Interaction protocol conformity test method and system for cable television one-way gateway

Abstract

The invention provides an interaction protocol conformity test method and system for a cable television unidirectional gateway, and the system comprises a test case generation engine which is used for automatically generating test cases covering positive examples, counter examples and processes based on a protocol specification model; the protocol communication adapter is used for establishing communication connection with a gateway to be tested, completing packaging and sending of a test request and receiving of a response, and receiving a test case; the response analysis and conformity assertion engine is used for analyzing the gateway response and carrying out automatic conformity judgment based on an extensible assertion rule base; the test report generator is used for summarizing test results, generating a structured test report and associating failure cases with specific standard terms; according to the method and the system provided by the invention, the test efficiency is high, the rapid iteration requirement is met, the test coverage and depth are systematically guaranteed, the judgment result is objective, accurate and traceable, and effective precipitation and efficient reuse of test knowledge are realized.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of cable television network technology, and in particular to a method and system for testing the compliance of interactive protocols for a one-way cable television gateway. Background Technology

[0002] Against the backdrop of the digital and intelligent transformation of cable television networks, traditional set-top boxes are gradually being replaced by more flexible and open terminal solutions. This invention relates to a testing scheme for ensuring the protocol compliance of new network equipment. Specifically, this invention relates to a method and system for testing the software interaction protocol compliance between a cable television one-way gateway (hereinafter referred to as "gateway") and its connected terminal devices, belonging to the field of cable television network equipment testing technology.

[0003] Gateways are primarily used in HFC (Hybrid Fiber-Coaxial) networks that transmit live television broadcast services via digital television broadcasting. In typical applications, the gateway acts as a core bridging device, connecting upstream to the cable television coaxial network to receive DVB-C broadcast signals and downstream to terminals such as plug-in mini set-top boxes or smart TVs. Its core function is to perform hardware processing such as demodulation and demultiplexing on the received DVB signals, and encapsulate the service data (TS stream) it carries into IP packets (such as UDP packets), ultimately outputting them to the downstream terminal devices via Ethernet or USB interfaces. It is important to emphasize that the gateway outputs a program message stream that has not yet been finalized; the playback software installed on the downstream devices must then complete the subsequent program processing and decoding for playback.

[0004] To achieve the above functions, the gateway provides a series of application-layer APIs, device discovery mechanisms, and message messages that conform to specific protocols through its internal software. To ensure interoperability between devices from different manufacturers, the broadcast television and network audiovisual industry standard GY / T 410-2024 "Interaction Protocol Specification between Cable Television One-Way Gateway and 4K Ultra-High Definition Insertable Mini Set-Top Box" clearly defines the complete set of software interaction protocols necessary for their interaction.

[0005] Therefore, ensuring that gateway implementations of these protocols fully comply with industry standards is crucial for guaranteeing device compatibility, service quality, and passing industry access testing. Especially given the State Administration of Radio and Television's push for governance of complex operations and equipment standardization, conducting efficient and reliable protocol compliance testing on such new devices has become an urgent technical requirement for ensuring the healthy development of the industry.

[0006] However, the current related technologies generally have the following shortcomings: The testing efficiency is low, making it difficult to support an efficient regression testing process: Although the number of interfaces and parameters under test is limited, a considerable number of test cases (usually hundreds) still need to be constructed to cover all positive examples, negative examples, and boundary conditions in the standard. Manual testing methods require engineers to manually construct, send, record, and interpret the results for each test case, which is time-consuming and labor-intensive. Although basic automated scripts can automatically send requests, the critical "compliance judgment" step still requires manual verification one by one. Both of these methods require a significant investment of manpower and time when performing full regression testing (e.g., after each firmware upgrade), severely slowing down the product development and verification cycle.

[0007] Insufficient test coverage makes it difficult to guarantee the adequacy of tests: Manual testing and simple scripts heavily rely on testers' understanding of standard documents and test case design, making it easy to overlook boundary conditions, abnormal scenarios, complex state transition processes, and all mandatory or optional agreement clauses in the standard. This makes it impossible to systematically guarantee the adequacy of tests, posing potential quality risks.

[0008] The accuracy and consistency of test results are poor, and they rely excessively on individual abilities: the judgment criteria for test results exist in the subjective perception of the testers. Different people may have different understandings of the same standard clause, leading to inconsistent judgments on the same response behavior. The accuracy and reliability of the test are difficult to quantify, making it impossible to form an objective and unified evaluation benchmark.

[0009] Testing knowledge cannot be effectively accumulated and reused: The experience of testing experts and their deep understanding of protocols, through manual testing or hard-coded into simple scripts, are valuable testing assets that are strongly tied to specific individuals or scripts, making it difficult to transform them into reusable and transferable structured knowledge for the entire enterprise. With staff turnover or project changes, testing capabilities cannot be effectively accumulated and iteratively optimized. Summary of the Invention

[0010] In view of this, the present invention provides a method and system for testing the compliance of interaction protocols for a one-way gateway for cable television.

[0011] The present invention proposes a method for testing the compliance of interaction protocols for a one-way gateway in cable television, comprising: S1: The test case generation engine automatically generates one or more of three types of test cases based on the input protocol specification model: S2: The protocol communication adapter converts abstract test cases into specific application layer protocol requests and sends them to the gateway under test via Ethernet or USB interface; S3: The protocol communication adapter receives the response message returned by the gateway and passes it to the response analysis and compliance assertion engine for parsing and extracting key data elements; S4: Based on the rule base, perform compliance assertions. The response analysis and compliance assertion engine calls an extensible assertion rule base, or responds to manual configuration, and performs multi-level judgments on the parsed response: S5: The test report generator summarizes the execution results of all test cases, generates a detailed report, clearly identifies the pass / fail test cases, and associates the failed test cases with the specific standard clauses violated.

[0012] Another aspect of the present invention provides an interaction protocol compliance testing system for a one-way cable television gateway, comprising: Test case generation engine: Based on the protocol specification model, it automatically generates one or more test cases covering positive examples, negative examples, and processes; Protocol communication adapter: used to establish a communication connection with the gateway under test, complete the packet assembly, sending and receiving of test requests and responses, and receive the test cases; Response analysis and compliance assertion engine: Parses gateway responses and performs automated compliance checks based on an extensible assertion rule base, or performs checks based on manual configuration. Test report generator: Summarizes test results, generates structured test reports, and associates failed test cases with specific standard clauses.

[0013] In one implementation, the test cases include: Positive test cases: Use valid parameter combinations to verify the normal functionality of the interface; Counterexample test cases: Use illegal, out-of-bounds, or malformed parameters to verify the gateway's fault tolerance and error code return capabilities; Process test cases: Simulate an ordered sequence of API calls to verify the correctness of the gateway's internal state transitions.

[0014] In one embodiment, the protocol communication adapter is used for: For Ethernet-based communication, the adapter translates the use case into a standard HTTP GET request and sends it to the corresponding URL of the gateway over the TCP / IP network; For USB-based communication, the adapter is responsible for encapsulating protocol messages into specific USB data packets according to the encapsulation requirements specified in the standard, and then interacting with the gateway through the USB interface; It is responsible for receiving all responses from the gateway and passing them to downstream modules for processing.

[0015] In one implementation, the response analysis and compliance assertion engine further includes: Message parsing module: Configured to parse the received raw response messages, extract key elements including status codes, message headers, and business data bodies, and convert them into structured data; Extensible assertion rule base: Configure a rule knowledge base predefined according to standard clauses. Each rule directly corresponds to a specific requirement in the standard and is managed in a configurable manner. Compliance judgment logic: Based on the rule base, the engine performs automated, multi-level judgments on the parsed response, sequentially performing syntax and semantic compliance checks, and outputting the final compliance conclusion.

[0016] In one implementation, the rules configured in the extensible assertion rule base are defined one by one based on standard specifications and test items.

[0017] Another aspect of the present invention provides an electronic device, including a memory and a processor, wherein the memory stores a computer program, and the processor executes the computer program to implement the interaction protocol compliance testing method for a cable television one-way gateway as described above.

[0018] Another aspect of the present invention provides a computer storage medium storing a computer program that is executed to implement the interaction protocol compliance testing method for a cable television one-way gateway as described above.

[0019] By adopting the above technical solution, the present invention has at least the following advantages: The method and system provided by this invention offer a highly automated, comprehensive, and accurate compliance testing solution for cable TV one-way gateway software interaction protocols. It systematically transforms test experts' understanding of protocol standards into automatically executable test logic and extensible assertion rules. Its core objective is to construct a complete automated testing loop, achieving a leap from "automated test operations" to "intelligent compliance judgment," thereby completely resolving problems such as low efficiency, incomplete coverage, subjective judgment, and knowledge loss in existing technologies. This makes frequent and comprehensive regression testing feasible and efficient, significantly improving the efficiency, accuracy, and reliability of protocol compliance testing. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Various other advantages and benefits will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the following detailed description of preferred embodiments. The accompanying drawings are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of this application. Furthermore, the same reference numerals denote the same parts throughout the drawings. In the drawings: Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the interaction protocol compliance testing system for a cable television unidirectional gateway according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the interaction protocol compliance test method for a one-way cable TV gateway according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the response analysis and compliance assertion engine workflow according to an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0021] To further illustrate the technical means and effects of the present invention in achieving its intended purpose, the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and preferred embodiments.

[0022] While exemplary embodiments of the invention are shown in the accompanying drawings, it should be understood that the invention can be implemented in various forms and should not be limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided to enable a more thorough understanding of the invention and to fully convey its scope to those skilled in the art. The invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0023] This invention provides an interactive protocol compliance testing system for a one-way cable TV gateway, wherein the system's logical structure is as follows: Figure 1 As shown, it includes: Test case generation engine: Based on the protocol specification model, it automatically generates test cases that cover positive examples, negative examples, and processes.

[0024] Protocol communication adapter: Responsible for establishing a communication connection with the gateway under test, completing the packet assembly, sending, and receiving of test requests.

[0025] Response analysis and compliance assertion engine: Performs in-depth analysis of gateway responses and performs automated compliance judgments based on an extensible assertion rule base.

[0026] Test report generator: Summarizes test results, generates structured test reports, and associates failed test cases with specific standard clauses.

[0027] The following will combine Figure 1 The framework structure and Figure 2 The workflow of the system provided in this embodiment will be described in detail.

[0028] 1) Test Case Generation Engine This engine is the starting point for the entire testing process. Its input is a protocol specification model obtained by formally describing the target protocol standard (GY / T 410-2024). This model can be defined using JSON Schema, XML, or other structured data description languages, and its content covers the request parameter structure, valid value range, return value definition, and business process constraints of all interfaces in the standard.

[0029] Based on this protocol specification model, the engine automatically and systematically generates three types of test cases: Positive test cases: Using completely valid parameter combinations, verify the correctness of the gateway interface under normal conditions.

[0030] Counterexample test cases: Intentionally using illegal, out-of-bounds, incorrectly typed, or missing parameters to verify the gateway's fault tolerance capabilities and whether the error codes and prompts it returns precisely conform to the standard definitions.

[0031] Process test cases: Simulate an ordered sequence of multiple API calls (e.g., first perform device discovery, then request resources, and finally execute frequency locking) to verify the correct transition of the gateway's internal state and its consistency with the standard-defined process when handling complex business logic.

[0032] 2) Protocol communication adapter This module acts as a communication bridge between the test system and the gateway under test. It is responsible for converting the abstract test cases output by the test case generation engine into specific application layer protocol messages that can be sent via network or physical interfaces.

[0033] For Ethernet-based communication, the adapter translates the use case into a standard HTTP GET request and sends it to the corresponding URL of the gateway over the TCP / IP network.

[0034] For USB-based communication, the adapter is responsible for encapsulating protocol messages into specific USB data packets according to the encapsulation requirements specified in the standard, and then interacting with the gateway through the USB interface.

[0035] At the same time, this module is also responsible for receiving all responses from the gateway (including HTTP responses, USB return data, or asynchronously reported message messages) and passing them to downstream modules for processing.

[0036] 3) Response Analysis and Compliance Assertion Engine This engine is key to achieving intelligent judgment; its internal workflow is as follows: Figure 3 As shown.

[0037] Message parsing module: Responsible for parsing the received raw response messages, extracting key elements such as status codes, message headers, and business data bodies, and converting them into structured data.

[0038] Extensible Assertion Rule Base: This is a knowledge base predefined according to standard provisions. Each rule directly corresponds to a specific requirement in the standard and is managed in a configurable manner (e.g., stored in a configuration file). For example: Rule A-1: ​​When the request parameter type=1, the list field in the response data must be an array type.

[0039] Rule B-1: When the parameter index is out of range, the HTTP status code for the response must be 400.

[0040] Compliance judgment logic: Based on the rule base, the engine performs automated, multi-level judgments on the parsed response, sequentially performing syntax and semantic compliance checks, and outputting the final compliance conclusion.

[0041] See Figure 3 The detailed workflow of this engine, namely the testing method provided in this embodiment, is as follows: S1 Start: The engine starts by receiving response messages from the protocol communication adapter.

[0042] S2: Message parsing. The message parsing module is invoked to parse the original response and extract key data elements.

[0043] S3: Rule Matching. Based on the context of the current test case, the corresponding assertion rule is invoked from the extensible assertion rule library.

[0044] S4: Conformity Assertion. This executes the specific judgment logic defined in the rule definition, and this process involves two levels: S4-1: First, perform a syntax compliance check. Check whether the format, structure, and data type of the response message conform to the standard definition. If the check is "no", output "assertion failed" directly; if it is "yes", proceed to the next step.

[0045] S4-2: Then perform semantic compliance checks. Check if the business logic of the response data is correct. For positive requests, check if the data content is within a reasonable range; for negative requests, check if the error message precisely matches the standard. If the judgment is "no", output "assertion failed"; if it is "yes", output "assertion passed".

[0046] S5: Output Results. Output the final compliance result (pass / fail) to the test report generator.

[0047] 4) Test report generator This module summarizes the execution results of all test cases and generates a structured, detailed test report. The report not only clearly lists the pass / fail status of each test case, but also directly links failed test cases to the specific standard clauses they violated, and records detailed information on discrepancies between the actual response and the expected response. This greatly facilitates developers in quickly locating and rectifying problems.

[0048] To facilitate understanding, an application example based on the above embodiments will be introduced below.

[0049] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand and implement this invention, a specific test scenario is used as an example: testing the "resource request interface ( / reserve_resource)".

[0050] Test case generation: The test case generation engine reads the definition of the interface from the protocol specification model and automatically generates multiple test cases, including a positive example (all parameters are valid) and a negative example (missing the required clientuuid parameter).

[0051] Request sending: The protocol communication adapter converts the positive case into an HTTP GET request: http: / / [gateway IP]:[port] / reserve_resource?clientuuid=...&clientip=...&rtoken=... and sends it to the gateway.

[0052] Response Analysis and Assertions: The engine receives the gateway response, and the message parsing module parses it into structured data.

[0053] For positive requests, the compliance judgment logic calls the corresponding rules in the rule base to verify whether the Reply field is "ok" and whether the returned resource quantity such as Tuner-Size is reasonable.

[0054] For counterexample requests, the engine verifies whether the gateway returned a Reply: failed and a correct Reason as required by the standard.

[0055] Results Recording: The test report generator records the judgment results of the above two test cases in the final report, clearly indicating whether they pass or fail.

[0056] The second embodiment of the present invention provides a method for testing the compliance of an interaction protocol for a one-way cable television gateway, which can be referred to again. Figure 2 It is understood that the testing method provided in this embodiment is an application of the testing system provided in the first embodiment, and the testing method specifically includes: S1: Generate test cases. The test case generation engine automatically generates three types of test cases based on the input protocol specification model: Positive test cases: Use valid parameter combinations to verify that the interface functions normally.

[0057] Counterexample test cases: Use illegal, out-of-bounds, or malformed parameters to verify the gateway's fault tolerance and error code return capabilities.

[0058] Process test cases: Simulate an ordered sequence of API calls to verify the correctness of the gateway's internal state transitions.

[0059] S2: Assemble and send protocol requests. The protocol communication adapter translates abstract test cases into specific application-layer protocol requests (such as HTTP requests) and sends them to the gateway under test via Ethernet or USB interface.

[0060] S3: Receive and parse the response. The protocol communication adapter receives the response messages returned by the gateway (including synchronous HTTP responses and asynchronous UDP messages) and passes them to the response analysis and compliance assertion engine for parsing and extraction of key data elements.

[0061] S4: Perform compliance assertions based on the rule base. This is a crucial step; the response analysis and compliance assertion engine calls an extensible assertion rule base to perform multi-level judgments on the parsed response. Syntax compliance check: Verify whether the format, structure, and data type of the response message conform to the standard definition.

[0062] Semantic compliance assessment: Verifies whether the business logic of the response data is correct. For positive examples, it checks whether the data content is reasonable; for negative examples, it checks whether the error message precisely matches the criteria.

[0063] S5: Record results and generate reports. The test report generator summarizes the execution results of all test cases, generates detailed reports, clearly identifies the pass / fail test cases, and associates the failed test cases with the specific standard clauses violated.

[0064] According to a third embodiment of the present invention, an electronic device includes a memory and a processor. The memory stores a computer program, and the processor executes the computer program to implement the interaction protocol compliance testing method for a cable TV one-way gateway as described in the second embodiment.

[0065] In a fourth embodiment of the present invention, a computer storage medium is provided, wherein a computer program is stored on the medium, and the computer program is executed to implement the interaction protocol compliance testing method for a cable television one-way gateway as described in the second embodiment.

[0066] Compared with the prior art, this embodiment has at least the following advantages: (1) A qualitative leap in testing efficiency, meeting the needs of rapid iteration. This invention completely eliminates the bottleneck of manual intervention by constructing a complete automated closed loop of "generation-sending-analysis-assertion-reporting". The generation, execution, and result judgment of test cases are all completed automatically by the system, freeing testers from tedious and repetitive tasks. For regression testing scenarios that require coverage of hundreds of test cases, this invention can compress work that originally required several person-days to the minute or hour level, greatly improving testing efficiency and making frequent and comprehensive regression testing feasible, thus strongly supporting agile product development and rapid iteration.

[0067] (2) Test coverage and depth are systematically guaranteed. This invention utilizes an automated test case generation engine based on a protocol specification model to systematically and comprehensively cover all positive examples, negative examples, and business processes in the standard. Combined with a scalable assertion rule base for in-depth syntactic and semantic analysis of response messages, this invention can uncover boundary conditions, abnormal scenarios, and protocol implementation ambiguities that are easily overlooked through manual testing, fundamentally ensuring the sufficiency and rigor of the testing.

[0068] (3) The judgment results are objective, accurate and traceable. This invention uses a pre-defined, unified assertion rule base for compliance judgment, completely eliminating misjudgments or inconsistent results caused by testers' subjective interpretation biases. The judgment criteria are solidified in the rules, ensuring high objectivity, repeatability, and credibility of the test results. Furthermore, any failed test case can be directly linked to a specific violated standard clause, providing a clear path for problem localization.

[0069] (4) Achieve effective accumulation and efficient reuse of test knowledge This invention transforms testing experts' in-depth understanding of protocol standards into structured "protocol specification models" and "extensible assertion rule bases." These knowledge assets are independent of specific testers or scripts, becoming core testing assets that can be inherited and reused by the enterprise. This not only reduces dependence on specific senior testers and effectively addresses the risk of personnel turnover, but also enables testing capabilities to continuously iterate and improve as rules are accumulated and optimized.

[0070] The embodiments of this application have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, this application is not limited to the specific embodiments described above. The specific embodiments described above are merely illustrative and not restrictive. Those skilled in the art can make many other forms under the guidance of this application without departing from the spirit and scope of the claims. All of these forms are within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A method for testing the compliance of an interaction protocol for a one-way cable television gateway, characterized in that, include: S1: The test case generation engine automatically generates one or more of three types of test cases based on the input protocol specification model: S2: The protocol communication adapter converts abstract test cases into specific application layer protocol requests and sends them to the gateway under test via Ethernet or USB interface; S3: The protocol communication adapter receives the response message returned by the gateway and passes it to the response analysis and compliance assertion engine for parsing and extracting key data elements; S4: Based on the rule base, perform compliance assertions. The response analysis and compliance assertion engine calls an extensible assertion rule base, or responds to manual configuration, and performs multi-level judgments on the parsed response: S5: The test report generator summarizes the execution results of all test cases, generates a detailed report, clearly identifies the pass / fail test cases, and associates the failed test cases with the specific standard clauses violated.

2. A system for testing the compliance of an interaction protocol for a one-way gateway in cable television, characterized in that, include: Test case generation engine: Based on the protocol specification model, it automatically generates one or more test cases covering positive examples, negative examples, and processes; Protocol communication adapter: used to establish a communication connection with the gateway under test, complete the packet assembly, sending and receiving of test requests and responses, and receive the test cases; Response analysis and compliance assertion engine: Parses gateway responses and performs automated compliance checks based on an extensible assertion rule base, or performs checks based on manual configuration. Test report generator: Summarizes test results, generates structured test reports, and associates failed test cases with specific standard clauses.

3. The interaction protocol compliance testing system for a cable television one-way gateway according to claim 2, characterized in that, The test cases include: Positive test cases: Use valid parameter combinations to verify the normal functionality of the interface; Counterexample test cases: Use illegal, out-of-bounds, or malformed parameters to verify the gateway's fault tolerance and error code return capabilities; Process test cases: Simulate an ordered sequence of API calls to verify the correctness of the gateway's internal state transitions.

4. The interaction protocol compliance testing system for a cable television one-way gateway according to claim 2, characterized in that, The protocol communication adapter is used for: For Ethernet-based communication, the adapter translates the use case into a standard HTTP GET request and sends it to the corresponding URL of the gateway over the TCP / IP network; For USB-based communication, the adapter is responsible for encapsulating protocol messages into specific USB data packets according to the encapsulation requirements specified in the standard, and then interacting with the gateway through the USB interface; It is responsible for receiving all responses from the gateway and passing them to downstream modules for processing.

5. The interaction protocol compliance testing system for a cable television one-way gateway according to claim 2, characterized in that, The response analysis and compliance assertion engine further includes: Message parsing module: Configured to parse the received raw response messages, extract key elements including status codes, message headers, and business data bodies, and convert them into structured data; Extensible assertion rule base: Configure a rule knowledge base predefined according to standard clauses. Each rule directly corresponds to a specific requirement in the standard and is managed in a configurable manner. Compliance judgment logic: Based on the rule base, the engine performs automated, multi-level judgments on the parsed response, sequentially performing syntax and semantic compliance checks, and outputting the final compliance conclusion.

6. The interaction protocol compliance testing system for a cable television unidirectional gateway according to claim 5, characterized in that, In the extensible assertion rule base, the configured rules are defined one by one based on standard specifications and test items.

7. An electronic device, characterized in that, It includes a memory and a processor, wherein the memory stores a computer program, and the processor executes the computer program to implement the interaction protocol compliance testing method for a cable television one-way gateway as described in claim 1.

8. A computer storage medium, characterized in that, The medium stores a computer program that is executed to implement the interaction protocol compliance testing method for a cable television one-way gateway as described in claim 1.

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