Guia de teste de interoperabilidade para aplicações de Internet das Coisas

Abstract

Technology has significantly transformed human interactions with everyday objects, expanding the way they communicate. This broad connectivity with the Internet gave rise to the “Internet of Things (IoT)”, which expanded the boundaries of the Internet to encompass these objects, called smart, which, when interconnected, can collect and share information to provide services effectively. However, the intense data traffic and the diversity of interaction methods of these objects bring several challenges related to interoperability. Interaction methods refer to the different ways in which IoT devices communicate and share data, which can vary widely according to the protocols and standards used. In turn, interoperability refers to the ability of different systems to communicate effectively, ensuring data integrity. In this context, interoperability tests assess the ability of systems and devices to cooperate efficiently. Among the challenges of interoperability testing, the following stand out: architectural complexity, communication between devices, device heterogeneity, and ensuring effective connectivity between them. This master’s dissertation aims to develop an interoperability testing guide for IoT applications based on the methodology proposed by Carvalho et al., (2022). The construction of the guide is based on a literature review, data extraction and analysis, structuring of the guide, and observations of real IoT environments. The guide covers 12 topics, including feature definition and correlation, interoperability testing challenges, environment configuration, subfeatures, contextualization, test cases, measurements, impact of subfeatures, cost-benefit, tool suggestions, and usage examples. The evaluation of the guide consisted of three stages: (1) a structural evaluation using the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM); (2) a controlled experiment applying the guide to test a real IoT application; and (3) an evaluation of the guide with experts. The evaluation showed that the guide provides a comprehensive and practical framework for conducting interoperability testing, assisting experts in identifying problems and improving the integration between IoT systems and devices.