Improving adaptability via program steering
Submitted by mernst on Wed, 2011-11-30 14:35
| Title | Improving adaptability via program steering |
| Publication Type | Conference Paper |
| Year of Publication | 2004 |
| Authors | Lin L, Ernst MD |
| Conference Name | ISSTA 2004, Proceedings of the 2004 International Symposium on Software Testing and Analysis |
| Date or Month Published | July 12–14 |
| Conference Location | Boston, MA, USA |
| Abstract | <p>A multi-mode software system contains several distinct modes of operation and a controller for deciding when to switch between modes. Even when developers rigorously test a multi-mode system before deployment, they cannot foresee and test for every possible usage scenario. As a result, unexpected situations in which the program fails or underperforms (for example, by choosing a non-optimal mode) may arise. This research aims to mitigate such problems by creating a new mode selector that examines the current situation, then chooses a mode that has been successful in the past, in situations like the current one. The technique, called program steering, creates a new mode selector via machine learning from good behavior in testing or in successful operation. Such a strategy, which generalizes the knowledge that a programmer has built into the system, may select an appropriate mode even when the original controller cannot. We have performed experiments on robot control programs written in a month-long programming competition. Augmenting these programs via our program steering technique had a substantial positive effect on their performance in new environments.</p> |
| Downloads | PDF PostScript Slides (PowerPoint) |
| Citation Key | LinE2004 |
Last changed Mon, 2013-06-03 10:27

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