Altering a test

• US 10,387,294 B2
• Filed: 10/12/2012
• Issued: 08/20/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vmware LLC (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: VMware, Inc. (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gibbens, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Kendall, Chuck O
• Application Number:
  US13/650,415
• Publication Number:
  US 20140109050A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,503 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0712 in a virtual computing platform, e.g. logically partitioned systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0769 Readable error formats, e.g. cross-platform generic formats, human understandable formats
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0772 Means for error signaling, e.g. using interrupts, exception flags, dedicated error registers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/368 for test version control, e.g. updating test cases to a new software version
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3688 for test execution, e.g. scheduling of test suites
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45533 Hypervisors; Virtual machine monitors

Abstract

In a method of testing a software item, an error condition may occur during an automated test of a software item. In response to the error, the test remains in an active state. An alteration to the test is accepted. Once altered, a test may continue using the altered test.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising instructions stored thereon which, when executed, cause a computing system to perform a method of software item testing, said method comprising:

initiating a test of a software item;

in response to occurrence of an error condition during said test of said software item, pausing said test while maintaining said test in an active state without terminating said test;

presenting a user interface for receiving an alteration to said test while said test is paused;

accepting said alteration to said test at said user interface while said test is paused; and

continuing said test comprising said alteration without restarting said test.

2. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein said maintaining said test in an active state comprises:

maintaining said test in an active state within a cloud computing environment in which said test is running.

3. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein said maintaining said test in an active state comprises:

maintaining a state of a virtual machine upon which said test is running.

4. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein said maintaining said test in an active state comprises:

pausing said test.

5. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein said maintaining said test in an active state comprises:

maintaining all prior testing information up to said occurrence of said error condition.

6. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein said accepting an alteration to said test further comprises:

validating execution of said alteration to said test while said test is maintained in an active state.

7. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein said accepting an alteration to said test comprises:

accepting said alteration via a user interface which facilitates entry of said alteration and validation of execution of said alteration.

8. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein said accepting an alteration to said test comprises:

accepting said alteration, wherein said alteration comprises a change to a custom action of a custom action layer of a testing framework used to conduct said test.

9. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein said change to a custom action causes said custom action to be altered in every instance where said custom action is utilized within said testing framework.

10. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein said continuing said test comprising said alteration comprises:

continuing said test from a point in said test where said error condition occurred.

11. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein said continuing said test comprising said alteration comprises:

continuing said test from a point in said test prior to where said error condition occurred.

12. A method of software item testing, said method comprising:

initiating a test of a software item using a test of a testing framework;

in response to occurrence of an error condition during said test, pausing said test within a computing environment in which said test is being conducted while maintaining said test in an active state without terminating said test;

presenting a user interface for receiving an alteration to said test while said test is paused;

accepting said alteration to said test at said user interface while said test is paused; and

continuing said test comprising said alteration without restarting said test.

13. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein said pausing said test within a computing environment in which said test is being conducted comprises:

maintaining said test in an active state within a cloud computing environment in which said test is running.

14. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein said pausing said test within a computing environment in which said test is being conducted comprises:

maintaining all prior testing information up to said occurrence of said error condition.

15. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein said accepting an alteration to a test while said test is paused comprises:

accepting said alteration, wherein said alteration comprises a change to a custom action of a custom action layer of said testing framework.

16. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein said continuing said test comprising said alteration comprises:

continuing said test from a point in said test prior to where said error condition occurred.

17. A method of software item testing, said method comprising:

initiating a test of a software item;

in response to occurrence of an error condition during said test of said software item, pausing said test within a computing environment in which said test is being conducted while maintaining said test in an active state without terminating said test;

presenting a plurality of user selectable options with respect to said test while said test is paused at a user interface; and

in response to receipt of a selection of one of said plurality of user selectable options at said user interface, implementing an action with respect to said test while said test is paused.

18. The method as recited in claim 17, wherein said implementing an action with respect to said test while said test is paused comprises:

terminating said test.

19. The method as recited in claim 17, wherein said implementing an action with respect to said test while said test is paused comprises:

resuming said test from a point of said error condition while accepting said error condition as a legitimate issue in said software item under test.

20. The method as recited in claim 17, wherein said implementing an action with respect to said test while said test is paused comprises:

retrying a test action which caused said error condition to occur to attempt reproduction of said error condition.

21. The method as recited in claim 17, wherein said implementing an action with respect to said test while said test is paused comprises:

presenting a user interface in which a test action of said test may be altered while said test remains paused.