Runtime verification infrastructure for Embedded Linux

The application field of Embedded Linux devices embraces many different economic sectors. These embedded systems are designed to execute long running software. In order to deploy Embedded Linux devices, which are intended to be operational for a longer period of time, it is mandatory to improve certain functional areas like availability, serviceability, testability, observability etc. This paper introduces an on-line verification unit to monitor system and platform specific parameters, to implement reasonable checks for these parameters and to invoke the appropriate counter measures trigger (log messages, software module reset, hardware reset, etc.) if a monitored parameter is out of its specified range. Furthermore, the proposed verification unit allows various software modules to register themselves and their dedicated module tests at runtime. Finally, the described verification unit supports statistics to be retrieved via the Simple Network Management Protocol and failure reporting based on respective traps.