Test generation for performance evaluation of mobile multimedia streaming applications

In this paper, we propose a model based test generation methodology to evaluate the impact of the interaction of the wireless network and the application (app) configurations on the performance of a mobile multimedia streaming app. The methodology requires four artefacts as inputs, namely, a behaviour model of the software under test (SUT), a network model, a test coverage criterion, and desired performance levels. The methodology consists of three steps. First, two performance models are developed: mathematical and simulation. Second, to evaluate the end-user quality of experience (QOE), test generation is formulated as an inversion problem. To account for different types of performance models, the inversion problem is solved as an optimization problem. Third, the necessary information to execute test cases is inferred using the simulation model. Two test coverage criteria are proposed: user-experience (UE) and user-experience-and-input-interaction (UEII). The mathematical performance model for a streaming app is developed using Markov chain. To account for realistic network behaviours, the Markov chain is solved using the supplementary variable technique (SVT). A reusable network model is developed for a mobile device that has a network access through a WiFi LAN. Finally, the effectiveness of the methodology is evaluated in comparison with random testing.