To parallelize or not to parallelize, bugs issue

TL;DR

This paper discusses common bugs in MPI parallel programs, proposes an algebraic specification for a simplified MPI language called SMPI, and verifies nondeterminacy and deadlocks using the Maud system.

Contribution

It introduces SMPI, an algebraic specification for MPI-like programs, and applies formal verification to analyze nondeterminacy and deadlocks.

Findings

Identification of common MPI bugs

Formal verification of nondeterminacy in SMPI

Detection of deadlocks in SMPI programs

Abstract

Program correctness is one of the most difficult challenges in parallel programming. Message Passing Interface MPI is widely used in writing parallel applications. Since MPI is not a compiled language, the programmer will be enfaced with several programming bugs.This paper presents the most common programming bugs arise in MPI programs to help the programmer to compromise between the advantage of parallelism and the extra effort needed to detect and fix such bugs. An algebraic specification of an MPI-like programming language, called Simple MPI (SMPI), to be used in writing MPI programs specification has also been proposed. In addition, both nondeterminacy and deadlocks arise in SMPI programs have been verified using Maud system.