System and Method for Detecting Software Defects

A system for detecting software defects, comprising:

• a processor operable to:
• select from a target program comprising a plurality of modules a first module for evaluation;
• and
• isolate the first module;
• an environment generation unit coupled to the processor and operable to generate an environment surrounding the first module, the generated environment preserving at least one external constraint on the first module;
• a size reduction unit coupled to the processor and operable to reduce the size of the first module;
• and
• a state reduction unit coupled to the processor and operable to reduce the number of program states associated with the first module;
• and
• wherein the processor is further operable to iteratively invoke the environment generation unit, the size reduction unit and the state reduction unit until the first module has been reduced such that a validation program is able to determine whether the first module contains a defect.

Logic embodied in a computer readable medium, the computer readable medium comprising code operable to:

• select from a target program comprising a plurality of modules a first module for evaluation;
• isolate the first module;
• and
• iteratively perform the following logic until the first module has been reduced such that a validation program is able to determine whether the first module contains a defect:
• generate an environment surrounding the first module, the generated environment preserving at least one external constraint on the first module;
• reduce the size of the first module;
• and
• reduce the number of program states associated with the first module.

A system for detecting software defects, comprising:

• means for selecting from a target program comprising a plurality of modules a first module for evaluation;
• means for isolating the first module;
• and
• means for iteratively performing the following steps until the first module has been reduced such that a validation program is able to determine whether the first module contains a defect:
• generating an environment surrounding the first module, the generated environment preserving at least one external constraint on the first module;
• reducing the size of the first module;
• and
• reducing the number of program states associated with the first module.