Verification apparatus and design verification program

1. A computer-readable, non-transitory medium encoded with a design verification program which, when executed by a computer, causes the computer to perform an operation, the operation comprising:

selecting, in response to a verification request for a procedure described in a design specification of a target product, one or more verification datasets for verifying the procedure;

determining a priority score of each parameter that the selected verification datasets specify as a constraint providing conditions for execution of the procedure, wherein the parameters include those specified as input values for registers or ports defined in the design specification, and wherein a higher priority score is assigned to a parameter associated with the registers or ports than a parameter not associated with any of the registers and ports;

determining a verification order of the selected verification datasets, based on the determined priority scores of the parameters; and

producing data identifying the verification datasets, together with indication of the determined verification order.

2. The computer-readable, non-transitory medium according to claim 1 , wherein said determining of priority scores evaluates a logical expression involving a given parameter and a constraint to be exerted on unit processes of the procedure and determines the priority score of the given parameter according to the evaluation of the logical expression.

3. The computer-readable, non-transitory medium according to claim 1 , the operation further comprising assigning a priority score to each of the verification datasets according to a priority of the procedure,

wherein said determining of the verification order relies on both the priority scores of the parameters and the priority scores of the verification datasets.

4. The computer-readable, non-transitory medium according to claim 3 , wherein:

the verification datasets associate each unit process of the procedure with an identifier designating which portion of the design specification is to be verified; and

said assigning assigns a specific priority score equally to verification datasets that are associated with one of the identifiers.

5. The computer-readable, non-transitory medium according to claim 4 , wherein said assigning assigns, to the verification datasets corresponding to a specified identifier, a priority score that is determined from a process priority assigned to the specified identifier.

6. The computer-readable, non-transitory medium according to claim 4 , wherein said assigning assigns a priority score that enables verifying a portion of the design specification which is designated by said one of the identifiers, in preference to other portions.

7. The computer-readable, non-transitory medium according to claim 4 , the operation further comprising generating the verification datasets.

8. The computer-readable, non-transitory medium according to claim 7 , wherein:

the unit processes each comprise a sequence of signals exchanged between objects; and

said generating comprises associating one of the identifiers with each sequence.

9. The computer-readable, non-transitory medium according to claim 8 , wherein said generating further comprises producing state machines from the sequences and assigns the identifiers of the corresponding source sequences to states of the produced state machines.

10. The computer-readable, non-transitory medium according to claim 9 , wherein:

the identifier designating a portion of the design specification includes information on a function, or a procedure, or a sequence, or a combination thereof, which is offered by said portion; and

said generating further comprises extracting a part of the state machines whose states share a specific identifier, and outputting the extracted partial state machine as a verification dataset.

11. The computer-readable, non-transitory medium according to claim 9 , wherein said generating further comprises reducing the number of states of the sequences, based on a specified constraint on the sequences.

12. A method of verifying a design, the method comprising:

selecting, by a computer in response to a verification request for a procedure described in a design specification of a target product, one or more verification datasets for verifying the procedure;

determining, by the computer, a priority score of each parameter that the selected verification datasets specify as a constraint providing conditions for execution of the procedure, wherein the parameters include those specified as input values for registers or ports defined in the design specification, and wherein a higher priority score is assigned to a parameter associated with the registers or ports than a parameter not associated with any of the registers and ports;

determining, by the computer, a verification order of the selected verification datasets, based on the determined priority scores of the parameters; and

producing, by the computer, data identifying the verification datasets, together with indication of the determined verification order.

13. A design verification apparatus comprising:

a priority resolver, responsive to a verification request for a procedure described in a design specification of a target product, to select one or more verification datasets for verifying the procedure and determine a priority score of each parameter that the selected verification datasets specify as a constraint providing conditions for execution of the procedure, wherein the parameters include those specified as input values for registers or ports defined in the design specification, and wherein a higher priority score is assigned to a parameter associated with the registers or ports than a parameter not associated with any of the registers and ports;

a verification order resolver to determine a verification order of the selected verification datasets, based on the priority scores determined by the priority resolver; and

an output processor to produce data identifying the verification datasets, together with indication of the determined verification order.