Distributed Immutable Data Object Test Environment (DIDO-TE)

Go up to Terms and Definitions

A Distributed Immutable Data Object Test Environment (DIDO-TE) is a governed testing system for evaluating Distributed Immutable Data Objects (DIDOs) and the Distributed Systems that maintain them.

DIDO-TE manages controlled Test Environments containing the Nodes, resources, configurations, communication facilities, execution facilities, observation facilities, and Evidence facilities required by applicable Test Definitions.

DIDO-TE supports the controlled execution of tests involving:

• DIDO Platforms
• DIDO implementations
• DIDO Nodes
• Node Sets
• State-agreement mechanisms
• Distributed transactions
• DIDO states
• State transitions
• Communication mechanisms
• Network topologies
• Deployment Targets
• Security configurations
• Operational configurations
• Application workloads

DIDO-TE separates testing concepts from the technologies used to realize them. A DIDO-TE implementation can evaluate different DIDO Platforms, Node implementations, Deployment Platforms, and communication technologies without redefining the governing testing concepts.

DIDO-TE can establish a Validated Reference Configuration, execute a Test Definition against that configuration, and preserve the resulting Test Results as Baseline Results.

After an evaluator introduces a controlled change, DIDO-TE can repeat the applicable test, compare the resulting DIDO states and Test Results with the Baseline Results, identify Differences, and preserve the Evidence required for a Validation Decision.

DIDO-TE supports testing in:

• Physical environments
• Virtual environments
• Containerized environments
• Cloud environments
• On-premises environments
• Geographically distributed environments
• Connected Environments
• Disconnected Environments
• Air-Gapped Environments

governed testing system comprising controlled Test Environments and supporting facilities for the reproducible evaluation and validation of DIDOs and DIDO systems

Adapted from:

• DIDO Test Environment System Description, Version 0.2
• DIDO Reference Architecture
• Distributed Immutable Data Object (DIDO)
• Test Environment
• United States Patent Application Publication US 2022/0237111 A1, Distributed Immutable Data Object Testing
• United States Patent US 12,086,057 B2, Distributed Immutable Data Object Testing
• DIDO-TE draft Requirements Register
• DIDO-TE Broad Agency Announcement and supporting proposal material

The definition generalizes the earlier secure and isolated virtual-node sandbox concept to include governance, reproducibility, baseline generation, comparison, validation, and Evidence while remaining independent of a particular implementation technology.

DIDO-TE is the acronym for Distributed Immutable Data Object Test Environment.

DIDO-TE identifies the governed testing system. A Test Environment identifies a configured context within which DIDO-TE executes a particular test or related group of tests.

One DIDO-TE implementation can manage multiple Test Environments.

DIDO-TE is not a DIDO Platform. DIDO-TE can evaluate one or more DIDO Platforms.

DIDO-TE is not itself a DIDO. DIDO-TE creates, submits, observes, records, compares, and validates transactions, states, and results involving DIDOs.

DIDO-TE is not limited to virtual Nodes. A DIDO-TE Test Environment can include physical, virtual, containerized, simulated, emulated, and externally operated Nodes when the applicable Test Definition permits them.

DIDO-TE does not prescribe a particular:

• DIDO Platform
• State-agreement mechanism
• Deployment Platform
• Deployment Target
• Virtualization technology
• Container technology
• Cloud provider
• Network protocol
• Test execution technology
• Evidence representation
• Comparison mechanism
• Validation mechanism

DIDO-TE can integrate with Crucible for infrastructure and Deployment operations. The integration does not make Crucible part of the DIDO-TE definition.

DIDO-TE creates a controlled Test Environment containing a validated set of DIDO Nodes.

DIDO-TE executes a defined set of transactions and preserves the resulting DIDO states and Test Results as Baseline Results.

An evaluator replaces one Node with a changed implementation and repeats the same test under the applicable controlled conditions.

DIDO-TE compares the resulting DIDO states and Test Results with the Baseline Results. DIDO-TE preserves the comparison, detected Differences, execution context, and supporting Evidence for a Validation Decision.