Specialist Task Force 550:
TTCN-3 Evolution 2018
Who we are:
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What we do
STF 550 manages the evolution of the TTCN-3 in 2018. This includes the
maintenance and further development of the ES 201 873 series of
standards and the eight extension packages ES 202 781, ES 202 782, ES
202 784, ES 202 785, ES 202 786, ES 202 789, ES 203 022, and ES 203 790.
For more details, see our Terms
of Reference
Why we do it
The TTCN 3 testing language has intensively been developed by ETSI
during the last decade and, by today, it consists of 16 ETSI standards,
altogether more than 1600 pages. The language is also endorsed by ITU-T
as the Z.16x and Z.17x Recommendation series. By now TTCN-3 is used
exceptionally as the formal specification language of standardized test
suites and has also become an important testing technology at various
ETSI member companies and in several industrial domains (http://www.ttcn-3.org/index.php/about/references/applicatio-domains)
and standards organizations (http://www.ttcn-3.org/index.php/about/references).
TTCN-3 has an important role in standardization; it is an enabler
technology in many areas. Several conformance and
end-to-end/interoperability test standards have been developed and being
developed by 3GPP, ETSI TBs INT, ERM, ITS and oneM2M/smartM2M. 3GPP is
using TTCN 3 for UE conformance tests from Rel. 8 and onward to LTE and
VoLTE, with NB-IoT on horizon. In the C ITS area also several TTCN-3
test suites have been developed and they start playing important roles
in ITS Plugtest events, with automated C-ITS interoperability testing
being in progress. In 2016 oneM2M has started using TTCN-3 for IoT/M2M
conformance test development that has been continued in ETSI smartM2M in
2017. oneM2M is also developing an open source test tool to the execute
the conformance tests.
TTCN-3 fulfills an important role in the industry. In the IoT area
several new protocols has been and still being standardized, which lack
of proper testing, from conformance, interoperability and security and
robustness perspectives. For example, in Germany a state-supported
project exists to fill this hole with TTCN-3 based test solutions, but
also the EU project ARMOUR is using TTCN-3 in its security related test
suite developments. Development of new products raises new TTCN 3
language requirements and requests for new features.
The customers of ETSI industrial members require low time to market of
the new capabilities and features developed. Due to this, vendors have
had introduced new, agile ways of working, continuous integration (CI)
and continuous delivery (CD) machinery. Both agile and CI/CD are heavily
relying on automated testing (AT), including AT solutions based on
TTCN-3. Resolving these requests with short response time is important
for user satisfaction and to keep low time-to-market for new
capabilities and features being developed.
Performance and robustness, and security testing are also of increasing
importance and TTCN-3 is used at some ETSI member companies in these
areas as well.
During the last years several change requests from 3GPP, industrial
users and TTCN-3 tool vendors could be resolved and closed in a shortest
possible time due to the fact that a TTCN-3 language evolution STF was
at place.
TC MTS is committed to keep the language powerful even so easy-to-use,
up-to-date, well maintained and following the changing user needs. Also
today 3 further parts of the TTCN-3 standards family are being developed
and users request more extensions to ease test framework and test
application (i.e. performance and security testing tools) development.
How we do it
The TTCN-3 language evolution work will comprise the following tasks:
• Review and resolve change requests reporting
technical defects, or requesting clarifications and new language
features for all existing TTCN-3 language standards.
• Develop proposals for language extensions requested
by 3GPP, OMA, ETSI members and the TTCN-3 community and consent the
solution with the contributor(s).
• Implement agreed solutions.
• Manage the change request (CR) process.
• Manage the interim versions of the standard,
according to 3GPP needs, and the versions for approval.
• Present the TTCN-3 standards’ status and the work of
the STF at the conference(s) associated with ETSI TB MTS and at ETSI TB
MTS meetings.
Deliverables
The maintenance and further development of TTCN-3 is based on change
requests provided by 3GPP, OMA, ETSI members and the TTCN-3 community.
STF 550 resolves the CRs in agreement with the contributor(s) and
produces new versions for those standards that are affected by
resolutions. Potentially, STF 550 produces new versions of the ES 201
873 series of standards and the eight extension packages ES 202 781, ES
202 782, ES 202 784, ES 202 785, ES 202 786, ES 202 789, ES 203 022, and
ES 203 790.
Time plan
For all deliverables produced by STF 550 the following time schedule
is planned:
• Draft for TB approval 31-Jan-2019
• Deliverables submitted to member vote 31-March 2019
• Publication 31-May
2019
For further details, or if you wish to be involved in the work of the
STF, please contact the STF Leader: Jens Grabowski: grabowski@cs.uni-goettingen.de