the first encoding in the data structure for the FSM;
• identifying at least one other states of the ASM that result from applying at least one actions of the ASM to the initial state;
• generating at least one other encodings, each of the at least one other encodings corresponding to one of the at least one other states;
• and
• for each one of the at least one other states, including data in the data structure associating the one of the at least one other states and a corresponding of the at least one other encodings when the corresponding of the at least one other encodings is not the same as the any one encoding already associated with a state in the data structure.