Testing tool for distributed Java']Java applications

Issues involved in testing large distributed applications employing distributed object technologies are discussed. A testing tool, RIOT, that addresses these issues are described. RIOT can be used for testing distributed Java applications that use Java RMI, Jini, or Jiro technologies. It relies on the availability of the interface descriptions of the objects and services provided in the application. This information is used to define coverage domains that are used to assess the adequacy of tests. These interface-based coverage domains are based on 1) the methods and exceptions that are defined in the interfaces, 2) mutations that can be created from the methods and parameters, and 3) method sequences that can be defined from the methods. RIOT allows injection of faults at the interfaces of objects. Testers can observe the effects of fault injection and assess the fault handling capabilities of the application. RIOT can also be used to evaluate performance of the application using profiling information. RIOT employs a hierarchical monitoring framework for collecting test execution data. The components of RIOT communicate using Java RMI and rely on the use of the reflection mechanism for their functionality. RiOT's architecture is being extended with a distributed debugging and architecture visualization mechanism.