Validation of the GSM-map protocol

This paper presents the results of experimentation performed on the application of a specification language and three conformance testing techniques to the validation of the gsm-map protocol (Global System for Mobile communication - Mobile Application Part). The gsm-map protocol is a component of the GSM radiocommunication system that describes the signaling functions required in signaling system SS7 to offer the services needed in a mobile network. The etsi standard describes this protocol in a semiformal way that we have formalized (using the sdl formal language), to improve its testability. We have then applied three different testing techniques : embedded testing techniques to perform the test of functional components embedded in the global system, global testing techniques to test the complete protocol and passive testing techniques to verify whether the protocol execution traces are accepted or not by the specification (represented by a finite state machine or by an extended finite state machine).