ConformanceConformance

Mark Skall

Lynne S. Rosenthal

National Institute of Standards and Technologymark.skall@nist.gov

lynne.rosenthal@nist.gov

IntroductionIntroduction

NIST works with industry to develop standards and tests to improve the quality of software and achieve interoperable solutions

Many years experience with – Formal standards organizations and Consortia– Developing conformance test suites, tools,

reference implementations– Developing validation and certification testing

programs

Today’s ObjectivesToday’s Objectives

Present basic information about conformance and conformance related topics

Achieve a common understanding Lead a discussion about how conformance

applies to ebXML Present overview of TA Spec. Conformance

Clause Offer our assistance to WG in discussing and

developing conformance for their Spec.

OutlineOutline

Background Terminology Conformance Testing

– Testing Methodology– Testing Ingredients

ebXML Issues TA Conformance Guidance

Conformanceclause

Conformance Testing

Test suites Test tools

Validation

Procedures, reporting

Certification

Certificates

Branding

BackgroundBackground

Standards not enough to ensure interoperability– Standards only meaningful if implemented in a consistent way

Need to ensure that implementations adhere to the standard– What is expected of implementations in order to claim

conformance – i.e., what are the requirements?– How will we know if an implementation conforms?

• test suites, test tools

Different ideas of what conformance is– Past experience may have affected view of conformance

TerminologyTerminology

Conformance

Specification Conformance Clause

Conformance Testing test suite, test tools

Validation process, reporting

Certification certificate, brand

Terminology - ConformanceTerminology - Conformance

CONFORMANCE - the fulfillment of a product, process or service of specified requirements (ISO Guide 2)

– These requirements are specified in a standard or specification as part of a conformance clause or in the body of the specification

CONFORMANCE CLAUSE - a section of a specification that states all the requirements or criteria that must be satisfied to claim conformance

Terminology - Conformance TestingTerminology - Conformance Testing

CONFORMANCE TESTING – a way to verify

implementations of a specification to determine

whether or not deviations from the specifications exist

(through the use of test suites). – tests capture the technical requirements within the specification– testing is bound in scope by the specification – internal structure of product-under-test not accessible (black box

testing)

Necessary, but not sufficient, for interoperability

Note: referred to as conformity assessment in ISO Guide 2

Testing MethodologyTesting Methodology

Falsification Testing– find errors by means of experimentation– show presence of errors not their absence– prove non-conformance; can never prove conformance

Tests built to check for:– required functionality has been implemented (basic tests)– logical errors by misunderstanding requirements– errors from boundary conditions and divergence– common programming errors

Conformance Tests

Requirements

100%non conforming

????conforming

Test programs

Specification

Implementation

Terminology - Testing ProcessTerminology - Testing Process

VALIDATION - process necessary to perform conformance testing in accordance with a prescribed procedure and official test suite– ensures that testing can be repeatable and reproducible– ensures that conclusions are consistent with facts presented

in the evaluation

CERTIFICATION - acknowledgement that a validation was completed and the criteria established by CIO for issuing certificates (brands) was met.

Testing IngredientsTesting Ingredients

Standard Conformance clause

Conformance TestingTest assertions

Test suite (test software, test scripts, test criteria)

Validation Process - policy and procedures for testing

Certificationqualified bodies to do the testing and certification

control board - advisory and arbiter

ebXML Conformance IssuesebXML Conformance Issues

Conformance Clause should address?1. What Needs to Conform?

2. Profiles and Levels

3. Extensions

4. Implementation Defined Features

5. Alternate approaches

Scope –what should be addressed?a. Assertions

b. Test Suite

c. Testing Service

d. Certification

ebXML Issues - ebXML Issues - Conformance Clause address:Conformance Clause address:1. What needs to conform

– identify the ‘class of products’ that will be developed

– what are the conditions that need to be met in order to claim conformance

– Examples:

registry, messaging service, business service

interface, ebXML message, testing partner agreements

ebXML Issues -ebXML Issues -Conformance Clause address:Conformance Clause address:2. Profiles and Levels

– Are profiles and/or levels needed?– Should a profile have its own levels?– minimal requirements (core)

Profile is a subset of the overall specifications that includes all of the functionality necessary to satisfy the requirements of a particular community of users.

 Levels are nested subsets of the specifications. Level 1 = core that all must implement; subsequent levels include lower level + added functionality

ebXML Issues - ebXML Issues - Conformance Clause address:Conformance Clause address:

3. Extensions– If allowed:

• shall not re-define semantics of existing functions• shall not cause standard-conforming functions to execute incorrectly

– Standardized method for extensions?• Define the mechanism for extending the specification, so extended in

a standard manner

– Register of extensions• document parallel to but distinct from specification• list of recognized, published extensions

• may eventually migrate into future versions

ebXML Issues - ebXML Issues - Conformance Clause address:Conformance Clause address:4. Implementation Defined Features

– may want to address implementation dependent ranges, min/max allowed values

5. Alternative Approaches– specification may describe several different ways

to accomplish an operation (e.g., choice of bindings)

– specify whether or not all approaches need to be implemented

ebXML Issues - ScopeebXML Issues - Scope

Should ebXML include or address:a. Assertions (test requirements)

- Should assertions be part of the standard?

b. Test Suite- Prescribe a test methodology?

- How test suite will be delivered/used (e.g., web based, downloadable)?

c. Testing Service - Guidelines for establishing a test service

d. Certification

- Guidelines for issuing certificates

Testing Program - Testing Program - Considerations

How formal should testing be?– Self testing, 3rd party testing– Branding/certificates

Testing program– Who will ‘own’ the testing program– Policy and procedures– Testing laboratory– Issue Certificates– Control board– Test suite maintenance

TA Conformance GuidanceTA Conformance Guidance

General conformance guidelines for ebXML All ebXML specs shall contain a conformance

clause– Can have levels of ebXML conformance -

hierarchical– Explains how conformance requirements can be

expressed (mandatory, conditional, optional)

Encourage use of publicly available test suites

DiscussionDiscussion