On Combining Model-Based Analysis and Testing

Testing a computer system is a challenging task, both due to the large number of possible test cases and the limited resources allocated for testing activities. This means that only a subset of all possible test cases can be chosen to test a system, and therefore the decision on the selection of test cases becomes important. The result of static analysis of a system can be used to help with this decision, in the context of model-based development of systems, this means that the analysis performed on a system model can be used to prioritize and guide the testing efforts. Furthermore, since models allow expression of non-functional requirements (such as performance, timing and security), model-guided testing can be used to direct testing towards specific parts of the system which have large impact on such requirements. In this paper, we focus on modeling and trade-off analysis of non-functional requirements and how static analysis helps to identify problematic parts of a system and thus guide the selection of test cases to target such parts.