A4 Refereed article in a conference publication

Validation of Dynamic Simulation Models using Metamorphic Testing and Given-When-Then Patterns




AuthorsSudheerbabu, Gaadha; Truscan, Dragos; Manngård, Mikael; Klemets, Kristian

EditorsZimmer, Dirk; Müller, Ulf Christian

Conference nameInternational Modelica and FMI Conference

PublisherLinköping University Electronic Press

Publication year2025

Journal: Linköping Electronic Conference Proceedings

Book title Proceedings of the 16th International Modelica&FMI Conference, September 8 – 10, 2025, Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts (HSLU)

Volume218

First page 139

Last page146

ISBN978-91-8118-266-8

ISSN1650-3686

eISSN1650-3740

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.3384/ecp218139

Publication's open availability at the time of reportingOpen Access

Publication channel's open availability Open Access publication channel

Web address https://doi.org/10.3384/ecp218139

Self-archived copy’s web addresshttps://research.utu.fi/converis/portal/detail/Publication/508391860

Self-archived copy's licenceCC BY

Self-archived copy's versionPublisher`s PDF


Abstract

As the maritime industry evolves, there is a focus onsimulation-driven design, testing, and validation usingnovel technology solutions. Simulation models designed torepresent the behaviour and features of real systems areincreasingly available for testing during the early phaseof the full development, but in many cases, their testingsuffers from the availability of test oracles. Metamorphictesting has become increasingly used in differentapplication domains as an approach to test systems when anexplicit test oracle is unavailable. In order to increaseits adoption by domain experts, we combine metamorphictesting with Behaviour Driven development for theverification and validation of simulation models. Thetool-based approach facilitates automated test generationbased on domain-specific custom metamorphic transformationsto generate meaningful test inputs for metamorphic inputrelations. The method also uses features and scenariosextracted from system requirements and domain expertise todefine metamorphic output relations. By automating testgeneration based on system behaviours as features,scenarios, metamorphic transformations, and outputcandidates for metamorphic relations in a Gherkin-likeformat, the tool enables practitioners to verify modelsbased on domain-specific constraints and metamorphicrelation checks. Our preliminary evaluation shows that thetool can detect MR violations in the simulation modelsunder test and that automated test generation providesimproved coverage.


Downloadable publication

This is an electronic reprint of the original article.
This reprint may differ from the original in pagination and typographic detail. Please cite the original version.




Funding information in the publication
This work has been supported by Business Finlandvia the Virtual Sea Trial project (VST), under grant 7187/31/2023.


Last updated on 28/01/2026 10:00:43 AM