An application of model-based testing to improve the Radio Unit testing process

Abstract: The aim of this thesis is to investigate how Model-Based Testing (MBT) can improve the traditional testing process for the Radio Unit (RU) product within Ericsson and how Ericsson could introduce MBT into their working environment. This thesis work is a proof of concept. The scope of the thesis is limited to the functional testing of RU LTE Carrier setup. The MBT tool used is Spec Explorer, an extension of Visual Studios. The language used in Spec Explorer to create the model is C#. The RU MBT model is created based on multiple RU-specifications and design documentations given by Ericsson. The model created is a rainy day scenario model. To be able to cover the given functional requirements stated in the documentation, multiple iterations of the model are created. The final iteration of the model is able to implicitly cover most of the functional requirements. 86 Abstract test cases were generated from the RU MBT model. The correctness of the model was verified by comparing these abstract test cases to the documentation. The abstract test cases were parsed into readable format for the new test framework in Ericsson. 86 concrete test cases were run in the new test framework to test a live RU, two errors were found. Analyzing and comparing the MBT process with the traditional testing process, the conclusion was that MBT shows an improvement in testing cost, testing quality, requirement traceability, defect detection and model behavior evolution. However MBT is still a demanding process with drawbacks. The recommendation is to first implement smaller models of RU functions and then successively implement more complex RU functions and extend the models when needed.