Ready for Everything

Launched in dramatic style at a 21CN Information Exchange Event at the top of the BT Tower in late February 2006, the Group has already achieved some important landmarks in just eight weeks of existence.

The Working Group’s Engagement Manager Marco Valdivia explained: “This is the first time that the UK communications industry has ever had to contemplate testing on such a scale. So it’s not only a massive, far-reaching task but a highly complex one. But in simple terms, our Group has a two-part remit. Firstly, we’re here to provide all the other Working Groups with an expert platform to consider and review conformance testing requirements for the products, services, systems and technologies they’re each focusing on. Other Consult21 working groups are now able to outsource their testing requirements/needs to the Conformance Testing Working Group. It’s a role that demands a close working relationship and a close understanding of the work of every other Working Group. So we’re unique in this respect, compared with the others. Secondly, we’re here to gather and assimilate Communication Providers’ views and feedback on all aspects of BT’s 21CN testing strategy and approach, gauging how satisfied they are – or not – with the what, how and why of it all.”

The very complexity of the brief set the Working Group its first essential task: to dissect the whole subject of ‘conformance testing’ into more easily digestible, manageable pieces and translating these into a common language. This goal has already been reached – the Group’s first landmark – as Marco continued: 

“The first challenge facing the Working Group was developing and agreeing a Testing Framework including a common language - and as you would expect in the spirit of Consult21 this was finalised following a consultation with Communication Providers in late February 2006. Stemming from this we’ve already set up a sub-group focussing on the development of a Service Inter-operability Testing Plan – The Inter-operability Experts. Inter-operability is perhaps the most challenging activity facing the Working Group: all the permutations of what might happen operationally when you connect a Next Generation system to a legacy system or – as will ultimately happen with 21CN – two Next Generation Systems to one another”

The Working Group is moving fast towards its second landmark – the publication of a Testing Timetable for Pathfinder and beyond, marking some significant milestones on the way:

• A high-level Test Execution Frameworkhas been formulated and published, showing the milestones for conformance testing in the run up to Pathfinder

• Completion of consultation to define the Test Scenarios for the introduction of the new Virtual Interconnect Circuit (VIC) product

• Initiation of consultation on BT’s Core Tests – the common tests which BT will be undertaking on its Obligatory products migrating to 21CN on behalf of all Communication Providers. These Core tests will provide the backbone of BT’s Testing Plan and re-assurance for BT’s Communication Provider customers. This approach helps BT ensure that it carries out the necessary testing in the most effective way possible.

Marco concluded: “We would like Communication Providers not only to take a look at the Core Tests published by BT but also encourage them to request additional tests that are specific to the needs of their own company. This is key because by its very nature ‘conformance’ has to be addressed on an industry-wide basis with everyone’s involvement. For universal success it’s not something one organisation can do in isolation.”

Copies of the documents mentioned here can be found on the Conformance Testing Working Group section of the Consult21 website at www.btwholesale.com\consult21