Automated Evaluation of Digital TV Middleware: Using Fuzzing and Pairwise for Test Generation

Testing is paramount in evaluating digital TV (DTV) software quality while developing digital television (DTV) receivers. It is about executing tests and looking for the most effective and efficient approaches, i.e., the ones that present high coverages in short running times. However, in addition to the system software modules usually present in DTV environments' there is also the middleware element, which surely involves application programming interfaces and specific execution environments, leading to a thorough conformance evaluation. Moreover, as a complex entity, DTV middleware may require broader verification, even with scenarios going beyond what is exposed in standards. The present work addresses these aspects and introduces an automated test generation methodology using fuzzing and pairwise testing tailored for the middleware DTV Play used in the Brazilian DTV system. It speeds up testing processes, enabling quicker cycles and more thorough evaluation steps.