Ray_Soper.wgc-e@rx.xerox.com (05/14/91)
Is there a standard set of conformance tests for FTP? Is there a reference implementation to test against? How do people "normally" test new FTP implementations? Does anyone run a conformance testing service? And similar questions . . . Thanks, Ray Soper.
emv@ox.com (Ed Vielmetti) (05/14/91)
In article <"14-May-91..9:35:38.+1".*.Ray_Soper.wgc-e@rx.Xerox.com> Ray_Soper.wgc-e@rx.xerox.com writes:
Is there a standard set of conformance tests for FTP?
Is there a reference implementation to test against?
How do people "normally" test new FTP implementations?
Does anyone run a conformance testing service?
Ray,
The traditional tests of FTP are interoperability tests, not
conformance tests; the published RFCs on FTP are rather weak in
describing what parts of the protocol need to be done, and are
completely lacking in specifying (e.g.) data formats which would
facilitate FTP'ing entire directory trees. There is still much work
to be done in the standardization and specification area.
Regarding simple protocol questions, it's really quite easy to
generate a testbed for FTP implementations. There is an extensive
catalog of sites which offer anonymous FTP services; at the very
least, your test mechanisms should examine a sample of these services
and verify interoperability for any protocol features which you'd like
to test out. comp.archives is a good source of ongoing data to drive
a test regimen. Grab copies of the most favorite FTP add-on scripts
(the 'autoftp' things which attack dial SIMTEL20, the 'bftp'
background FTP scripts, the 'expect' package with its FTP driving
routines come to mind) and see to it that your package offers an
adequate sampling of these features on the client side.
On the server side, it's ridiculously easy to generate a lot of test
traffic. Put up a system with your ftp server that offers an
anonymous FTP login; populate the public directories with interesting
materials, and post an announcement to this effect somewhere on
usenet. To ensure that people will notice your site, it would be best
to include in it materials which are traditionally forbidden fruit to
NSFnet sites -- nudie pix, racy stories, other items of prurient
interest, encryption algorithms, political propaganda, and meeting
notes of secret societies are items which should generate traffic from
a wide range of client systems. this will ensure that you'll also be
able to test the efficiency of your FTP system and your network under
load, and it will give you an unmatched opportunity to find problems.
Please contact me directly if you have any questions.
--
Edward Vielmetti, vice president for research, MSEN Inc. emv@msen.com
"(6) The Plan shall identify how agencies and departments can
collaborate to ... expand efforts to improve, document, and evaluate
unclassified public-domain software developed by federally-funded
researchers and other software, including federally-funded educational
and training software; "
"High-Performance Computing Act of 1991, S. 272"