Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
APPLICATION FORM
FUNDAMENTAL RESEARCH GRANT SCHEME (FRGS)
Skim Geran Penyelidikan Fundamental
(Pindaan 1/2012)
A. Application Details
Application ID
10402
Application Type
Single Disciplinary
FRGS 2013-2
B(ii). Nationality
Yemen
03569426
B(iv). Position
Senior Lecturer
B(v). University
B(vi). Faculty/Centre
B(vii). Unit
Computer Science
00609549 Ext.2210
0060174254911
alsewari@ump.edu.my
01/04/2013
Contract,31/03/2016
C. Research Information
C(i). Research Cluster
Research Cluster
Computer Science
September/2013
To
August/2015
Duration
2 years
Name
IC / Passport
Number:
Position
Invitation
Status
13578
Kamal Z. Zamli
690620065069
Universiti Malaysia
Pahang
Professor
Pending
13914
761027035630
Universiti Malaysia
Pahang
Senior
Lecturer
Pending
C(v). Research projects that have been completed or ongoing by project leader for the last three years
Title
Grant
Role
Name
Status
End Date
01/08/2010 01/09/2012
01/05/2010 30/04/2012
C(vi). Academic publications that has been published by the project leader for the last five (5) years
Title
Name of Journal
Year
2013
2012
2012
2012
2012
2011
2011
Search Algorithm
2-Way Interaction Test Suite Construction
Strategy Using Harmony Search Algorithm
2011
In last 10 years, several variety of t-way test suite generation strategies exist. The t-way test suite generation can be
categorized into two main approaches: the algebraic and computational approaches. Predominantly, Algebraic
approach is based on mathematical functions for constructing the Orthogonal Array (OA). OAs group is too
restrictive; thus, it is requiring the parameters and values to be uniform since it profiteer mathematical properties.
Addressing the aforementioned limitation, the Mutual Orthogonal Array (MOA) [1] has been introduced to support
non-uniform values. Although helpful, the applicability of orthogonal array is often limited to small configuration.
Therefore, computational based approach has been used recently in order to permit the support for very large
configuration.
Unlike algebraic approach, computational approach often relies on the generation of all interaction possibilities.
Concise, the strategies adopt the computational approach construct list contains all possible combinations for the
system parameters based on the considered strength. And then generate the test case candidates to cover these
possible combinations. Constructing the test case candidates in this approach based on two techniques ether onetest-at-a-time or one-parameter-at-a-time.
In first technique the strategy generates a one test case candidate in each time. And then all the possible
combinations for that test case candidate will be removed from all possible combinations list. The test case
candidate have add to the final list is the best test case candidate from several test cases candidates have been
generated at the same time in each iteration based on the technique have been used in each strategy. The strategies
adopt this technique can be classified in two main approaches ( Pure computational based approach and Artificial
based approach ) based on the algorithms have been used by the strategies. The pure computational based
approach strategies executed certain process greedy and iteratively to generate the test data. Example of strategies
adopts this approach like; AETG [2, 3], mAETG [4], TVG [5, 6], TestCover [7], TCG [8], Jenny [9], WHITCH [10],
GTWay[], PICT [11], ITTDG[12], and AURA[13]. The strategies under this approach have different of interactions
strength support as (uniform strength interaction, variable strength interaction, and input output based relations).
Most of the pure computational based approach strategies support uniform strength interaction as (AETG [2, 3],
mAETG [4], TVG [5, 6], TestCover [7], TCG [8], Jenny [9], WHITCH [10], GTWay[14], PICT [11], ITTDG[12], and
AURA[13]), While some of them have addressed the variable strength interaction like (Density [15, 16], TVG [5, 6],
PICT [11], WHITCH, ITTDG[12], and AURA[13]), and also some of these strategies support the input output based
relations as (Density [15, 16], TVG [5, 6], Union[17], Greedy[18], ITTDG[12], and AURA[13]).
Recently, significant efforts are also emerging to adopt Artificial Intelligence based strategies for one-test-at-a-time
approach t-way generation. In this approach the strategy mimics the behavior of the natural like (the gene of the
chromosomes, ants, swarm of birds or fish, and etc.) to produce test suite. All the existing AI based strategies as
(SA, GA, and ACA) [19, 20] support uniform strength interaction but with limited strength (i.e. t3) except PSTG [21]
extended the strength to (i.e. t<6). Only SA, ACA and PSTG address the supporting for variable strength, also with
small strength (i.e. t<4) for SA [20, 22] and ACS[23], and the strength (i.e. t<6) for VS-PSTG[24]. While AI based
strategies generates most optimum results in most cases, but until now no one of them has been reported for
addressing the features of input output based relations.
In the first case, per each iteration the strategy generates a complete test case and checks whether or not that the
test case is the best fit value (i.e. covering the most uncovered interaction tuples) to be elected in the final test
suite. The first strategy attempts in this direction is the Automatic Efficient Test Generator (AETG) [2]. Based on the
AETG framework, a number of its variations have been developed in the literature (see mAETG [4] and Test Vector
Generator (TVG) [5, 25]). In another work, another tool have been developed by Jenkins [26] called Jenny which
used a similar algorithm to that of the AETG (with one-test-at-a-time). Around the same time, Hartman et al.
developed the Intelligent Test Case Handler (WHITCH) [27] and Williams developed a t-way test tool called TConfig
(Test Configuration) [28].
In the second technique of one-parameter-at-a-time, the strategy constructs the test cases incrementally by
horizontal extension until completion. This is followed by vertical extension, if necessary, to cover the uncovered
interaction. Here, the interaction coverage for each parameter extension is checked before the complete test case is
generated In Parameter Order IPO strategy [29]. IPO has been generalized into IPOG [30], IPOG-D[30], IPOF[31],
and IPOF2[31] to address general t-way support with some variant algorithms for optimizing the horizontal and
vertical extension (i.e. to get optimal test size and fast execution time). Due to its simplicity, IPOs approach has
also been adopted elsewhere by other researchers, notably in the development of MIPOG[32]. Unlike IPO and its
family, MIPOG removes inherent dependencies between horizontal and vertical extension in order to permit parallel tway test suite generation on multi-core machines. Only IPOG and ParaOrder [6] address the support for variablestrength interaction. Unlike IPOG, ParaOrder allows prioritization of t-way interaction for its horizontal extension.
Specifically, the extended parameter for ParaOrder strategy is decided based on number of values (i.e., parameter
with higher number of values will be extended first), whereas, for IPOG, the extended parameter is decided based on
the defined order-of-parameter found. Regarding supporting input output interactions relations, there are only two
strategies adopt this technique supporting input output interactions relations (ParaOreder, ReqOrder) [33].
5. Relevance to Goverment Policy, if any
This proposal is inline with the government's initiative on ICT Human Capital Development Framework. Specifically,
research into Optimization Algorithms is part of the MOSTI- Generic ICT R&D Framework (i.e. as Generic AI
Processors).
(b) References
[1] C. S. Cheng, Orthogonal Arrays with Variable Numbers of Symbols, The Annals of Statistics, vol. 8, no. 2, pp.
447-453, 1980.
[2] D. M. Cohen, S. R. Dalal, M. L. Fredman et al., The AETG System: An Approach to Testing Based on
Combinatorial Design, IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering, vol. 23, no. 7, pp. 437-444, July, 1997.
[3] D. M. Cohen, S. R. Dalal, J. Parelius et al., The Combinatorial Design Approach to Automatic Test Generation,
IEEE software, vol. 13, no. 5, pp. 83-88, 1996.
[4] M. B. Cohen, Designing test suites for software interaction testing, PhD Thesis, Department of Computer
Science, University of Auckland, 2004.
[5] Y.-W. Tung, and W. S. Aldiwan, Automating Test Case Generation for The New Generation of Mission Software
System, in Proceedings of the IEEE Aerospace Conference, 2000, pp. 431-437.
[6] J. Arshem. "TVG," 20 July 2011; http://sourceforge.net/projects/tvg.
[7] G. Sherwood. "TestCover," 15 June, 2011; http://testcover.com/pub/constex.php.
[8] T. Yu-Wen, and W. S. Aldiwan, "Automating Test Case Generation for the New Generation Mission Software
System." pp. 431-437.
[9] B. Jenkins. "Jenny," June 25, 2010; http://burtleburtle.net/bob/math/jenny.html.
[10] A. Hartman. "IBM Intelligent Test Case Handler," 25 June, 2011; http://www.alphaworks.ibm.com/tech/whitch.
[11] J. Czerwonka, "Pairwise Testing in Real World: Practical Extensions to Test Case Generator." pp. 419-430.
[12] R. R. Othman, and K. Z. Zamli, ITTDG: Integrated T-way Test Data Generation Strategy for Interaction
Testing, Scientific Research and Essays, vol. 6, no. 17, pp. 3638-3648, 2011.
[13] H. Y. Ong, and K. Z. Zamli, Development of Interaction Test Suite Generation Strategy with Input-Output
Mapping Supports, Scientific Research and Essays, vol. 6, no. 16, pp. 3418-3430, 2011.
[14] K. Z. Zamli, M. F. J. Klaib, M. I. Younis et al., Design And Implementation of A T-Way Test Data Generation
Strategy with Automated Execution Tool Support, Information Sciences, vol. 181, no. 9, pp. 1741-1758, 2011.
[15] R. C. Bryce, and C. J. Colbourn, The Density Algorithm for Pairwise Interaction Testing: Research Articles,
Software Testing, Verification & Reliability, vol. 17, no. 3, pp. 159-182, 2007.
[16] R. C. Bryce, and C. J. Colbourn, A Density-Based Greedy Algorithm for Higher Strength Covering Arrays,
Software Testing, Verification & Reliability, vol. 19, no. 1, pp. 37-53, 2009.
[17] P. J. Schroeder, Black-Box Test Reduction Using Input-Output Analysis, Ph.D., Illinois Institute of
Technology., 2001.
[18] P. J. Schroeder, and B. Korel, Black-box test reduction using input-output analysis, SIGSOFT Softw. Eng.
Notes, vol. 25, no. 5, pp. 173-177, 2000.
[19] T. Shiba, T. Tsuchiya, and T. Kikuno, "Using Artificial Life Techniques to Generate Test Cases for
Combinatorial Testing." pp. 72-77.
[20] J. Stardom, Metaheuristics and The Search for Covering and Packing Array Master thesis, Department of
Mathematics, Simon Fraser University, Canada, 2001.
[21] B. S. Ahmed, K. Z. Zamli, and C. P. Lim, Constructing a T-Way Interaction Test Suite Using the Particle
Swarm Optimization Approach, International Journal of Innovative Computing, Information and Control, vol. 8, no. 1,
pp. 431-452, 2012.
[22] M. B. Cohen, C. J. Colbourn, and A. C. H. Ling, Constructing Strength Three Covering Arrays with Augmented
Annealing, Discrete Mathematics, vol. 308, no. 13, pp. 2709-2722, 2008.
[23] X. Chen, Q. Gu, A. Li et al., "Variable Strength Interaction Testing with an Ant Colony System Approach." pp.
160-167.
[24] B. S. Ahmed, and K. Z. Zamli, A Variable-Strength Interaction Test Suites Generation Strategy Using Particle
Swarm Optimization, Journal of Systems and Software, vol. 84, no. 12, pp. 2171-2185, 2011.
[25] J. Arshem, TVG download web page, : http://sourceforge.net/projects/tvg, 2010.
[26] B. Jenkins, Jenny download web page: http://burtleburtle.net/bob/math/jenny.html, 2010.
[27] A. Hartman. "IBM Intelligent Test Case Handler," http://www.alphaworks.ibm.com/tech/whitch.
[28] A. W. Williams, "Determination of Test Configurations for Pair-wise Interaction Coverage." pp. 59-74.
[29] Y. Lei, and K. C. Tai, "In-Parameter-Order: A Test Generation Strategy for Pairwise Testing." pp. 254 - 261.
[30] Y. Lei, R. Kacker, D. R. Kuhn et al., IPOG/IPOG-D: Efficient Test Generation for Multi-way Combinatorial
Testing, Software Testing Verification and Reliability, vol. 18, no. 3, pp. 125-148, 2008.
[31] M. Forbes, J. Lawrence, Y. Lei et al., Refining the In-Parameter-Order Strategy for Constructing Covering
Arrays, Journal of Research of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, vol. 113, no. 5, pp. 287-297,
September, 2008.
[32] M. I. Younis, and K. Z. Zamli, MC-MIPOG: A Parallel T-Way Test Generation Strategy for Multicore Systems,
ETRI Journal, vol. 32, no. 1, pp. 73-83, 2010.
[33] W. Ziyuan, N. Changhai, and X. Baowen, "Generating combinatorial test suite for interaction relationship." pp.
55-61.
(c) Objective (s) of the Research
The main aim of this research is to design and evaluate a new input output based t-way testing strategy for
Appindex A-B.pdf
3. Research Activities
Activity
Start Date
End Date
PHASE I: Literature Review> In this phase, the survey of the literature will be done to
establish the existing t-way testing strategies.
02/09/2013 31/12/2013
PHASE II: Requirement Elicitation Based on the literature review survey, the requirement
for the project is established in this phase. From the requirement, how the HS and t-way
algorithm will be implemented with supporting input output relations is decided here.
01/01/2014 30/08/2014
PHASE III: Implementation and Verification of Correctness Here, the complete algorithm
making up the t-way strategy will be implemented. In addition, correctness of the algorithm
will be also investigated. The proof of correctness will be performed based on some
mathematical analysis.
01/09/2014 30/03/2015
PHASE IV: Case Study and Documentation In phase IV, experimentation with a suitable
cases study will be undertaken along with the paper write-up and documentation.
01/04/2015 31/08/2015
10 11
2013
12
6
7
2014
10
11
12
4
5
2015
Type
Description
Subscribe
Owner
Location
Address
Reference journals
International
International
Hardware
Networking facilities
International
Software
International
E. Budget
Budget Type
Description
11000 - Salary
and Wages
Sub-Total
Year
1
Year
2
14400 14400
14400 14400
21000 - Travelling
and
Local
Transportation
1500
5000
(50.09%)
28800
6500
1500
5000
(11.30%)
6500
0
Sub-Total
Toners, A4 papers, and stationary
Sub-Total
1000
1000
1000
1000
0
2000
(3.48%)
2000
Sub-Total
29000 Professional
Services
28800
24000 - Rental
27000 - Research
Materials and
Supplies
Oversea
Sub-Total
Grand
Total
1000
1500
300
300
2500
300
300
0
1000
1500
600
2500
600
0
7000
600
12600
7000
(22.96%)
13200
7000
7000
(12.17%)
7000
23000 34500
(100.00%)
57500
7000
F. Declaration
1. All information stated here are accurate, KPT and IPT has right to reject or to cancel the offer without prior notice
if there is any inaccurate information given.
2. Application of this fundamental research is presented for the Fundamental Research Grant Scheme (FRGS).
3. Application of this fundamental research is also presented for the other research grant/s (grant's name and total
amount)
Name:
Date:
Signature:
Appendix
Appendix Name File Name
A
Appindex A-B.pdf