Title: A TCPN-based model for testing distributed systems with timing constraints

Authors: Salma Azzouzi; My El Hassan Charaf

Addresses: Laboratory of Research in Informatics, Faculty of Sciences, Ibn Tofail University, Kenitra, Morocco ' Laboratory of Research in Informatics, Faculty of Sciences, Ibn Tofail University, Kenitra, Morocco

Abstract: This paper focuses on extending the basis of distributed test to address the testing process for time-sensitive distributed systems. In this context, we present an alternative approach to manage the problems that occur in this area, commonly referred to as controllability, observability and synchronisation issues. The key point of the proposed study is to define the activities of each tester through a set of timed distributed testing rules. Thus, we present our algorithm for the generation of such rules. Each rule is handled as a data structure comprising the data to be sent or received, the guard to be controlled and the set of clocks to be updated at the end of each transition. Afterwards, we show how we can use a timed coloured Petri nets model to cope with the complex tasks of testers' monitoring in the distributed test context. The simulation results revealed the effectiveness of our approach in providing correct execution of the system actions but also show how the response time of each tester can be improved by considering the temporal constraints. Indeed, the test becomes non-blocking and stops immediately by returning a false verdict if the temporal constraints have not been met.

Keywords: distributed testing; controllability; observability; synchronisation; timed coloured petri-net; rules.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMIC.2022.128308

International Journal of Modelling, Identification and Control, 2022 Vol.41 No.4, pp.343 - 356

Received: 08 Sep 2021
Accepted: 05 Jan 2022
Published online: 17 Jan 2023 *

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