A Tcl-based Multithreaded Test Harness

This paper describes an implementation of a test harness written in Tcl and C for Merit Network, Inc. capable of running multiple structured tests simultaneously. Many available test tools are based on a single threaded stimulus/response approach. This is not always sufficient to adequately test certain classes of applications that manage multiple simultaneous requests. The design presented in this paper is for a Tcl-based system capable of running multiple simultaneous tests in the context of testing a RADIUS authentication server. The design and implementation illustrate novel applications of Tcl as well as the rapid development and code reusability inherent in using Tcl as an application glue language.