Assignment of qualified equipment (QE) for tests
EG 202 237 specifies test methods. It introduced the qualified equipment (QE) concept as a way to assign equipment or software or systems which can take part in tests with reasonable confidence. I suggest that we evaluate if we want to include this concept in the tests. Mainly for the ones in clause C.6, but it might be usable also for other clauses. This is what EG 202 237 says about QE.
6.3 Qualified Equipment (QE)
6.3.1 Qualified Equipment (QE) QEs and Devices
When testing an EUT for interoperability, it is essential that the test architecture includes equipment that has already been proven to interoperate with similar equipment from other suppliers. Such items are referred to as the Qualified Equipment (QE). Any single test configuration may have one or more QEs. A QE may be end-user equipment (such as a terminal), network equipment (such as a router) or a software application. QEs can also be composed of a number of component parts, each of which is, again, referred to as a device. This may be a physical device, a software package or a combination of the two.
The simplest case is where the QE is a single device. Thus, a QE is a collection of devices that, in a given configuration, has undergone and passed certification based on interoperability testing. The interconnection configuration between devices in a QE is purely a matter for the test system implementer and is not prescribed in the test architectures.
Any given QE will have initially been tested as an EUT but, once the full range of interoperability tests have been successfully performed, it can be considered to be a QE. However, any modification to the design or implementation of such a QE will require it to be tested again as an EUT.
This methodology does not force an EUT to be tested against all possible QEs in the pool of QEs that may be available in a particular testing scheme. However, the likelihood of multi-vendor interoperability is increased if it can be demonstrated that a particular EUT interoperates with a large number of different QEs.
6.3.2 Designating the first QE
In cases of new and developing technologies, no Qualified Equipment is likely to exist. The first instance of interoperability testing for a particular scheme will involve two (or more) EUTs rather than a number of QEs and one EUT [i.8].
Once these EUTs are shown to successfully interoperate, they will all be designated as QEs with none having precedence over any other. The testing scheme can then continue with new EUTs joining the pool of the existing QEs that have already been tested in a given configuration. It is strongly recommended that any EUT has undergone conformance testing prior to interoperability testing.
[i.8] ETSI EG 202 810: "Methods for Testing and Specification (MTS); Automated Interoperability Testing; Methodology and Framework".