Revisiting the high-performance reconfigurable computing for future datacenters

Modern datacenters are reinforcing the computational power and energy efficiency by assimilating field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs). The sustainability of this large-scale integration depends on enabling multi-tenant FPGAs. This requisite amplifies the importance of communication architecture and virtualization method with the required features in order to meet the high-end objective. Consequently, in the last decade, academia and industry proposed several virtualization techniques and hardware architectures for addressing resource management, scheduling, adoptability, segregation, scalability, performance-overhead, availability, programmability, time-to-market, security, and mainly, multitenancy. This paper provides an extensive survey covering three important aspects-discussion on non-standard terms used in existing literature, network-on-chip evaluation choices as a mean to explore the communication architecture, and virtualization methods under latest classification. The purpose is to emphasize the importance of choosing appropriate communication architecture, virtualization technique and standard language to evolve the multi-tenant FPGAs in datacenters. None of the previous surveys encapsulated these aspects in one writing. Open problems are indicated for scientific community as well

Compilation de systèmes temps réel

I introduce and advocate for the concept of Real-Time Systems Compilation. By analogy with classical compilation, real-time systems compilation consists in the fully automatic construction of running, correct-by-construction implementations from functional and non-functional specifications of embedded control systems. Like in a classical compiler, the whole process must be fast (thus enabling a trial-and-error design style) and produce reasonably efficient code. This requires the use of fast heuristics, and the use of fine-grain platform and application models. Unlike a classical compiler, a real-time systems compiler must take into account non-functional properties of a system and ensure the respect of non-functional requirements (in addition to functional correctness). I also present Lopht, a real-time systems compiler for statically-scheduled real-time systems we built by combining techniques and concepts from real-time scheduling, compilation, and synchronous languages

Intensional Cyberforensics

This work focuses on the application of intensional logic to cyberforensic analysis and its benefits and difficulties are compared with the finite-state-automata approach. This work extends the use of the intensional programming paradigm to the modeling and implementation of a cyberforensics investigation process with backtracing of event reconstruction, in which evidence is modeled by multidimensional hierarchical contexts, and proofs or disproofs of claims are undertaken in an eductive manner of evaluation. This approach is a practical, context-aware improvement over the finite state automata (FSA) approach we have seen in previous work. As a base implementation language model, we use in this approach a new dialect of the Lucid programming language, called Forensic Lucid, and we focus on defining hierarchical contexts based on intensional logic for the distributed evaluation of cyberforensic expressions. We also augment the work with credibility factors surrounding digital evidence and witness accounts, which have not been previously modeled. The Forensic Lucid programming language, used for this intensional cyberforensic analysis, formally presented through its syntax and operational semantics. In large part, the language is based on its predecessor and codecessor Lucid dialects, such as GIPL, Indexical Lucid, Lucx, Objective Lucid, and JOOIP bound by the underlying intensional programming paradigm.Comment: 412 pages, 94 figures, 18 tables, 19 algorithms and listings; PhD thesis; v2 corrects some typos and refs; also available on Spectrum at http://spectrum.library.concordia.ca/977460

Software doping – Theory and detection

Software is doped if it contains a hidden functionality that is intentionally included by the manufacturer and is not in the interest of the user or society. This thesis complements this informal definition by a set of formal cleanness definitions that characterise the absence of software doping. These definitions reflect common expectations on clean software behaviour and are applicable to many types of software, from printers to cars to discriminatory AI systems. We use these definitions to propose white-box and black-box analysis techniques to detect software doping. In particular, we present a provably correct, model-based testing algorithm that is intertwined with a probabilistic-falsification-based test input selection technique. We identify and explain how to overcome the challenges that are specific to real-world software doping tests and analyses. The most prominent example of software doping in recent years is the Diesel Emissions Scandal. We demonstrate the strength of our cleanness definitions and analysis techniques by applying them to emission cleaning systems of diesel cars. All our car related research is unified in a Car Data Platform. The mobile app LolaDrives is one building block of this platform; it supports conducting real-driving emissions tests and provides feedback to the user in how far a trip satisfies driving conditions that are defined by official regulations.Software ist gedopt wenn sie eine versteckte Funktionalität enthält, die vom Hersteller beabsichtigt ist und deren Existenz nicht im Interesse des Benutzers oder der Gesellschaft ist. Die vorliegende Arbeit ergänzt diese nicht formale Definition um eine Menge von Cleanness-Definitionen, die die Abwesenheit von Software Doping charakterisieren. Diese Definitionen spiegeln allgemeine Erwartungen an "sauberes" Softwareverhalten wider und sie sind auf viele Arten von Software anwendbar, vom Drucker über Autos bis hin zu diskriminierenden KI-Systemen. Wir verwenden diese Definitionen um sowohl white-box, als auch black-box Analyseverfahren zur Verfügung zu stellen, die in der Lage sind Software Doping zu erkennen. Insbesondere stellen wir einen korrekt bewiesenen Algorithmus für modellbasierte Tests vor, der eng verflochten ist mit einer Test-Input-Generierung basierend auf einer Probabilistic-Falsification-Technik. Wir identifizieren Hürden hinsichtlich Software-Doping-Tests in der echten Welt und erklären, wie diese bewältigt werden können. Das bekannteste Beispiel für Software Doping in den letzten Jahren ist der Diesel-Abgasskandal. Wir demonstrieren die Fähigkeiten unserer Cleanness-Definitionen und Analyseverfahren, indem wir diese auf Abgasreinigungssystem von Dieselfahrzeugen anwenden. Unsere gesamte auto-basierte Forschung kommt in der Car Data Platform zusammen. Die mobile App LolaDrives ist eine Kernkomponente dieser Plattform; sie unterstützt bei der Durchführung von Abgasmessungen auf der Straße und gibt dem Fahrer Feedback inwiefern eine Fahrt den offiziellen Anforderungen der EU-Norm der Real-Driving Emissions entspricht

Computer Aided Verification

The open access two-volume set LNCS 12224 and 12225 constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 32st International Conference on Computer Aided Verification, CAV 2020, held in Los Angeles, CA, USA, in July 2020.* The 43 full papers presented together with 18 tool papers and 4 case studies, were carefully reviewed and selected from 240 submissions. The papers were organized in the following topical sections: Part I: AI verification; blockchain and Security; Concurrency; hardware verification and decision procedures; and hybrid and dynamic systems. Part II: model checking; software verification; stochastic systems; and synthesis. *The conference was held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic