Model-based Testing

The Competence Center MOTION is developing general and domain-specific test solutions for

• functional tests, conformance tests, interoperability tests, 
• component tests, integration tests, system tests, acceptance tests, as well as for
• load tests and scalability tests.

MOTION is developing techniques and tools for efficient test design, test derivation, test specification, test implementation, local and distributed test execution and result analysis. The techniques and test development tools are used to develop advanced test suites for selected target systems in various domains such as telecommunication and automotive. Specifically, MOTION covers the complete test life cycle from test design to test specification, implementation, execution and result analysis. A test laboratory is used to perform test campaigns with varying test devices and test platforms in order to have the best test access to the tested systems. MOTION particularly focuses on the integration of test and system life cycle in order to reduce the efforts spent on test development. Efficient tools have been developed allowing reuse of the information and data from system development for the derivation of tests.

The test techniques and tools developed by MOTION are based on the Testing and Test Control Notation (TTCN-3), to which MOTION is a main contributor and developer. TTCN is the only standardized and world's most widespread test specification and test implementation language. TTCN-3 has been developed by ETSI and ITU-T at the request of leading vendors like Nortel, Ericsson and Motorola. The applicability of TTCN-3 has broadened to all kinds of testing. TTCN-3 can be used for testing protocols, services, platforms and applications.

MOTION has developed the first worldwide test development environment based on TTCN-3 including a TTCN-3 to Java compiler, a TTCN-3 runtime environment as well as a test campaign tool to perform the tests. It has already successfully been applied to Java class, XML, CORBA, Parlay, UMTS protocol and SIP testing. For extensive performance tests a distributed test execution environment has been developed and applied for several industrial customers. The test tools and executable test suites are deployed to the market via MOTION's spin-off Testing Technologies IST GmbH.