Telephonic communications – Diagnostic testing – malfunction indication – or electrical... – Of centralized switching system
Reexamination Certificate
2000-01-10
2001-02-06
Kuntz, Curtis A. (Department: 2743)
Telephonic communications
Diagnostic testing, malfunction indication, or electrical...
Of centralized switching system
C379S001040, C379S201060
Reexamination Certificate
active
06185281
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to the field of testing, and more particularly to the automated testing of a telecommunications platform.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In the architecture for a modern telecommunications system, one or more telecommunications platforms may provide interoperability of services and functionality across multiple network technologies, applications, and access types, and also enhanced security and mediated access. Each telecommunications platform may comprise a number of software elements or applications which support a variety of communications, including, but not limited to, local telephony, toll (i.e., long-distance), wireless, intelligent network (IN), and residential video.
Previously, in order to test the operation of these software applications, a human user was required to periodically invoke one or more utility programs, wait for the utility programs to check each application, and then review the information output by the utility programs as a result of the checks. This previous technique for testing the software applications on a telecommunications platform was problematic for numerous reasons. For example, because the amount of result information generated by each utility program could be voluminous, the process of reviewing such information was generally tedious, time consuming, and inefficient. Furthermore, given the amount of result information, it was often difficult for a human user to identify software applications which were not operating properly.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the present invention, the disadvantages and problems associated with previous techniques for testing applications in a telecommunications platform have been substantially reduced or eliminated.
In one aspect of the present invention, a system for automatically testing a telecommunications platform comprises an application file and a telecommunications platform (TP) testing program. The application file has at least one data line corresponding to an application resident on the telecommunications platform. The telecommunications platform (TP) testing program is operable to access the application file, to invoke at least one utility program for checking the application, and to compare result information generated by the utility program against the data line of the application file.
In another aspect of the present invention, a method for automatically testing a telecommunications platform, comprises the following steps: invoking a utility program for checking an application resident on the telecommunications platform; receiving result information generated by the utility program, the result information comprising at least one result line; accessing an application file having at least one data line corresponding to the application; and comparing the received result information against the data line of the application file.
Important technical advantages of the present invention include automatically testing applications on a telecommunications platform. This is accomplished by providing a telecommunications platform (TP) test program and a number of pattern files. The TP test program invokes one or more utility programs for checking the applications on the telecommunications platform. Each utility program generates result information, which may comprise a separate result line for each application checked by the utility program. Each pattern file may be associated with a particular utility program and may contain a number of data lines. The data lines are predefined to correspond to result information that would be generated by the utility program if it found that each application was operating properly. The TP test program may compare the result information generated by the utility programs against associated pattern files. If no result line in the result information matches a data line in an associated pattern file, the TP test program will present a user with an identifier for an application corresponding to the data line. This notifies the user that such application is not operating properly. Because a human operator is not required to either invoke the utility programs or review the result information output by each utility program, the present invention provides a more efficient and effective way to test applications on a telecommunications program.
Other important technical advantages are readily apparent to one skilled in the art from the following figures, description, and claims.
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patent: 5761272 (1998-06-01), Williams et al.
patent: 5778049 (1998-07-01), Young et al.
patent: 5838766 (1998-11-01), Rand
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patent: 6055298 (2000-04-01), Sugimoto
Alcatel USA Sourcing L.P.
Baker & Botts L.L.P.
Kuntz Curtis A.
Tieu Binh K.
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