Correct Passive Testing Algorithms and Complete Fault Coverage

The aim of passive testing is to detect faults in a system while observing the system during normal operation, that is, without forcing the system to specialized inputs explicitly for the purposes of testing. We formulate some general correctness requirements on any passive-testing algorithm which we term soundness and completeness. With respect to these definitions, we show that the homing algorithm, first proposed in [4], and subsequently used in [6, 8, 7], is sound and complete for passively testing the conformance of an implementation for several distinct conformance notions ranging from trace-containment to observational equivalence to even exact identity. This implies that, for some notions of conformance, there are faulty implementations that would not be detectable by any sound passive testing algorithm. We define a property to be passively testable as one admitting complete fault coverage under passive testing, i.e., one for which any faulty execution can be detected throug...

• Type: Conference
• Year: 2003
• Where: FORTE
• Authors: Arun N. Netravali, Krishan K. Sabnani, Ramesh Viswanathan
• Keywords: FORTE 2003, FORTE 2007, Passive Testing, Passive Testing Algorithms, Sound Passive Testing