Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput – Computer-to-computer session/connection establishing
Reexamination Certificate
2000-09-01
2002-03-19
Sheikh, Ayaz (Department: 2155)
Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput
Computer-to-computer session/connection establishing
C709S221000, C379S015050
Reexamination Certificate
active
06360268
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for testing software and hardware and, more particularly, to a distributed, expandable automated testing system which allows users operating computers to test software and hardware on test machines which are in communication with the users' computers via a network.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The software testing phase is a critical phase in the software development process. During the software development process, the software testing phase occurs after the software has been designed, implemented in a programming language, and tested to a limited degree. During the testing phase, software testers test the software extensively to ensure that the software meets all of the requirements it is intended to meet. In order to accommodate simultaneous testing of several different software packages by several testers, multiple test machines are often implemented. Different types of software packages may need to be tested on different types of test machines, such as, for example, test machines with different hardware configurations and/or different operating systems. When a large number of testers are required to share common resources for software testing, provisions must be made for scheduling the tests in order to efficiently manage these shared resources. The efficient management of these shared resources may also require that tests and the results of the tests be recorded so that the tests can be used repeatedly if needed and so that the results of the tests can be analyzed and subsequently used for comparison with the results of tests performed at a later time.
In an effort to maximize efficiency in the handling of test scheduling and test execution, attempts have been made to automate software testing by using a server to manage test machines and to allocate test packages among the test machines in accordance with a schedule. Sun Microsystems, Inc. has proposed an automated task-based scheduler for use with UNIX platform systems which allows users operating “client” machines to schedule tests to be executed on “target” machines. A central server receives a request from a client machine to perform a task. The server maintains information relating to all currently scheduled tasks on all target machines in a “status” database. The server maintains information relating to the expected duration of each test package and other test package attributes in a “packages” database. When the server receives a request to perform a task from a client machine, the server determines the loads on each of the target machines based on the expected duration of each test package and then schedules the task on the target machine with the least current load. A task file created at the client machine and copied to the server includes priority information relating to the task requested by the client machine. The target machine selects a task to be preformed based on this priority information. Once a task is completed, the results are copied back to the server which compares them to a set of “golden results” and creates a comparison report which is mailed back to the user that requested the test.
One disadvantage of the system proposed by Sun Microsystems is that the system cannot be easily expanded. If a test machine is added to the system, the “machines” database will need to be manually updated to include information relating to the new test machine, such as its operating system and identity. Also, once a test machine is added, no provision is made for automatically rescheduling tasks taking the new test machine into consideration. This reduces the flexibility and adaptability of the system. Furthermore, if a task fails after performance of the task has begun, or if a test machine fails after tasks have been scheduled on it, all of the affected tasks will need to be rescheduled.
Another disadvantage of the system proposed by Sun Microsystems is that it is not a distributed system. The system proposed by Sun Microsystems is a local area network (LAN) having a client/server arrangement which uses scripts to communicate instructions between the users' client machines and the central server and between the central server and the target machines. No provision is made for allowing users located remotely with respect to the testing system to access the system because no communications protocol is provided for encapsulating and transporting the scripts. Also, the test system proposed by Sun Microsystems also has no provision for automatically configuring a test machine and automatically installing an operating system on a test machine. Rather, the test system proposed by Sun Microsystems only allows a user to select a test machine already having the operating system required for executing a particular test. Therefore, if a test machine having the necessary operating system for testing the software is not available, the test cannot be executed.
Accordingly, a need exists for an automated testing system which is automatically expandable to allow new test machines to be easily and automatically added to the system, and which is distributed such that the users and components of the test system may be distributed over any network, such as the Internet.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the present invention, an automated testing system is provided which is capable of being distributed over a network, such as the Internet, for testing hardware and software. A plurality of users operating computers interface to the automated testing system via user interfaces, which preferably are graphical user interfaces. Each user interface displays test parameter choices to the user from which the user may select test parameters relating to a software or hardware test to be performed. Each user interface generates data packets in response to selections from the user and outputs the data packets onto the network. Generally, the data packets output from the user interface comprise information relating to test parameters selected by the user, commands indicating that performance of a test is being requested, and an address of the location to which the packet is being sent. A dispatcher machine located on the network and designated by the address contained in the data packet receives the data packets and updates a list of tests to be performed.
A plurality of test machines are in communication with the dispatcher machine via the network. When a test machine is available, the available test machine generates availability data packets which indicate that the test machine is available to perform a test. Each of the availability data packets contains an address of a dispatcher machine. These availability data packets are sent over the network and routed to the dispatcher machine designated by the address contained in the availability data packet. Upon receiving an availability data packet, the dispatcher machine determines whether one or more of the tests on the list of tests maintained by the dispatcher machine are capable of being performed by the test machine which generated the availability data packet. If one or more of the tests listed are capable of being performed by the available test machine, the dispatcher machine instructs the test machine to perform one of the tests. This aspect of the present invention renders the automated testing system extremely adaptable in that it allows the system to be easily expanded or contracted because the system does not pre-allocate tests, but rather allocates tests in response to requests for work sent from the test machines to the dispatcher machines.
In accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention, once the dispatcher machine receives an availability data packet from a test machine, the dispatcher machine determines whether any of the tests contained on the list of tests maintained by the dispatcher machine is capable of being performed on the available test machine and, if so, prioritizes these tests and instructs the available test machine to perform the test wit
Allison Michael
Gillespie Richard W.
Metzner John R.
Silva Stephen
Sprague Fred
Dinh Khanh Quang
Hewlett--Packard Company
Sheikh Ayaz
LandOfFree
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