Adaptable Design for Root Cause Analysis of a Model-Based Software Testing Process

Abstract

Model-Based Testing (MBT) is a method for automating software testing and improving fault detection by using an abstracted model of the system under test to systematically generate and execute test cases. One of the main challenges in MBT is the efficient locating of fundamental causes of errors, which can be achieved using root cause analysis. As MBT is being applied to many diverse domains using various tools and tool chains, tool adaptability is an important factor to consider. We define the design for an automated Root Cause Analyzer (RCA) tool adaptable for different MBT testing scenarios and environments. In our RCA design, analysis is configured using rules for evaluating output data of other MBT components. We present an example of RCA application for a case study in mobile telecommunications testing to demonstrate the integration and adapting of our design into an existing tool chain. Within the case study, the RCA tool is successful in locating causes of errors, and is able to interface with MBT components and exploit their data in analysis. The research is based on the constructive method of the related publications and technologies and the results are derived by the implemented RCA tool.