Protocol testing can be grouped in two categories: Stress & Reliability Tests and Functional Tests.
- Stress
and Reliability Tests include Performance Testing, Load Testing, Stress
Testing, Line Speed Testing and Robustness or Security Testing.
- Functional
Tests include Negative Testing, Inopportune Testing,
Conformance/Compliance Testing, Syntax and Semantic Testing,
Interoperability Testing and Deep-path Testing.
Performance Testing -
process of verifying that the performance of the device under test
meets an acceptable level. Performance testing is a superset of line
speed testing in which performance applies to many aspects of a network
device or application, and not just line speed.
Load Testing:
Load testing is used to determine how well a system will perform in a
typical environment under a specific load. Load testing is useful when
you are confident that the application is functionally sound, but you do
not know how the application will perform under a specific load.
The
example of a load test is a call generator application that generates
1000 calls that a telephone switch must process. Does the switch
continue to operate? Does its performance degrade or it crashes?
Stress Testing –
process of subjecting the device under test to out of boundary
conditions. The device under test should report an error message,
gracefully shut down, or reject the input in some other way. In no case,
should the device under test crash, reboot, or cause any harm.
An
example of stress test can be 50 SNMP managers simultaneously querying
one SNMP agent in the device under test. Normally, no more than one to
three managers concurrently query an SNMP agent in a device. The device
should perform an appropriate action.
Line Speed Testing - process of verifying that a device can operate at its rated line speed, when the bandwidth is 100% utilized or saturated.
For
example, if the device is rated as operating at 5 Giga bytes per
second, then the device should be able to handle incoming traffic
utilizing all the available bandwidth.
Robustness Testing - process of subjecting a device under test to particular input streams. The input streams may be one of three types:
- Random input streams
- Valid input streams
- Invalid input streams
Robustness
testing is a form of security testing. Security testing is more broadly
defined to include monitoring / surveillance and the detection of
specific exploits like IP spoofing or phishing etc.
The
example of intelligent robustness test can be adding a trailing dot to
the DNS name in the SIP URL. This is legal, but perhaps unexpected. The
SIP implementation in the receiving device should process this
correctly.
Negative Testing – process to
verify that the device under test responds correctly to error conditions
or unacceptable input conditions. Negative testing can be challenging
because the number of incorrect conditions is unlimited.
Example of a negative test would be using a security protocol for authentication with an incorrect parameter.
Inopportune Testing –
process to verify that the device under test is able to react properly
when an unexpected protocol event occurs. The event is syntactically
correct, but occurs when not expected. Inopportune testing is a specific
instance of negative protocol conformance testing.
An
example of inopportune testing is a BYE response to a SIP INVITE. The
SIP INVITE is expecting a 100 Trying response, but not a BYE response.
Protocol Conformance Testing -
process of systematically selecting each requirement in a standards
document and then testing to see if the device under test operates
according to that requirement. This is done by creating a series of
single function tests for each requirement, resulting in thousands of
tests.
Conformance testing for computer networking
protocols is defined in ISO/IEC 9646-1:1994(E) as "testing both the
capabilities and behavior of an implementation, and checking what is
observed against the conformance requirements in the relevant
International Standards."
An example of a conformance test is to check if the “ping” command operates correctly.
Syntax and Semantic Testing:
Protocol conformance testing requires testing both the syntax and the
semantics (functionality) of the device under test. Semantic tests force
the device under test into a certain condition or state. Often the test
cannot verify the correct behavior; it must be verified by an operator.
It’s
example can be a test for a router to check whether it is maintaining
an accurate count of all erroneous incoming packets of a certain type
requires a mechanism for generating the erroneous packets, counting
them, directing them to the router, assuring they were received by the
router, and then reading the actual counter in the router.
Interoperability Testing -
process of testing devices from multiple manufacturers by interacting
in such a manner as to exercise the network protocol under test.
Interoperability
testing is very useful in the early stages of a new product or new
protocol. As products mature, interoperability testing becomes less
valuable as it does not uncover enough new bugs to warrant the cost of
setting up, configuring and managing network equipment from various
manufacturers.
Deep-path testing –
process of exercising every path through the code, not just the main
path through the code. This is done by maintaining and tracking the
protocol conversation very precisely, in a controlled way.
Deep-path
testing is useful for forcing a particular path through code that is
very difficult to exercise but very important for correct operation.
The
best thing is that there are many FREE as well as paid cross browser
compatible testing tools available in the market. On top of it, you can
do your job with most of the FREE tools. If you have very specific
requirements, then you may need to have a paid cross browser compatible
testing tool. Lets have quick look on some of the best tools:
