Automated model generation for a software system

• US 10,394,583 B2
• Filed: 03/31/2016
• Issued: 08/27/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CA, Inc. (d/b/a CA Technologies) (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: CA, Inc. (d/b/a CA Technologies) (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lau, Rich J., Li, Bing
• Primary Examiner(s): Aponte, Francisco J
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gooray, Mark A
• Application Number:
  US15/087,450
• Publication Number:
  US 20170286277A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,244 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/30 Monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3447 Performance evaluation by modeling
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3466 Performance evaluation by tracing or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3608 using formal methods, e.g. model checking, abstract interpretation theorem proving G06N5/013
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3684 for test design, e.g. generating new test cases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3696 Methods or tools to render software testable
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/87 Monitoring of transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/20 Software design
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/30 Creation or generation of source code
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/70 Software maintenance or management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/455 Emulation; Interpretation; Software simulation, e.g. virtualisation or emulation of application or operating system execution engines
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks

Abstract

Transaction data is accessed that has been generated from monitoring of a plurality of transactions in a system that includes a plurality of software components. The transaction data is assessed to identify that a particular one of the plurality of transactions meets a particular one of a set of conditions based on an attribute of the particular transaction. A portion of the transaction data describing the particular transaction is selected based on the particular transaction meeting the particular condition. A model of a particular one of the software components involved in the particular transaction is generated using the selected portion of the transaction data. The model is used to launch a computer-implemented simulation of the particular software component within subsequent transactions of the system.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

accessing transaction data generated from monitoring of a plurality of transactions in a system comprising a plurality of software components, wherein at least a particular one of the plurality of transactions comprises data generated by a particular model simulating operation of a particular one of the plurality of software components in the particular transaction;

analyzing the transaction data, using a data processing apparatus, to identify respective sets of attributes for each of the plurality of transactions;

determining, using the data processing apparatus, that the set of attributes of the particular transaction meets a particular one of a set of conditions, wherein the particular transaction involves a subset of the plurality of software components and the particular model;

selecting a portion of the transaction data describing the particular transaction based on the particular transaction meeting the particular condition;

determining that the set of attributes of another one of the plurality of transactions does not satisfy the particular condition, wherein the other transaction involves the subset of software components;

identifying another portion of the transaction data describing the other transaction; and

autonomously generating an additional model of a another one of the subset of software components using the portion of the transaction data based on the particular transaction meeting the particular condition, wherein the other portion of the transaction data describing the other transaction is excluded from use in generation of the additional model based on the other transaction failing to meet the particular condition, and the additional model is used to launch a computer-implemented simulation of the other software components within subsequent transactions of the system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the particular model and the other model each respectively comprise one of a test case or a virtual service model.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the test case simulates requests made by the particular software component.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the test case further comprises a baseline to compare responses received to the simulated request to an expected response.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the virtual service model is used to launch a virtual service to simulate responses of the particular software component to requests received in the particular transaction.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising adding the additional model to a library of models.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising launching the additional model for inclusion in the subsequent transactions, wherein the additional model is generated and launched automatically in response to identifying that the particular transaction meets the particular condition.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising monitoring the subsequent transactions involving the additional model using one or more software-based agents, wherein the monitoring generates additional transaction data describing the subsequent transactions.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the additional model comprises a test case to generate simulated requests to initiate the subsequent transactions, and the method further comprises determining whether the subsequent transactions differ from the particular transaction.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising generating another model from the additional transaction data in response to determining that the subsequent transactions differ from the particular transaction.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising determining a change to the system based on determining that the subsequent transactions differ from the particular transaction.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the system comprises a particular system and the additional model is launched in transactions of another system.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising comparing the transaction data with the additional transaction data to determine differences between the particular system and the other system.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the condition corresponds to detecting that a transaction is initiated by a particular entity, wherein the entity comprises a particular user or group of users including the particular user.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the attribute comprises a session identifier corresponding to the particular entity.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the attribute comprises an address of a computing device associated with the particular entity included in a request within the particular transaction.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the condition is further based on a value in content of a request or response within the transaction.

18. A non-transitory computer readable medium having program instructions stored therein, wherein the program instructions are executable by a computer system to perform operations comprising:

accessing transaction data generated from monitoring of a plurality of transactions in a system comprising a plurality of software components, wherein each of the transactions comprises transaction fragments, each transaction fragment comprises a respective request and response to the request, and at least a particular one of the plurality of transactions comprises data generated by a particular model simulating operation of a particular one of the plurality of software components in the particular transaction;

analyzing the transaction data, using a data processing apparatus, to identify respective sets of attributes for each of the plurality of transactions;

determining that the particular transaction meets a particular one of a set of conditions based on the set of attributes of the particular transaction, wherein the particular transaction involves a subset of the plurality of software components and the particular model;

selecting a portion of the transaction data describing the particular transaction based on the particular transaction meeting the particular condition;

determining that the set of attributes of another one of the plurality of transactions does not satisfy the particular condition, wherein the other transaction involves the subset of software components;

identifying another portion of the transaction data describing the other transaction;

automatically generating an additional model of a another one of the plurality of software components involved in the particular transaction in response to identifying that the particular transaction meets the particular condition, wherein the additional model is generated from the portion of the transaction data describing the particular transaction, and the other portion of the transaction data describing the other transaction is excluded from use in generation of the additional model based on the other transaction failing to meet the particular condition; and

automatically launching of subsequent transactions involving the subset of software components utilizing the model in lieu of the other software component.

19. A system comprising:

a data processor;

a memory;

a filter manager executable by the data processor to;

define a plurality of transaction filters, wherein each transaction filter defines a particular condition and an action to take based on the particular condition;

access transaction data generated from monitoring of a plurality of transactions in a system comprising a plurality of software components, wherein each of the transactions comprises transaction fragments each transaction fragment comprises a respective request and response to the request, and at least a particular one of the plurality of transactions comprises data generated by a particular model simulating operation of a particular one of the plurality of software components in the particular transaction;

identify, from the transaction data, that the particular transaction meets a particular condition of a particular one of the transaction filters, wherein the particular transaction is a transaction of a particular type, the action corresponding to the particular transaction filter comprises automatically generating an additional model of another one of the software components involved in transactions meeting the particular condition of the particular transaction filter;

identify, from the transaction data, that another one of the plurality of transactions fails to meet the particular condition, wherein the other transaction is also of the particular type; and

perform the action, wherein performing the action comprises generating model data comprising a portion of the transaction data, wherein the portion of the transaction data includes transaction data describing the particular transaction based on the particular transaction meeting the particular condition, and the model data excludes transaction data describing the other transaction based on the other transaction failing to meet the particular condition; and

a model generator executable by the data processor to;

autonomously generate the additional model, wherein the additional model is operable to simulate operation of the other software component involved in transactions of the particular type based on the indication.

20. The system of claim 19, further comprising a plurality of agents instrumented on at least a portion of the plurality of software components and operable to monitor the plurality of transactions, wherein the transaction data is generated based on the monitoring of the plurality of transactions by the plurality of agents.