Automated Scenario-Based Testing of Distributed and Heterogeneous Systems

Bruno Lima
2016 2016 IEEE International Conference on Software Testing, Verification and Validation (ICST)  
In this document we outline a Ph.D. research plan and a summary of preliminary results on test automation for distributed and heterogeneous systems. I. MOTIVATION Due to the increasing ubiquity, complexity, criticality and need for assurance of software based systems [1], testing is a fundamental lifecycle activity, with a huge economic impact if not performed adequately [2] . Such trends, combined with the needs for shorter delivery times and reduced costs, demand for the continuous
more » ... of software testing methods and tools, to make testing activities more effective and efficient. Nowadays software is not more like simple applications but has evolved to large and complex system of systems [3]. A system of systems consists of a set of small independent systems that together form a new system. The system of systems can be a combination of hardware components (sensors, actuators, etc.) and software systems used to create big systems or ecosystems that can offer multiple different services. Currently, systems of systems capture a great interest from the software engineering research community. Testing these distributed and heterogeneous software systems or systems of systems, running over interconnected mobile and cloud based platforms, is particularly important and challenging. Some of the challenges are: the difficulty to test the system as a whole due to the number and diversity of individual components; the difficulty to coordinate and synchronize the test participants and interactions, due to the distributed nature of the system; the difficulty to test the components individually, because of the dependencies on other components. An example of a distributed and heterogeneous system is the Ambient Assisted Living (AAL) ecosystem that was prototyped in the context of the nationwide AAL4ALL project [4]. The AAL4ALL ecosystem comprises a set of interoperable AAL products and services (sensors, actuators, mobile and web based applications and services, middleware components, etc.), produced by different manufacturers using different technologies and communication protocols (web services, message queues, etc.). To assure interoperability and the integrity of the ecosystem, it was developed and piloted a testing and certification methodology [5] , encompassing the specification of "standard" interfaces and component categories, the specification of unit (component) and integration test scenarios, and the test implementation and execution on candidate compo-
doi:10.1109/icst.2016.49 dblp:conf/icst/Lima16 fatcat:r5tpey6x4ngwbi4inhvpkhijqu