The Interoperability Test Bed has now become the next-generation conformance testing platform for eDelivery, used to ensure access point implementations conform to the eDelivery AS4 specifications.

eDelivery is one of the Building Blocks produced as part of the Digital Europe Programme to provide standards-based, open and reusable components implementing common capabilities in support of Europe’s digital transformation. The eDelivery Building Block in particular focuses on secure digital data exchange, providing technical specifications as a profile of the ebMS3 and AS4 OASIS standards, complemented by installable sample software and supporting services.

Architecturally, eDelivery follows the four-corner model whereby business applications (corners one and four) exchange data through access points that handle the underlying communication protocol (corners two and three).

Access point software is provided by vendors, with implementations realising the eDelivery specifications and extending them with further added-value features. To ensure that implementations of the eDelivery specification are interoperable, DIGIT foresees a conformance testing service used by vendors to test their software and resulting in a published listing of conformant solutions.

Conformance testing for eDelivery access points

Following a successful experimentation phase, eDelivery published in May 2023 a proof of concept of a new generation of its conformance testing service based on the Interoperability Test Bed. This has since been extended with additional test cases and features, leading to the new platform being finalised and brought online in November 2023. To mark the occasion and support the launch, the eDelivery team published an article describing its migration journey using the Test Bed, and the very positive experience of customising the Test Bed to cover its needs.

The new service leverages the latest Test Bed features to refine its configuration and streamline the testing experience. It uses advanced specification organisation options and test case versioning, complemented with extensive monitoring and publishing capabilities. These include conformance snapshots, customised conformance certificates and conformance badges. Notably, these badges will also be used to regularly update the list of conformant vendor solutions, automatically reflecting the Test Bed’s live testing results.

The development and planning of these features emerged from of a collaborative effort between the eDelivery and Test Bed teams. By prioritising user feedback and aligning their plans with users’ needs, the Test Bed’s release management has become a key component of its strategy. This approach enabled eDelivery to integrate the new features into its testing service and ensures future requirements will be met efficiently and promptly.

Conformance testing for digital ecosystems using eDelivery

The new eDelivery testing service is a significant milestone also from the Test Bed’s perspective. Before its application in eDelivery access points’ conformance testing, the Test Bed had been instrumental for cross-border IT solutions forming digital ecosystems in various policy domains using eDelivery as a Building Block. The first example of such usage dates back to 2017, with the Business Registers Interconnection System (BRIS) facilitating the cross-border exchange of company information among national business registries.

While digital ecosystems use eDelivery as a Building Block, the focus of conformance testing is on the implemented business processes, not merely on the access points. Beyond basic connectivity, the Test Bed approaches eDelivery as a black box, orchestrating message exchanges to test the interconnected business applications.

With the new conformance testing service for eDelivery access points, the Test Bed can now claim to cover the full eDelivery conformance testing spectrum:

• Testing of domain-agnostic eDelivery access points, ensuring that implementations correctly realise the eDelivery specifications.
• Testing of domain-specific digital ecosystems using eDelivery as a Building Block, focusing on business applications and their implemented business processes.

A detailed account of how such domain-specific testing is achieved using the Test Bed is available in its published BRIS case study. Although centered on BRIS, it serves as a blueprint for testing business processes of any digital ecosystem based on eDelivery.

Find out more

Further information on eDelivery and the other Building Blocks supporting Europe’s digitalisation can be found on the DIGITAL Building Blocks portal. Regarding the Test Bed itself, general details on its services can be found in its Joinup space, with its value proposition being a good starting point for newcomers. Remember to also subscribe to the Test Bed on Joinup to stay updated on its latest news and releases.

The Interoperability Test Bed is a service provided by the European Commission’s DIGIT, offering conformance testing and validation solutions in support of IT systems’ cross-border interoperability.