Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!lll-winken!lll-lcc!ames!pasteur!ucbvax!ishmael.CRAY.COM!hrp
From: hrp@ishmael.CRAY.COM (Hal Peterson)
Newsgroups: comp.protocols.tcp-ip
Subject: TCP-IP Verification Suite
Message-ID: <8802011551.AA06681@ishmael.cray.com>
Date: 1 Feb 88 15:51:36 GMT
References: <7011@ihlpa.ATT.COM>
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Organization: The Internet
Lines: 28

The TCP/IP community does not have a strong tradition of formal
testing from specifications.  Historically (see RFC-1025, ``TCP and IP
Bake Off''), testing a TCP/IP implementation has meant structured
plugging it in and trying it, with as many other implementations as
possible.

Over the last few years, there has been a movement toward more formal
testing from within the DCA, and they are currently beta testing
(metatesting?) a suite covering every conceivable aspect of all the
MIL-STD protocols: IP, TCP, FTP, TELNET, and SMTP.  The tests are
comprehensive and do find bugs, but require a significant investment
of time and effort to run.

There was a note on the tcp-ip list last year from Bob Jones
(bobj@kauai.mcl.unisys.com) in which he wrote:

    For those who are interested, the DCA is setting up an administrative
    agreement with the National Bureau of Standards to provide for the
    certification of the TCP/IP suite of protocols.  NBS is expected to
    announce for vendors to participate under the National Voluntary
    Laboratory Accreditation Program (NVLAP).  This program is expected
    to be in place sometime in early 1988.  Any questions please call
    DCEC, Jim Tontonoz, 703-437-2038.

This certification would probably involve passing the aforementioned
DCA test suite.
--
Hal Peterson / Cray Research / 1440 Northland Dr. / Mendota Hts, MN  55120
hrp%hall.CRAY.COM@umn-rei-uc.ARPA	ihnp4!cray!hrp	    (612) 681-5884