Runtime verification and monitoring of embedded systems

Ensuring the correctness of software applications is a difficult task. The area of runtime verification, which combines the approaches of formal verification and testing, offers a practical but limited solution that can help in finding many errors in software. Runtime verification relies upon tools for monitoring software execution. There are particular difficulties with regard to monitoring embedded systems. The concerns for arranging non-intrusive monitoring of embedded systems in a way that is suitable for use in runtime verification methods are considered here. A number of existing runtime verification tools are referenced, highlighting their requirement for monitoring solutions. Established and emerging approaches for the monitoring of software execution using execution monitors are reviewed, with an emphasis on the approaches that are best suited for use with embedded systems. A suggested solution for non-intrusive monitoring of embedded systems is presented. The conclusions summarise the possibilities for arranging non-intrusive monitoring of embedded systems, and the potential for runtime verification to utilise such monitoring approaches.