Abstract
We propose a test selection method that provides efficient test sets for systems based on SDL specifications. Our approach builds on previous results of Voung et al. and Feijs et al. on string edit distance based coverage metrics. The method reduces a set of test cases represented in the MSC (Message Sequence Chart) notation, while maintaining the highest possible distance between all pairs of traces defined by the given test set. The algorithm is tunable by a parameter representing the threshold distance for test redundancy. We show that the algorithm runs in polynomial time of the size of the input test set and that it is independent of the size of the system. We implemented and incorporated the algorithm into our SDL-based test selection framework, and evaluated against existing symbol coverage and fault coverage based test selection approaches by conducting experiments on the well-known INRES and Conference Protocol. Results indicate that the string edit distance based method yields similar results in terms of reduction-capability and coverage as the other approaches, but with significantly less complexity.
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Lee, D., Yiannakakis, M.: Principles and methods of testing finite state machines – a survey. Proceedings of the IEEE 43(3), 1090–1123 (1996)
Kovács, G., Pap, Z., Le, V.D., Wu-Hen-Chang, A., Csopaki, G.: Applying mutation analysis to SDL specifications. In: Reed, R., Reed, J. (eds.) SDL 2003. LNCS, vol. 2708, pp. 269–284. Springer, Heidelberg (2003)
Wong, W.E., Restrepo, A., Qi, Y., Choi, B.: An EFSM-based test generation for validation of SDL specifications. In: AST 2008: Proceedings of the 3rd international workshop on Automation of software test, pp. 25–32. ACM, New York (2008)
Schmitt, M., Grabowski, J., Hogrefe, D., Koch, B.: Autolink – a tool for the automatic and semi-automatic test generation. In: Wolisz, A., Schieferdecker, I., Rennoch, A. (eds.) Formale Beschreibungstechniken für verteilte Systeme, Nr. 315, GMD-Studien. GMD-Forschungszentrum Informationstechnik GmbH (1997)
Tretmans, G., Brinksma, H.: Torx: Automated model-based testing. In: Hartman, A., Dussa-Ziegler, K. (eds.) First European Conference on Model-Driven Software Engineering, pp. 31–43 (2003)
Jard, C., Jeron, T.: TGV: Theory, principles and algorithms. In: 6th World Conference on Integrated Design and Process Technology, IDPT 2002 (2002)
Heerink, L., Feenstra, J., Tretmans, J.: Formal test automation: The conference protocol with phact. In: Ural, H., Probert, R.L., von Bochmann, G. (eds.) 13th IFIP International Conference on Testing of Communicating Systems (TestCom 2000), pp. 211–220. Kluwer Academic, Dordrecht (2000)
Harrold, M., Gupta, R., Soffa, M.: A methodology for controlling the size of a test suite. Transactions on Software Engineering and Methodology 2(3), 270–285 (1993)
Vuong, S.T., Alilovic-Curgus, J.: On test coverage metrics for communication protocols. In: von Bochmann, G., Dssouli, R., Das, A. (eds.) Proceedings of the IFIP TC6/WG6.1 Fourth International Workshop on Protocol Test Systems IV, pp. 31–45. North Holland, Amsterdam (1992)
Csöndes, T., Kotnyek, B., Szabó, J.: Application of heuristic methods for conformance test selection. European Journal of Operational Research 142(1), 203–218 (2001)
Williams, A., Probert, R.: Formulation of the interaction test coverage problem as an integer program. In: Schieferdecker, I., König, H., Wolisz, A. (eds.) Proceedings of the IFIP 14th international Conference on Testing Communicating Systems XIV. IFIP Conference Proceedings, vol. 210, pp. 283–298. Kluwer, B.V., Deventer (2002)
Feijs, L., Goga, N., Mauw, S., Tretmans, J.: Test selection, trace distance and heuristics. In: Schieferdecker, I., König, H., Wolisz, A. (eds.) Proceedings of the IFIP 14th international Conference on Testing Communicating Systems XIV. IFIP Conference Proceedings, vol. 210, pp. 267–282. Kluwer, B.V., Deventer (2002)
Ellsberger, J., Hogrefe, D., Sarma, A.: SDL Formal Object-oriented Language for Communicating Systems. Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs (1997)
International Telecommunications Union: Recommendation Z.100 (11/07), Specification and Description Language (SDL), http://www.itu.int/rec/T-REC-Z.100/en
Wagner, R., Fischer, M.: The string-to-string correction problem. Journal of the ACM 21(1), 168–173 (1974)
Cormen, T., Leiserson, C., Rivest, R., Stein, C.: Introduction to Algorithms, 2nd edn. MIT Press and McGraw-Hill (2001)
Dell’Amico, M., Martello, S.: The k-cardinality assignment problem. Discrete Applied Mathematics 76(1), 103–121 (1997)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2009 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
About this paper
Cite this paper
Kovács, G., Németh, G.Á., Subramaniam, M., Pap, Z. (2009). Optimal String Edit Distance Based Test Suite Reduction for SDL Specifications. In: Reed, R., Bilgic, A., Gotzhein, R. (eds) SDL 2009: Design for Motes and Mobiles. SDL 2009. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 5719. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-04554-7_6
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-04554-7_6
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-642-04553-0
Online ISBN: 978-3-642-04554-7
eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)