From WCET to CI: Integrating RocqStat Timing Analysis into Your Pipeline

Hook: Stop shipping timing surprises — automate WCET checks in CI

Embedded teams still juggle fragmented toolchains, manual timing runs, and last-minute WCET surprises that delay releases. In 2026 those problems are harder: mixed-critical systems are denser, safety standards demand stronger traceability, and Vector's acquisition of RocqStat (late 2025) means high-quality timing analysis is entering mainstream verification toolchains. This guide shows how to integrate RocqStat timing/WCET analysis into your CI, gate artifacts automatically, and make timing part of everyday build feedback.

Why integrate WCET analysis into CI now (2026 trends)

Timing verification moved from nightly laboratories to continuous delivery in 2025–2026 for three reasons:

• Regulatory pressure and traceability: ISO 26262, DO‑178C, and IEC 61508 compliance workflows now need automated evidence and trace links or risk longer certification cycles.
• Consolidation of tools: Vector’s acquisition of RocqStat and announced plans to unify it with VectorCAST signal an industry shift toward integrated timing + testing toolchains (Automotive World, Jan 2026).
• CI/CD capability growth: Cloud CI runners with predictable resources and native artifact storage let teams run heavier static analyses without blocking developer flow.

Key outcome

Make WCET a first-class CI artifact: run RocqStat on each merge, produce machine-readable reports, and fail builds when timing exceeds a policy threshold. That eliminates last-minute incoming defects and shortens the certification loop.

High-level integration pattern

We’ll use a pragmatic three-layer pattern that fits common pipelines:

1. Build & instrument — compile with your cross-toolchain and produce the binary/ELF or object set RocqStat consumes.
2. Static timing analysis — run RocqStat in a container/agent using a reproducible config to produce WCET estimates and artifacts (XML/JSON/HTML).
3. Gate & report — parse the result, compare to policy, upload artifacts, and block the merge on violations.

Prerequisites and assumptions

• You have a reproducible build that outputs an analyzable binary (ELF, map file, or object files).
• RocqStat is available as a CLI or docker image in your environment (Vector’s roadmap includes VectorCAST integration; adapt when native plugins release).
• Your CI runner has enough CPU/memory for static analysis (recommend 4+ vCPU and 8–16 GB RAM for medium projects; scale for larger codebases).
• Policy owner defines a WCET threshold per function/module or system-level budget.

Practical step-by-step: example repo layout

Keep a convention so CI scripts are simple.

repo/
  ├─ src/
  ├─ build/              # outputs: app.elf, map, compile database
  ├─ tools/              # scripts: run_rocqstat.sh, parse_wcet.py
  ├─ rocq-config.json    # analysis options and thresholds
  └─ .gitlab-ci.yml      # or Jenkinsfile / .github/workflows/...

Example: run_rocqstat.sh (wrapper that produces machine-readable output)

This example shows a robust wrapper that calls a hypothetical RocqStat CLI. Adapt CLI flags to your version; if RocqStat is packaged with VectorCAST later in 2026 expect a plugin with similar entry points.

#!/usr/bin/env bash
set -euo pipefail
BUILD_DIR=${BUILD_DIR:-build}
BIN=${BUILD_DIR}/app.elf
OUTDIR=${OUTDIR:-rocq-output}
CONF=${ROCQ_CONFIG:-rocq-config.json}

mkdir -p "$OUTDIR"

# Example invocation; replace with actual RocqStat CLI flags for your install
rocqstat_cli --input "$BIN" --config "$CONF" \
  --export-json "$OUTDIR/rocq-report.json" \
  --export-html "$OUTDIR/rocq-report.html" \
  --export-xml "$OUTDIR/rocq-report.xml"

# Normalize return: exit 0 even if rocqstat non-zero; gating happens later
EXIT_CODE=$?
if [ $EXIT_CODE -ne 0 ]; then
  echo "RocqStat finished with exit code $EXIT_CODE; check logs"
fi

# Print summary for CI logs
jq '.summary' "$OUTDIR/rocq-report.json" || true

exit 0

Notes

• Using JSON + XML + HTML gives both machine-readable data for gating and human reports for triage.
• Keep the analysis config (rocq-config.json) version-controlled and review changes like any other test configuration.

Parsing results and gating artifacts (policy enforcement)

Gating means the CI job must fail the pipeline if WCET exceeds configured budgets. Below is a simple Bash pattern that extracts a system-level WCET from JSON and compares it to a threshold.

#!/usr/bin/env bash
set -euo pipefail
REPORT=${1:-rocq-output/rocq-report.json}
THRESH=${THRESHOLD_MS:-50}  # example: 50 ms system budget

wcet_ms=$(jq '.system.wcet_ms' "$REPORT")

if (( $(echo "$wcet_ms > $THRESH" | bc -l) )); then
  echo "WCET violation: $wcet_ms ms > ${THRESH} ms"
  exit 2
else
  echo "WCET OK: $wcet_ms ms <= ${THRESH} ms"
  exit 0
fi

Per-function and delta gating

Many teams need finer control:

• Function-level caps: store thresholds keyed by function name in yaml/json and fail any that exceed.
• Regression gates: compare current WCET to baseline (last green build). Fail if delta > policy percent (e.g. +5%).

# pseudo-steps for regression gate
# 1. Download last-green rocq-report.json from CI artifacts
# 2. Compare per-function values and compute percentage change
# 3. Fail if change > allowed_delta

CI examples: GitLab CI, GitHub Actions, Jenkins

Below are minimal runnable snippets. They assume run_rocqstat.sh and gate script are in tools/ and artifacts are uploaded for triage.

GitLab CI (.gitlab-ci.yml)

stages:
  - build
  - analyze

build:
  stage: build
  script:
    - make all
  artifacts:
    paths:
      - build/app.elf
    expire_in: 1 week

rocq_analysis:
  stage: analyze
  image: gcc:12  # or your docker image with RocqStat installed
  script:
    - tools/run_rocqstat.sh
    - tools/gate_wcet.sh rocq-output/rocq-report.json
  artifacts:
    paths:
      - rocq-output/
  allow_failure: false

GitHub Actions (workflow snippet)

jobs:
  build:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
      - name: Build
        run: make all
      - name: Run RocqStat
        uses: actions/setup-python@v4
      - name: Analysis
        run: |
          tools/run_rocqstat.sh
          tools/gate_wcet.sh rocq-output/rocq-report.json
        env:
          THRESHOLD_MS: 50
    artifacts:
      - path: rocq-output

Jenkins pipeline (Declarative)

pipeline {
  agent any
  stages {
    stage('Build') {
      steps { sh 'make all' }
    }
    stage('RocqStat') {
      steps {
        sh 'tools/run_rocqstat.sh'
        sh 'tools/gate_wcet.sh rocq-output/rocq-report.json'
      }
      post {
        always { archiveArtifacts artifacts: 'rocq-output/**', fingerprint: true }
      }
    }
  }
}

Making results actionable in PRs and dashboards

Timing failures are political. Reduce friction by making failures easy to triage:

• Attach the full HTML report to the CI job/artifact store.
• Post a short comment on PRs with the system WCET and top 5 functions responsible (use the GitHub/GitLab API).
• Provide links to source locations and disassembly where the analyzer flags hot paths.

Example: post summary to GitHub PR (bash + curl)

summary=$(jq -r '.summary.short' rocq-output/rocq-report.json)
curl -s -H "Authorization: token $GITHUB_TOKEN" \
  -X POST "https://api.github.com/repos/$GITHUB_REPOSITORY/issues/$PR_NUMBER/comments" \
  -d "{\"body\": \"RocqStat WCET summary:\n$summary\"}"

Advanced strategies for scale and reliability

Incremental analysis

Run full WCET nightly, and incremental RocqStat on PRs limited to changed files or affected call graphs. Many teams get 90% of benefit with incremental checks while saving compute time.

Caching and artifacts

Cache intermediate analysis products (control-flow graphs, call graph summaries) across CI to reduce run time. Use object-level fingerprints to invalidate only affected partitions.

Baselines and cherrypicking

Keep a baseline report per release branch. When a PR causes a timing regression, allow a controlled exemption process: create a ticket, attach evidence, and require an approver to accept higher WCET for this change.

Hardware-aware models

Static WCET interacts with microarchitectural features (caches, pipelines). Use RocqStat's platform models (or VectorCAST integration when available) to represent target CPU behavior. Keep these models versioned and tied to board/MCU versions in CI.

Traceability, auditable evidence, and safety cases

For safety certification, you need more than a pass/fail bit. Integrate RocqStat artifacts into your traceability matrix:

• Link each WCET result to requirements and test cases.
• Attach configuration used for analysis (compiler flags, link map, RocqStat config).
• Record the exact tool version and checksum; Vector’s consolidation increases the chance of consistent toolchains but continue to capture versions in CI artifacts.

Pro tip: store a reproducible environment snapshot (container digest or VM image ID) alongside RocqStat reports to satisfy auditors.

Common pitfalls and how to avoid them

• Non-reproducible builds: Different compile flags or linkers will change WCET. Use deterministic builds and record compiler versions.
• False positives/negatives: Static analysis may be conservative. Use a combination of measurement-in-the-loop (when safe) and static results for validation.
• Overly aggressive gating: Set sensible deltas (e.g., 5–10%) for regressions and require human review for bigger changes to avoid blocking productivity.
• Ignoring tool updates: RocqStat/VectorCAST updates can change estimates. Add an upgrade policy and run a compatibility analysis job when upgrading the toolchain.

Example mini case: automotive ECU function gating

Scenario: An ECU feature has a 20 ms scheduling slot. You run RocqStat per merge and gate if system-level WCET > 16 ms (reserve margin).

1. Define threshold in rocq-config.json: {"system_budget_ms":20, "ci_threshold_ms":16}
2. CI builds and runs run_rocqstat.sh producing rocq-output/rocq-report.json
3. gate_wcet.sh compares and fails on >16 ms. The failure posts a PR comment listing top functions and attaches the HTML report.
4. The developer either optimizes code or files a documented exception with justification and traceability to requirements.

Future predictions (2026–2028)

• Tool consolidation: Expect Vector to ship tighter RocqStat + VectorCAST integrations in 2026–2027, offering native CI plugins and SARIF-like outputs for timing diagnostics.
• Standardized timing metadata: The industry will push for standardized timing metadata formats, enabling cross-tool exchanges, as CI adoption accelerates.
• AI-assisted root cause: Machine learning models will suggest code-level optimizations to reduce predicted WCET and prioritize hotspots for developers.

Checklist: Shipable integration in 2–4 sprints

1. Baseline: Confirm deterministic build and create build artifacts (ELF/map).
2. Install: Make RocqStat CLI or container available in CI runners.
3. Automate: Add run_rocqstat.sh and gate_wcet.sh to the repo and wire to CI jobs.
4. Thresholds: Define system and per-function thresholds; set initial delta policy.
5. Reporting: Publish HTML reports and annotate PRs with summary and links.
6. Audit: Store tool versions, configs, and artifacts for traceability.

Closing: Start small, automate widely

Integrating RocqStat/WCET into CI eliminates unpredictable timing regressions and reduces certification friction. Start with a conservative system-level gate and expand to per-function and regression gates. With Vector's acquisition of RocqStat and the industry trend toward integrated verification, 2026 is the moment to treat timing analysis as part of your CI/CD pipeline — not an afterthought.

Actionable resources & next steps

• Prototype: Add run_rocqstat.sh and gate_wcet.sh to a feature branch and protect the main branch with the CI gate.
• Measure: Track mean analysis runtime and optimize by partitioning or caching.
• Document: Add a timing-analysis section in your dev onboarding and release checklist for auditors.

Want a ready-made CI pattern tailored to your toolchain? Contact our team at simplistic.cloud for a configurable pipeline template (Jenkins/GitLab/GitHub) that integrates RocqStat and automates artifact gating for embedded systems.

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