Report Number: CSL-TR-86-298
Institution: Stanford University, Computer Systems Laboratory
Title: Parallel program behavior - specification and abstraction using BDL
Author: Yan, Jerry C.
Date: August 1986
Abstract: This paper describes the syntax, semantics, and usage of BDL - a Behavior Description Language for concurrent programs. BDL program models can be used to describe and abstract the behavior of real programs formulated in various computation paradigms (such as CSP, remote procedures, data-flow, actors, etc.). BDL models are constructed from abstract computing entities known as "players". The models can behave as closely as possible to the actual program in terms of message passing, player creation and cpu usage. Although behavior abstraction using BDL only involves identifying the "redundant part" of the computation and replacing them with simple "NO-OP" statements, proper application of this technique remains difficult and requires a thorough understanding of how the program is architectured. Simulating BDL models is much more economical than instruction level emulation while program behavior is realistically preserved.
http://i.stanford.edu/pub/cstr/reports/csl/tr/86/298/CSL-TR-86-298.pdf