Virtual Testbed Emulating Responses for Offline Verification
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Solution Overview
Problem
Automated system verification tests face challenges in accessing expensive or limited hardware, developing tests offline, and verifying negative testing scenarios without actual hardware, as existing methods require constant access to real test equipment and are difficult to execute effectively.
Innovation Solution
A virtual testbed system that uses emulated responses for selected steps of system verification tests, allowing development of test scripts without constant access to real testbeds, by enabling emulation of responses based on manual input or previous test results, and enabling fault injection for testing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If automated tests are executed on real testbed equipment, then test accuracy and reliability are improved, but access to expensive hardware and constant connectivity requirements worsen the efficiency and cost-effectiveness
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a virtual testbed that copies the essential responses and behaviors of real testbed equipment. Instead of requiring physical access to expensive hardware, the system uses emulated responses that replicate the functionality of real devices, enabling test development without constant hardware access while maintaining test validity.
Solution Approach 2:
The virtual testbed acts as an intermediary between the test automation system and real hardware. It provides a layer of emulation that allows tests to execute without direct connection to physical equipment, resolving the contradiction by enabling efficient offline test development while preserving the ability to validate against real hardware when needed.
2Ease of operation
If test developers work offline without connection to real SUT, then test development flexibility and offline capability are improved, but the ability to exercise tests on actual equipment deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system creates virtual copies of real equipment responses, allowing developers to work offline with emulated testbeds. The virtual environment replicates the behavioral characteristics of actual hardware, enabling flexible offline development while maintaining sufficient realism for effective test verification.
Solution Approach 2:
The virtual testbed is prepared in advance with pre-configured emulated responses that mirror real equipment behavior. This preliminary setup allows developers to start working immediately without needing physical hardware access, while the emulated responses are designed to maintain verification accuracy.
3Adaptability or versatility
If fault conditions are injected in real equipment for negative testing, then test coverage for error detection is improved, but the difficulty and cost of providing fault conditions worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The virtual testbed enables fault condition simulation by copying and manipulating emulated responses. Instead of physically injecting faults into complex real equipment, the system can simulate fault conditions by modifying the emulated responses, significantly reducing the complexity and cost of negative testing while maintaining comprehensive test coverage.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the fault injection capability from the physical hardware layer and moves it to the software/emulation layer. By taking out the complexity of physical fault injection and implementing it through response emulation, the system achieves the same testing goals with much simpler mechanisms.
Data Source
AI summary
A virtual testbed for system verification test is provided in which emulated responses are associated with certain steps of a system verification test. The emulated responses can be manually entered or populated with previous test results obtained from execution of the emulation-enabled steps on a real testbed. When the emulation-enabled steps are executed, the system verification test uses the emulated responses as the responses corresponding to the actions of the emulation-enabled steps as if the steps were executed on the real testbed, without actually executing the emulation-enabled steps on the real testbed. Therefore, the virtual testbed of the present invention allows development of test scripts for system verification test without constant, actual access to the real testbed.