Ensuring interoperability of command and control information systems – new ways to test conformance to the MIP solution

Abstract

In the Multilateral Interoperability Programme (MIP), 25 nations and NATO develop consensus-based, system-independent specifications to achieve semantic interoperability among distributed and heterogeneous command and control information systems (C2ISs). Implementing a distributed system is a complex and error-prone task. Therefore, extensive and efficient testing of the nationalMIP implementations is critical to ensure interoperability. For MIP baseline 3, Research Institute for Communication, Information Processing, and Ergonomics (FKIE) develops a test system that checks the conformance of national C2ISs with regard to the MIP specifications. It aims at reducing the testing effort and in- creasing the quality of MIP-compliant C2IS by automating the testing process. For that purpose, formal and executable test cases are specified. The test system is used as the MIP Test Reference System (MTRS) for the official MIP system level tests. In this paper, we motivate the development of the MTRS and describe the underlying testing approach. The client-server architecture and the test language are described in detail. Finally, the status quo and an outlook on future enhancements are given.