Methods to Construct Uniform Covering Arrays

A covering array [Formula: see text] is an [Formula: see text] array such that every [Formula: see text] subarray covers at least once each [Formula: see text]-tuple from [Formula: see text] symbols. For given [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], and [Formula: see text], the minimum number of rows for which exists a CA is denoted by [Formula: see text] (CAN stands for Covering Array Number) and the corresponding CA is optimal. Optimal covering arrays have been determined algebraically for a small subset of cases; but another alternative to find CANs is the use of computational search. The present work introduces a new orderly algorithm to construct non-isomorphic covering arrays; this algorithm is an improvement of a previously reported algorithm for the same purpose. The construction of non-isomorphic covering arrays is used to prove the nonexistence of certain covering arrays whose nonexistence implies the optimality of other covering arrays. From the computational results obtained, the following CANs were established: [Formula: see text] for [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], and [Formula: see text]. In addition, the new result [Formula: see text], and the already known existence of [Formula: see text], imply [Formula: see text].

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Refining the In-Parameter-Order Strategy for Constructing Covering Arrays

Journal of Research of the National Institute of Standards and Technology ◽

10.6028/jres.113.022 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 113 (5) ◽

pp. 287 ◽

Cited By ~ 102

Author(s):

Michael Forbes ◽

Jim Lawrence ◽

Yu Lei ◽

Raghu N. Kacker ◽

D. Richard Kuhn

Keyword(s):

Covering Arrays

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Research Notes: Binary Test-Suites Using Covering Arrays

International Journal of Software Engineering and Knowledge Engineering ◽

10.1142/s0218194018500377 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 28 (09) ◽

pp. 1321-1337 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Jose Torres-Jimenez ◽

Himer Avila-George ◽

Ezra Federico Parra-González

Keyword(s):

Software Testing ◽

Test Generation ◽

Software Systems ◽

Combinatorial Testing ◽

Covering Array ◽

Covering Arrays ◽

Almost All ◽

Generation Problem ◽

Test Suites

Software testing is an essential activity to ensure the quality of software systems. Combinatorial testing is a method that facilitates the software testing process; it is based on an empirical evidence where almost all faults in a software component are due to the interaction of very few parameters. The test generation problem for combinatorial testing can be represented as the construction of a matrix that has certain properties; typically this matrix is a covering array. Covering arrays have a small number of tests, in comparison with an exhaustive approach, and provide a level of interaction coverage among the parameters involved. This paper presents a repository that contains binary covering arrays involving many levels of interaction. Also, it discusses the importance of covering array repositories in the construction of better covering arrays. In most of the cases, the size of the covering arrays included in the repository reported here are the best upper bounds known, moreover, the files containing the matrices of these covering arrays are available to be downloaded. The final purpose of our Binary Covering Arrays Repository (BCAR) is to provide software testing practitioners the best-known binary test-suites.

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