On Optimization of Test Parallelization with Constraints

Traditionally, test cases are executed sequentially due to the dependency of test data. For large system level test suites, when a test session can take hours or even days, sequential execution does not satisfy any more the industrial demands for short lead times and fast feed-back cycles. Parallel test execution has appeared as an appealing option to cut down on the test execution time. However, running tests in parallel is not a trivial task due to dependencies and constraints between tests cases. Therefore, we propose an approach to parallelize test execution based on the available resources, constraints between tests, and the duration of tests that creates parallel test execution schedules that can be run in multiple testing environments simultaneously. We formulate and solve the problem as Ant Colony System, in order to find a near-optimal solution.