{"id":"https://openalex.org/W7168040014","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1145/3786583.3786855","title":"Enabling Black-box RPC-API Testing with Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning and LLMs: An Industry Case Study","display_name":"Enabling Black-box RPC-API Testing with Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning and LLMs: An Industry Case Study","publication_year":2026,"publication_date":"2026-04-12","ids":{"openalex":"https://openalex.org/W7168040014","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1145/3786583.3786855"},"language":null,"primary_location":{"id":"doi:10.1145/3786583.3786855","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.1145/3786583.3786855","pdf_url":null,"source":null,"license":"cc-by-nc-nd","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by-nc-nd","version":"publishedVersion","is_accepted":true,"is_published":true,"raw_source_name":"Proceedings of the IEEE/ACM 48th International Conference on Software Engineering: Software Engineering in Practice","raw_type":"proceedings-article"},"type":"conference-paper","indexed_in":["crossref"],"open_access":{"is_oa":true,"oa_status":"gold","oa_url":"https://doi.org/10.1145/3786583.3786855","any_repository_has_fulltext":null},"authorships":[{"author_position":"first","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5103154266","display_name":"Xiaoqing Sun","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6942-7692"},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I45928872","display_name":"Alibaba Group (China)","ror":"https://ror.org/00k642b80","country_code":"CN","type":"company","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I45928872"]}],"countries":["CN"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Xiaoqing Sun","raw_affiliation_strings":["Alibaba Cloud, Hangzhou, China"],"raw_orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6942-7692","affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Alibaba Cloud, Hangzhou, China","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I45928872"]}]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5140467083","display_name":"Zhou Shao","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0009-0001-9621-0760"},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I45928872","display_name":"Alibaba Group (China)","ror":"https://ror.org/00k642b80","country_code":"CN","type":"company","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I45928872"]}],"countries":["CN"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Zhou Shao","raw_affiliation_strings":["Alibaba Cloud, Hangzhou, China"],"raw_orcid":"https://orcid.org/0009-0001-9621-0760","affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Alibaba Cloud, Hangzhou, China","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I45928872"]}]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5140467265","display_name":"Xiaonan Shi","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0009-0002-9519-7020"},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I45928872","display_name":"Alibaba Group (China)","ror":"https://ror.org/00k642b80","country_code":"CN","type":"company","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I45928872"]}],"countries":["CN"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Xiaonan Shi","raw_affiliation_strings":["Alibaba Cloud, Hangzhou, China"],"raw_orcid":"https://orcid.org/0009-0002-9519-7020","affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Alibaba Cloud, Hangzhou, China","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I45928872"]}]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5011558530","display_name":"Shiliang Xiao","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0360-7003"},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I45928872","display_name":"Alibaba Group (China)","ror":"https://ror.org/00k642b80","country_code":"CN","type":"company","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I45928872"]}],"countries":["CN"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Shiliang Xiao","raw_affiliation_strings":["Alibaba Cloud, Hangzhou, China"],"raw_orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0360-7003","affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Alibaba Cloud, Hangzhou, China","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I45928872"]}]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5140473385","display_name":"Chao Ma","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0009-0000-0815-5486"},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I45928872","display_name":"Alibaba Group (China)","ror":"https://ror.org/00k642b80","country_code":"CN","type":"company","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I45928872"]}],"countries":["CN"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Chao Ma","raw_affiliation_strings":["Alibaba Cloud, Hangzhou, China"],"raw_orcid":"https://orcid.org/0009-0000-0815-5486","affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Alibaba Cloud, Hangzhou, China","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I45928872"]}]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5100662166","display_name":"Xiaobo Xue","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0009-0005-3882-0340"},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I45928872","display_name":"Alibaba Group (China)","ror":"https://ror.org/00k642b80","country_code":"CN","type":"company","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I45928872"]}],"countries":["CN"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Xiaobo Xue","raw_affiliation_strings":["Alibaba Cloud, Hangzhou, China"],"raw_orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5844-6414","affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Alibaba Cloud, Hangzhou, China","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I45928872"]}]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5100737655","display_name":"Jianyuan Lu","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2502-8686"},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I45928872","display_name":"Alibaba Group (China)","ror":"https://ror.org/00k642b80","country_code":"CN","type":"company","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I45928872"]}],"countries":["CN"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Jianyuan Lu","raw_affiliation_strings":["Alibaba Cloud, Beijing, China"],"raw_orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2502-8686","affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Alibaba Cloud, Beijing, China","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I45928872"]}]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5069838699","display_name":"S. Zhang","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0009-0001-4218-7622"},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I45928872","display_name":"Alibaba Group (China)","ror":"https://ror.org/00k642b80","country_code":"CN","type":"company","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I45928872"]}],"countries":["CN"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Shize Zhang","raw_affiliation_strings":["Alibaba Cloud, Hangzhou, China"],"raw_orcid":"https://orcid.org/0009-0001-4218-7622","affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Alibaba Cloud, Hangzhou, China","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I45928872"]}]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5071045707","display_name":"Enge Song","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4442-2817"},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I45928872","display_name":"Alibaba Group (China)","ror":"https://ror.org/00k642b80","country_code":"CN","type":"company","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I45928872"]}],"countries":["CN"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Enge Song","raw_affiliation_strings":["Alibaba Cloud, Beijng, China"],"raw_orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4442-2817","affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Alibaba Cloud, Beijng, China","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I45928872"]}]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5102675597","display_name":"Yang Song","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0009-0008-2611-757X"},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I45928872","display_name":"Alibaba Group (China)","ror":"https://ror.org/00k642b80","country_code":"CN","type":"company","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I45928872"]}],"countries":["CN"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Song Yang","raw_affiliation_strings":["Alibaba Cloud, Hangzhou, China"],"raw_orcid":"https://orcid.org/0009-0008-2611-757X","affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Alibaba Cloud, Hangzhou, China","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I45928872"]}]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5045846077","display_name":"Xing Li","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0009-0009-5379-7512"},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I45928872","display_name":"Alibaba Group (China)","ror":"https://ror.org/00k642b80","country_code":"CN","type":"company","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I45928872"]}],"countries":["CN"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Xing Li","raw_affiliation_strings":["Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China and Alibaba Cloud, Hanghzou, China"],"raw_orcid":"https://orcid.org/0009-0009-5379-7512","affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China and Alibaba Cloud, Hanghzou, China","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I45928872"]}]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5066835481","display_name":"Chongrong Fang","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2357-0228"},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I183067930","display_name":"Shanghai Jiao Tong University","ror":"https://ror.org/0220qvk04","country_code":"CN","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I183067930"]},{"id":"https://openalex.org/I881766915","display_name":"Nanjing University","ror":"https://ror.org/01rxvg760","country_code":"CN","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I881766915"]}],"countries":["CN"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Chongrong Fang","raw_affiliation_strings":["Nanjing University, Nanjing, China","Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China"],"raw_orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2357-0228","affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Nanjing University, Nanjing, China","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I881766915"]},{"raw_affiliation_string":"Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I183067930"]}]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5075174750","display_name":"Chunrong Fang","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9930-7111"},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I183067930","display_name":"Shanghai Jiao Tong University","ror":"https://ror.org/0220qvk04","country_code":"CN","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I183067930"]},{"id":"https://openalex.org/I881766915","display_name":"Nanjing University","ror":"https://ror.org/01rxvg760","country_code":"CN","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I881766915"]}],"countries":["CN"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Chunrong Fang","raw_affiliation_strings":["Nanjing University, Nanjing, China","Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China"],"raw_orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9930-7111","affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Nanjing University, Nanjing, China","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I881766915"]},{"raw_affiliation_string":"Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I183067930"]}]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5091295237","display_name":"Biao Lyu","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8096-5528"},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I45928872","display_name":"Alibaba Group (China)","ror":"https://ror.org/00k642b80","country_code":"CN","type":"company","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I45928872"]}],"countries":["CN"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Biao Lyu","raw_affiliation_strings":["Alibaba Cloud, Hangzhou, China"],"raw_orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8096-5528","affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Alibaba Cloud, Hangzhou, China","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I45928872"]}]},{"author_position":"last","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5078546063","display_name":"Shunmin Zhu","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7756-0952"},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I45928872","display_name":"Alibaba Group (China)","ror":"https://ror.org/00k642b80","country_code":"CN","type":"company","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I45928872"]}],"countries":["CN"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Shunmin Zhu","raw_affiliation_strings":["Hangzhou Feitian Cloud, Hangzhou, China and Alibaba Cloud, Hangzhou, China"],"raw_orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7756-0952","affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Hangzhou Feitian Cloud, Hangzhou, China and Alibaba Cloud, Hangzhou, China","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I45928872"]}]}],"institutions":[],"countries_distinct_count":1,"institutions_distinct_count":3,"corresponding_author_ids":[],"corresponding_institution_ids":[],"apc_list":null,"apc_paid":null,"fwci":null,"has_fulltext":false,"cited_by_count":0,"citation_normalized_percentile":null,"cited_by_percentile_year":null,"biblio":{"volume":null,"issue":null,"first_page":"81","last_page":"93"},"is_retracted":false,"is_paratext":false,"is_xpac":false,"primary_topic":{"id":"https://openalex.org/T12127","display_name":"Software System Performance and Reliability","score":0.47269999980926514,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1705","display_name":"Computer Networks and Communications"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/17","display_name":"Computer Science"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}},"topics":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/T12127","display_name":"Software System Performance and Reliability","score":0.47269999980926514,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1705","display_name":"Computer Networks and Communications"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/17","display_name":"Computer Science"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10743","display_name":"Software Testing and Debugging Techniques","score":0.29760000109672546,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1712","display_name":"Software"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/17","display_name":"Computer Science"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T13293","display_name":"Engineering and Test Systems","score":0.037300001829862595,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/2207","display_name":"Control and Systems Engineering"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/22","display_name":"Engineering"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}}],"keywords":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/interdependence","display_name":"Interdependence","score":0.5235999822616577},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/test","display_name":"Test (biology)","score":0.5105000138282776},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/limiting","display_name":"Limiting","score":0.4415999948978424},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/cloud-computing","display_name":"Cloud computing","score":0.39419999718666077},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/test-case","display_name":"Test case","score":0.3343000113964081},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/reinforcement-learning","display_name":"Reinforcement learning","score":0.32760000228881836},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/key","display_name":"Key (lock)","score":0.32519999146461487},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/reliability","display_name":"Reliability (semiconductor)","score":0.30219998955726624}],"concepts":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/C41008148","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q21198","display_name":"Computer science","level":0,"score":0.6297000050544739},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C185874996","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q269699","display_name":"Interdependence","level":2,"score":0.5235999822616577},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2777267654","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3519023","display_name":"Test (biology)","level":2,"score":0.5105000138282776},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C188198153","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1613840","display_name":"Limiting","level":2,"score":0.4415999948978424},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C112930515","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4389547","display_name":"Risk analysis (engineering)","level":1,"score":0.3986000120639801},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C79974875","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q483639","display_name":"Cloud computing","level":2,"score":0.39419999718666077},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C128942645","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1568346","display_name":"Test case","level":3,"score":0.3343000113964081},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C97541855","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q830687","display_name":"Reinforcement learning","level":2,"score":0.32760000228881836},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C26517878","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q228039","display_name":"Key (lock)","level":2,"score":0.32519999146461487},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C127413603","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q11023","display_name":"Engineering","level":0,"score":0.31769999861717224},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C43214815","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7310987","display_name":"Reliability (semiconductor)","level":3,"score":0.30219998955726624},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2776289891","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1931511","display_name":"Neglect","level":2,"score":0.28690001368522644},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C37945671","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7336207","display_name":"Risk-based testing","level":5,"score":0.27799999713897705},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2780598303","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q65921492","display_name":"Flexibility (engineering)","level":2,"score":0.2752000093460083},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2777986313","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1661989","display_name":"Industry 4.0","level":2,"score":0.27230000495910645},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C154945302","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q11660","display_name":"Artificial intelligence","level":1,"score":0.2669000029563904},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C118643609","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q189210","display_name":"Web application","level":2,"score":0.26660001277923584},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2779137570","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q16243196","display_name":"EXPOSE","level":2,"score":0.26089999079704285},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C14036430","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3736076","display_name":"Function (biology)","level":2,"score":0.25529998540878296},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C200601418","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2193887","display_name":"Reliability engineering","level":1,"score":0.25440001487731934},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C168167062","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1117970","display_name":"Component (thermodynamics)","level":2,"score":0.2531000077724457}],"mesh":[],"locations_count":1,"locations":[{"id":"doi:10.1145/3786583.3786855","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.1145/3786583.3786855","pdf_url":null,"source":null,"license":"cc-by-nc-nd","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by-nc-nd","version":"publishedVersion","is_accepted":true,"is_published":true,"raw_source_name":"Proceedings of the IEEE/ACM 48th International Conference on Software Engineering: Software Engineering in Practice","raw_type":"proceedings-article"}],"best_oa_location":{"id":"doi:10.1145/3786583.3786855","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.1145/3786583.3786855","pdf_url":null,"source":null,"license":"cc-by-nc-nd","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by-nc-nd","version":"publishedVersion","is_accepted":true,"is_published":true,"raw_source_name":"Proceedings of the IEEE/ACM 48th International Conference on Software Engineering: Software Engineering in Practice","raw_type":"proceedings-article"},"sustainable_development_goals":[],"awards":[],"funders":[],"has_content":{"pdf":false,"grobid_xml":false},"content_urls":null,"referenced_works_count":39,"referenced_works":["https://openalex.org/W1557517019","https://openalex.org/W2153225416","https://openalex.org/W2243050748","https://openalex.org/W2250861254","https://openalex.org/W2605183330","https://openalex.org/W2716494494","https://openalex.org/W2766883992","https://openalex.org/W2807741983","https://openalex.org/W2883307502","https://openalex.org/W2955835447","https://openalex.org/W2970641574","https://openalex.org/W2978389165","https://openalex.org/W2997401484","https://openalex.org/W3047848029","https://openalex.org/W3129035733","https://openalex.org/W4213274161","https://openalex.org/W4224306538","https://openalex.org/W4284680450","https://openalex.org/W4284706564","https://openalex.org/W4285805549","https://openalex.org/W4290877497","https://openalex.org/W4290949322","https://openalex.org/W4308643315","https://openalex.org/W4312297578","https://openalex.org/W4313563849","https://openalex.org/W4321482783","https://openalex.org/W4384154515","https://openalex.org/W4386027284","https://openalex.org/W4388212420","https://openalex.org/W4388483057","https://openalex.org/W4398766360","https://openalex.org/W4400104286","https://openalex.org/W4400703290","https://openalex.org/W4401863443","https://openalex.org/W4403536511","https://openalex.org/W4403536956","https://openalex.org/W4411449726","https://openalex.org/W4411522837","https://openalex.org/W4411735779"],"related_works":[],"abstract_inverted_index":{"APIs":[0,25],"underpin":[1],"modern":[2],"web":[3],"and":[4,51,66],"cloud":[5],"services,":[6],"making":[7],"black-box":[8],"testing":[9],"crucial":[10],"for":[11],"reliability.":[12],"However,":[13],"existing":[14],"methods":[15,55],"struggle":[16],"in":[17],"industrial":[18],"settings":[19],"where":[20],"Remote":[21],"Procedure":[22],"Call":[23],"(RPC)":[24],"are":[26],"widely":[27],"adopted.":[28],"Being":[29],"action-oriented,":[30],"RPC":[31],"services":[32],"expose":[33],"numerous":[34],"interdependent":[35],"operations":[36],"with":[37],"loosely":[38],"structured":[39],"specifications,":[40],"which":[41],"makes":[42],"operation":[43],"dependencies":[44],"hard":[45],"to":[46],"infer,":[47],"limiting":[48],"test":[49,64,78],"coverage":[50],"efficiency.":[52],"Moreover,":[53],"current":[54],"neglect":[56],"parameter":[57],"constraints":[58],"across":[59],"operations,":[60],"yielding":[61],"many":[62],"invalid":[63],"inputs":[65],"wasting":[67],"resources.":[68],"Besides,":[69],"their":[70],"crude":[71],"feedback":[72],"offers":[73],"poor":[74],"guidance,":[75],"often":[76],"misdirecting":[77],"strategy":[79],"adaptation.":[80]},"counts_by_year":[],"updated_date":"2026-07-14T23:27:15.235271","created_date":"2026-07-12T00:00:00"}