TTCN-3 is used to specify tests in an abstract way but a test system is required to execute these tests. A TTCN-3 test system comprises entities that bring abstract specifications in TTCN-3 into concrete implementations of test systems. For example, abstractly defined communication is mapped to real communication channels. The TTCN-3 standards define two interfaces for the interaction between the different test entities and the TTCN-3 Executable (TE). These are the TTCN-3 Control Interface (TCI) and the TTCN-3 Runtime Interface (TRI).
The construction of a TTCN-3 test system requires
- A TTCN-3 test suite
- A TTCN-3 tool, i.e. a TTCN-3 compiler (or interpreter) plus execution environment
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Optionally implementations of test execution control, logging and codecs
Note: Most commercial tools offer default implementations for these entities - A SUT Adaptor implementing the means of communication required by SUT interfaces
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A Platform Adaptor implementing a timing model and external functions (if there any defined in the test suite)
Note: Most commercial tools offer default implementations for the timing model
Standardized TCI and TRI
The standardized interfaces make it possible for a suite of TTCN-3 tests to be adapted to execute in a range of different environments, platforms or operating systems. Furthermore, it facilitates testing in the early development phases of a product (SUT) because, for example, the communication channel can be adapted to the currently available.
TTCN-3 Control Interface (TCI)
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Test Management (TM)
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Overall management of the test system, test system user interface, execution of tests, provider of parameters
Note: Provided by most commercial TTCN-3 tools
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Overall management of the test system, test system user interface, execution of tests, provider of parameters
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Test Logging (TL)
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Handling of all log events of the test system
Note: Provided by most commercial TTCN-3 tools
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Handling of all log events of the test system
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Coding and Decoding (CD)
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Encoding and decoding data associated with message based or
procedure based communication within the TE
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Encoding and decoding data associated with message based or
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Component Handling (CH)
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Distributing and communication between parallel test components
Note: Provided by most commercial TTCN-3 tools
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Distributing and communication between parallel test components
TTCN-3 Runtime Interface (TRI)
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System Adaptor (SA)
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Adapts message based or
procedure based communication to and from the SUT, and SUT action operations
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Adapts message based or
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Platform Adaptor (PA)
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Implements TTCN-3 external functions and provides a TTCN-3 test system with a single notion of time
Note: Timing provided by most commercial TTCN-3 tools
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Implements TTCN-3 external functions and provides a TTCN-3 test system with a single notion of time
More information
An extensive example of a generic SUT Adaptor implementation has been presented as part of Antti Hyrkkänen's thesis "General purpose SUT Adapter for TTCN-3".
