PETA is an extensible Eclipse-based platform for automated software testing and covers the software life cycle from the specification up to the maintenance phase. The components of message based software systems like Client/Server-, Multitier- and Service-Oriented-Architectures (SOA) may be simulated as well as tested in isolation and in their supposed interaction. Continuously executed, automated tests deliver accurate and reproducible test results during the whole software lifecycle. Besides established approaches for automated testing at the unit level (API) and system level (GUI) messaged based testing, located at the integration level is steadily gaining importance. From common client-server architectures to multi-tiered application servers (J2EE, .NET), Web Services and SoA, modern software systems are based upon the exchange of messages between software components. Thereby a multitude of different message formats and transport protocols are applied. Both the interoperability of the components among themselves (integration level) and the interaction of the systems as a whole (system level) has to be tested. To serve this purpose the PETA platform provides a flexible and comprehensive solution for the functional testing of communicating software components. PETA offers the capability to simulate not-yet implemented components. Starting with the availability of the specification it is possible to emulate the behaviour of the whole system. Therefore the complete workflow can be covered by end to end tests right from the start and implemented components can subsequently replace their simulation. Key Features: Functional, message-based testing of software components Simulation of not yet implemented software components Allows testing of software specifications at an early stage Uniform test cases for simulated and real software components Supports arbitrary message formats and transport protocols Eclipse based development platform Comprehensive reports und statistics