Interoperability Testing

What is Interoperability Testing?

Interoperability testing evaluates your solution’s ability to function on a new service or resource. Most commonly, interoperability testing involves migrating a solution across various services or deployments in multiple environments to see if it is compatible without any constraints.

Interoperability Testing Helps Companies Ensure End-to-End Functionality Between Two Systems

With this type of software and hardware testing, organizations can better understand how their solutions operate and connect with other platforms. Interoperability testing will uncover faults with software or hardware connections, ensuring that data is delivered between systems without disruption.

Five Types of Interoperability Testing

Interoperability Test	What does it do?
Data Type	Ensures that the data type expressed (i.e., numerically) is correctly moved from one type to another. To avoid inconsistency, the data types sent and received must be the same.
Semantic	This form of testing aims to ensure that the data semantics or methods used during data exchange are accurate and reliable.
Physical	Reviews the devices that link the two software systems together. It primarily examines the ports and data cables utilized in the connection.
Protocol	Assesses if the protocol in use offers sufficient data security, allowing for error-free data transport.
Data Format	Checks for consistency in the format of both sent and received data. The formats should be the same so that the solution and platform work in sync.

Testing Considerations

Questions	Answers
What type of tech products can be interoperability tested?	1. Software is primarily interoperability tested. This testing guarantees that software products are compatible with the infrastructure it was tested on. Examples of software that can be interoperability tested include mobile applications, web applications, desktop software, cloud services, virtual network functions (VNFs), etc. 2. Hardware interoperability testing is similar to software interoperability testing, except it ensures that hardware products can interface without problems on other proprietary infrastructure (Nokia vs. Ericsson routers, for example).
What expertise is needed to conduct a proper interoperability test?	Depending on your project goals, you’ll use different resources. Before undertaking project testing, you’ll need a solid test plan to ensure you’re testing the desired criteria. Here, you may establish test cases and procedures and set up the appropriate monitoring equipment for keeping test logs.
What is your company’s specific goal behind interoperability testing?	There are three common goals used to determine the success of interoperability testing: 1. End-to-end functionality between two or more communicating systems works as expected. 2. Software components can communicate and exchange data without any problems. 3. The data format, semantics, and type are consistent among interacting devices or software systems.
What process should you use for interoperability testing?	There are typically five steps to the interoperability testing process: 1. Test Environment Setup: The testing environment must correctly emulate the desired production environment. 2. Create Test Case: To examine different scenarios and connection behaviours, separate test cases are generated. This is done to increase the efficiency of the testing process. 3. Test Case Execution: Reveals the behaviour of the software and how it will function and interact with other systems. 4. Test Result Analysis: Test results are examined, and any issues discovered should be noted and corrected. 5. Retest: Once corrections have been made, you should perform tests again to ensure everything is working correctly.

Interoperability Test Your Tech Solution with CENGN

As a non-profit looking to supercharge Canada’s innovation economy, CENGN offers small and medium-sized businesses the infrastructure and expertise needed to interoperability test their tech products.

These services are provided through a no-cost CENGN project to Canadian companies looking for commercial growth.

Most tech companies are experts in their specific product, not interoperability testing. CENGN leverages the experience gained from 200+ commercialization projects to help businesses determine their testing goals, identify appropriate metrics and required equipment, design a unique testing process, and validate their product.

Interoperability Test Your Product on the CENGN Testbed

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