DJPlus reduces redundant test steps for faster system testing
DJPlus: Generating minimal test suites for strong coverage criteria in graph models
Software Engineering
Summary
Testing software systems can take a long time when tests cover all possible paths, which leads to very long test scenarios. The authors created DJPlus, a method that reduces the number of test steps while still meeting strict testing goals based on graphs that model software behavior. DJPlus produces much shorter test suites that run faster than other methods, enabling more efficient testing without losing important coverage. This helps companies test complicated systems quicker and with fewer redundant steps.
What this means in practice
- •For software testing teams: Generate smaller, faster test suites that meet strong graph-based coverage to reduce overall testing time.
- •For industrial software developers: Improve test efficiency on complex systems by applying DJPlus to optimize test paths and reduce redundant steps.
Authors
Yavuz Köroğlu, Mutlu Beyazıt, Onur Kılınççeker, Serge Demeyer, Franz Wotawa
Abstract
Automated test generation from graph models is essential to model-based testing. In this type of testing, graph coverage ensures test suite strength but also results in long test cases that take time to execute on the system under test. We propose a novel optimization-driven method, DJPlus, which generates reduced test suites while satisfying given graph-based test requirements. We implement DJPlus and show the feasibility of edge-pair criterion, a stronger coverage criterion than vertex or edge criteria, on four realistic systems, while prime path criterion poses scalability issues. Our evaluation reveals that the alternative methods generate 2 to 26 times more redundant test steps than DJPlus and DJPlus decreases test execution times by reducing the number of test steps. These results show that DJPlus is a positive step towards tackling the challenges of model-based testing at an industrial scale.