Time for Mutants — Model-Based Mutation Testing with Timed Automata

Aichernig, Bernhard K.; Lorber, Florian; Ničković, Dejan

doi:10.1007/978-3-642-38916-0_2

Cited by 67 publications

(90 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…MoMuT::TA provides model-based mutation testing algorithms for timed automata (Aichernig et al 2013), using UPPAAL's (Larsen et al 1997) XML format as input and output. The determinization algorithm uses the SMT-solver Z3 (Moura and Bjørner 2008) for checking satisfiability of guards.…”

Section: Implementation and Experimental Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In previous work (Aichernig et al 2013) we developed a fault-based testing approach for timed automata, called model-based mutation testing. One restriction of the approach was the limitation to deterministic and fully observable models.…”

Section: Practical Motivationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…We already presented our model-based mutation testing approach for timed automata (Aichernig et al 2013), using timed input output conformance (Schmaltz and Tretmans 2008) for the conformance check between the models. The check was expressed as a language inclusion problem, which we solved via SMT-solving.…”

Section: Practical Motivationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…We propose an alternative approach, that reduces the amount of locations and transitions in the deterministic automata, by shifting some complexity towards the guards. Our motivation is the use of SMT solvers for model-based test-case generation from timed automata, as described in our first paper on mutation-based testcase generation from timed automata (Aichernig et al 2013). The larger guards can be directly converted into SMT-LIB formulas, and thus should not pose a problem.…”

Section: Determinizationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Our concrete motivation behind determinizing the model was induced by our previous model-based testing approach, called model-based mutation testing Aichernig et al (2013). The approach aims at building a test suite that covers specific types of possible faults in the model.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Bounded determinization of timed automata with silent transitions

et al. 2017

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Deterministic timed automata are strictly less expressive than their nondeterministic counterparts, which are again less expressive than those with silent transitions. As a consequence, timed automata are in general non-determinizable. This is unfortunate since deterministic automata play a major role in model-based testing, observability and implementability. However, by bounding the length of the traces in the automaton, effective determinization becomes possible. We propose a novel procedure for bounded determinization of timed automata. The procedure unfolds the automata to bounded trees, removes all silent transitions and determinizes via disjunction of guards. The proposed algorithms are optimized to the bounded setting and thus are more efficient and can handle a larger class of timed automata than the general algorithms. We show how to apply the approach in a fault-based test-case generation method, called model-based mutation testing, that was previously restricted to deterministic timed automata. The approach is implemented in a prototype tool and evaluated on several scientific examples and one industrial case study. To our best knowledge, this is the first implementation of this type of procedure for timed automata.

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Section: Implementation and Experimental Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Practical Motivationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Practical Motivationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Determinizationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Bounded determinization of timed automata with silent transitions

et al. 2017

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Performance mutation testing

Delgado‐Pérez

Sánchez

Segura

et al. 2020

Software Testing Verif & Rel

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Performance bugs are known to be a major threat to the success of software products. Performance tests aim to detect performance bugs by executing the program through test cases and checking whether it exhibits a noticeable performance degradation. The principles of mutation testing, a well-established testing technique for the assessment of test suites through the injection of artificial faults, could be exploited to evaluate and improve the detection power of performance tests. However, the application of mutation testing to assess performance tests, henceforth called performance mutation testing (PMT), is a novel research topic with numerous open challenges. In previous papers, we identified some key challenges related to PMT. In this work, we go a step further and explore the feasibility of applying PMT at the source-code level in generalpurpose languages. To do so, we revisit concepts associated with classical mutation testing, and design seven novel mutation operators to model known bug-inducing patterns. As a proof of concept, we applied traditional mutation operators as well as performance mutation operators to open-source C++ programs. The results reveal the potential of the new performance-mutants to help assess and enhance performance tests when compared to traditional mutants. A review of live mutants in these programs suggests that they can induce the design of special test inputs. In addition to these promising results, our work brings a whole new set of challenges related to PMT, which will hopefully serve as a starting point for new contributions in the area.

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RATE: A model‐based testing approach that combines model refinement and test execution

Bombarda

Bonfanti

Gargantini

et al. 2022

Software Testing Verif & Rel

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In this paper, we present an approach to conformance testing based on abstract state machines (ASMs) that combines model refinement and test execution (RATE) and its application to three case studies. The RATE approach consists in generating test sequences from ASMs and checking the conformance between code and models in multiple iterations. The process follows these steps: (1) model the system as an abstract state machine; (2) validate and verify the model; (3) generate test sequences automatically from the ASM model; (4) execute the tests over the implementation and compute the code coverage; (5) if the coverage is below the desired threshold, then refine the abstract state machine model to add the uncovered functionalities and return to step 2. We have applied the proposed approach in three case studies: a traffic light control system (TLCS), the IEEE 11073-20601 personal health device (PHD) protocol, and the mechanical ventilator Milano (MVM). By applying RATE, at each refinement level, we have increased code coverage and identified some faults or conformance errors for all the case studies. The fault detection capability of RATE has also been confirmed by mutation analysis, in which we have highlighted that, many mutants can be killed even by the most abstract models.

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Time for Mutants — Model-Based Mutation Testing with Timed Automata

Cited by 67 publications

References 24 publications

Bounded determinization of timed automata with silent transitions

Bounded determinization of timed automata with silent transitions

Performance mutation testing

RATE: A model‐based testing approach that combines model refinement and test execution

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