Model-Based Testing of Dynamic and Distributed Real-Time Systems

In this paper, we report on our main research contributions dealing with Model-Based Testing of Dynamic and Distributed Real-Time Systems, performed during the last ten years. Our first contribution deals with testing techniques for distributed and dynamically adaptable systems. In this context, we propose a standard-based test execution platform which affords a platform-independent test system for isolating and executing runtime tests. This platform uses the TTCN3 standard and considers both structural and behavioral adaptations. Moreover, our platform is equipped with a test isolation layer that reduces the risk of interference between testing processes and business processes. Besides, we compute a minimal subset of test cases to run and efficiently distribute them among the execution nodes while respecting resource and connectivity constraints. In addition, we validate the proposed techniques on two case studies, one in the healthcare domain and the other one in the fleet management domain. Our second contribution consists in proposing a model-based framework to combine Load and Functional Tests. This framework is based on the model of extended timed automata with inputs/ouputs and shared integer variables. We present different modelling techniques aspects and we illustrate them by means of a case study. Moreover, we study BPEL compositions behaviors under various load conditions using the proposed framework. We introduce a taxonomy of the detected problems and we illustrate how test verdicts are assigned. Besides, we validate our approach using a Travel Agency case study. Furthermore, we consider several mutants of the corresponding BPEL process and we test them using our tool. Our third contribution consists in introducing a set of formal techniques for the determinization and off-line test selection for timed automata with inputs and outputs. With this respect, we propose a game-based approach between two players for the determinization of a given timed automaton and some fixed resources. Moreover, we present a complete formalization for the automatic off-line generation of test cases from non-deterministic timed automata with inputs and outputs. We also define a selection technique of test cases with expressive test purposes. Test cases are generated using a symbolic co-reachability analysis of the observable behaviors of the specification guided by the test purpose which is in turn defined as a special timed automaton