Improving automation and reuse in TLC testing through COTS-based architecture

Technologies involved into the context of telecommunication systems are rapidly evolving. This means that both construction and testing specifications are constantly modified; and it also means that products can change rapidly and affect the test requirements. Moreover the devices, by themselves, are very complicated tangles of hardware and software issues; thus the test automation is a great challenge. We present here an effective proposal for leverage of COTS for building a system modifying the actual test process in TLC products development phase. Starting from the analysis of the state of the art in testing, we propose an environment addressed to assist the test planning, description, execution and results analysis. In this paper we present ideas and preliminary results of a project carried on by our university in co-operation with the system proving division of a leader company in the field of TLC.