Automated testing sequences generation from AUML diagrams: a formal verification of agents' interaction protocols

We present, in this paper, a new technique supporting an automatic generation of testing sequences from Agent UML (AUML) diagrams. The considered diagrams are related to agents' interaction protocols. They are formally described using the formal specification language Maude. Starting from the Maude specifications generated automatically from the AUML diagrams, we present a systematic and iterative approach for the construction of testing sequences (sequences of rules) for the verification of the interactions between agents in a Multiagent System (MAS). The approach is organised in two major steps: (1) the generation of Reduced Testing Sequences (RTSs) relative to the individual behaviour of each agent (unit testing of an agent), whose behaviour is described using AUML state charts and (2) the generation of Complete Testing Sequences (CTSs) relative to the collective behaviour of agents (social testing), whose collaborative behaviour is described by an AUML sequence diagram. Furthermore, the proposed approach considers several aspects related to the synchronisation between the agents (inter-agents and external).