Model-Based Testing of Safety Critical Real-Time Control Logic Software

The paper presents the experience of the authors in model based testing of safety critical real-time control logic software. It describes specifics of the corresponding industrial settings and discusses technical details of usage of UniTESK model based testing technology in these settings. Finally, we discuss possible future directions of safety critical software development processes and a place of model based testing techniques in it.Comment: In Proceedings MBT 2012, arXiv:1202.582

Open Source Certification and Educational Process

This paper discusses possibilities to benefit software engineering and computer sciences educational process from involving students in open source software certification activities. On the other hand the open source certification community can take advantages of this involvement if it cooperates with educational one. The situation is considered in the context of Russian higher institutes of education but the conclusions can be applicable to other institutes as well

Генерация тестовых сценариев на основе формальной модели

Описан метод направленного поиска для автоматического построения тестовых сценариев в процессе верификации. Основная цель – достижение семантического соответствия между полученными тестовыми сценариями и функциональными спецификациями к системе. Метод использует определяемые пользователем в виде регулярных выражений цели тестирования и ограничения обхода поведения модели.A guided search method for automatic test scenario building during verification described. The main goal is to achieve semantic correspondence between obtained test scenarios and functional specifications of a system. The method uses user-defined regular expressions as test purposes and for model behavior traversal bounding

Метод направления поиска и генерации тестовых сценариев при верификации формальных моделей асинхронных систем

Предложен метод направленного поиска для автоматического построения тестовых сценариев в процессе верификации. Метод использует определяемые пользователем в виде регулярных выражений цели тестирования и ограничения обхода поведения модели. Описаны стратегии управления поиском и техника ослабления эквивалентности трасс и состояний.Запропоновано метод спрямованого пошуку для автоматичної побудови тестових сценаріїв у процесі верифікації. Метод використовує цілі тестування та обмеження на обхід поведінки моделі, які визначає користувач у вигляді регулярних виразів.A guided search method for automatic test scenario building during verification proposed. The method uses user-defined regular expressions as test purposes and for model behavior traversal bounding. Search managing strategies together with trace and state equivalence weakening described

Assuring the model evolution of protocol software specifications by regression testing process improvement

A preliminary version of this paper has been presented at the 10th International Conference on Quality Software (QSIC 2010).Model-based testing helps test engineers automate their testing tasks so that they are more cost-effective. When the model is changed because of the evolution of the specification, it is important to maintain the test suites up to date for regression testing. A complete regeneration of the whole test suite from the new model, although inefficient, is still frequently used in the industry, including Microsoft. To handle specification evolution effectively, we propose a test case reusability analysis technique to identify reusable test cases of the original test suite based on graph analysis. We also develop a test suite augmentation technique to generate new test cases to cover the change-related parts of the new model. The experiment on four large protocol document testing projects shows that our technique can successfully identify a high percentage of reusable test cases and generate low-redundancy new test cases. When compared with a complete regeneration of the whole test suite, our technique significantly reduces regression testing time while maintaining the stability of requirement coverage over the evolution of requirements specifications. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.link_to_subscribed_fulltex

Towards more effective testing of communications-critical large scale systems

This thesis was submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy and awarded by Brunel University.A publication based on the research from this thesis has been published and can be cited as Nabulsi, MA and Hierons, RM (2014), A new test framework for communications-critical large scale systems, IEEE Software, In press. The published version can be accessed via the link below.None of today’s large scale systems could function without the reliable availability of a varied range of network communications capabilities. Whilst software, hardware and communications technologies have been advancing throughout the past two decades, the methods commonly used by industry for testing large scale systems which incorporate critical communications interfaces have not kept pace. This thesis argues for the need for a specifically tailored framework to achieve effective testing of communications-critical large scale systems (CCLSS). The thesis initially discusses how generic test approaches are leading to inefficient and costly test activities in industry. The thesis then presents the form and features of an alternative CCLSS domain-specific test framework, develops its ideas further into a detailed and structured test approach for one of its layers, and then provides a detailed example of how this framework can be applied using a real-life case study. The thesis concludes with a qualitative as well a simulation-based evaluation of the framework’s benefits observed during the case study and an evaluation by expert external participants considering whether similar benefits can be realised if the framework is adopted for the testing of other comparable systems. Requirements data from a second CCLSS is included in the evaluation by external participants as a second smaller case study

Simulation combined model-based testing method for train control systems

A Train Control System (TCS) is utilised to guard the operational safety of the trains in railway systems. Therefore, functional testing is applied to verify consistency between the TCS and specification requirements. Traditional functional testing in TCSs is mainly based on manually designed test cases, which is becoming unsuitable for testing increasingly complex TCSs. Therefore, Model-Based Testing (MBT) methods have been introduced into TCS functional testing, to improve the efficiency and coverage of TCS testing, with application difficulties. To overcome the difficulties of applying MBT methods to test TCSs, the author introduces simulation combined MBT which combines an MBT method with simulation. Modelling method and implementation method for the proposed approach were explained in detail. Two case studies were undertaken to explore the effectiveness of the testing platform developed. The testing results obtained prove that the testing platform can be utilised to implement the functional testing of TCSs. To prove that the MBT platform is effective in detecting errors in the SUT, validation and verification was undertaken, which include validation of specification requirements and verification of the MBT platform. The testing performance is proven to be better than existing MBT methods in terms of coverage and efficiency

Інженерія програмного забезпечення

Містить теоретичні та практичні відомості про інженерію програмного забезпечення, які включають процес розроблення програмного забезпечення, типові підходи до архітектурного проектування, принципи побудови об’єктно-орієнтованих програмних систем, основи візуального проектування і тестування програмних систем. Розглянуто підходи до оцінювання якості об’єктно-програмних систем на основі відомих метричних показників.Містить теоретичні та практичні відомості про інженерію програмного забезпечення, які включають процес розроблення програмного забезпечення, типові підходи до архітектурного проектування, принципи побудови об’єктно-орієнтованих програмних систем, основи візуального проектування і тестування програмних систем. Розглянуто підходи до оцінювання якості об’єктно-програмних систем на основі відомих метричних показників

UnitesK test suite architecture

Abstract. The article presents the main components of the test suite architecture underlying UniTesK specification based automated test development technology, a powerful test development technology for use in industrial testing of general purpose software. The architecture presented contains such elements as automatically generated oracles, components to monitor formally defined test coverage criteria, and test scenario specifications for test sequence generation with the help of automata based testing mechanism. This work stems from the ISP RAS results of academic research and 7-year experience in industrial application of formal testing techniques [1]