Patent ID: 8402388

Claim:
A method of setting up a communication procedure between instances, comprising the steps of: selecting the instances that take part in the communication procedure, one instance being a protocol tester and another instance being an item under test; selecting a protocol layer to be emulated by the protocol tester for testing a specified protocol layer of the item under test on the basis of the communication procedure, the protocol layer selected from a displayed list of protocol layers that are capable of being emulated by the protocol tester, the list of protocol layers including at least one layer 2 protocol from an OSI (Open Systems Interconnection) reference model; selecting abstract communication interfaces of the emulated protocol layer for the communication procedure, the abstract communication interfaces selected from a displayed list of abstract communication interfaces associated with the selected protocol layer; selecting communication data contained in description files to be exchanged at the abstract communication interfaces; and automatically setting up through the protocol tester the communication procedure on the basis of the selections made in the above selecting steps, with parameters for the abstract communications interfaces and the communication data selecting steps being made graphically.