Starting Model-Based Testing Based on Existing Test Cases Used for Model Creation

Model-based testing has a significant impact on test quality and test effort. However, many industrial projects still rely on the traditional testing methods. The biggest concerns against model-based testing are the need of formal knowledge and high initial costs for introducing the formal model. In this paper we show how it is possible to introduce model-based testing to a large scale industrial project by using the existing test cases as a basis for the model creation, thus effectively reducing concerns and efforts introducing the model-based testing approach. Additionally the created model can be used to simulate the reference behavior in an early development stage, resulting in a comprehensive prototype. The used context is a project in the railway industry domain, the European Train Control System, in which a lot of effort has been spent with the generation of high quality test cases.