Interactive automatic-test GUI for testing devices and equipment using shell-level, CLI, and SNMP commands

• US 20030191590A1
• Filed: 04/04/2002
• Published: 10/09/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sapphire Infotech Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Catteleya Systems
• Inventors: Narayan, Purnendu, Duvur, Ramu, Jha, Chirag Nareshkumar, Goradia, Dinesh, Mitra, Kashinath
• Granted Patent: US 7,010,782 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/68
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0213 Standardised network management protocols, e.g. simple network management protocol [SNMP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/50 Testing arrangements

Abstract

A test manager software program includes an interactive test graphical-user-interface (GUI) for testing network devices using high-level networking commands. The test GUI allows the test engineer user to enter high-level commands such as Simple Networking Management Protocol (SNMP) commands that read values in a management information database in a network device under test. The high-level commands can be sent from the test manager using a command-line interface (CLI) in a telnet session opened to the network device during testing. The user specifies high-level test, analyze, and restore commands in test cases that are collected into test suites. Rules for logging on to the network device under test are stored that include expected prompts from the network device and user responses such as passwords. Addresses of the network device under test can be re-mapped for testing other devices so the test suites can be reused.

Claims

1. A test manager comprising:

a test graphical-user-interface (GUI) that enables a user to enter high-level commands to test a network device;

a test executer, coupled to the test GUI and sending the high-level commands to the network device, the test executer receiving status values from the network device and analyzing the status values by comparing the status values to acceptable ranges of status values to determine when the network device has failed a test;

a rules database that stores logon prompts generated by the network device, the test executer connecting to the network device by receiving matching prompts from the network device and responding with user values input by the user to the test GUI, the user input values being sent to the network device in response to the matching prompts in a sequence defined by the user using the test GUI; and

a report generator, responsive to the test executer, for generating a test-results report to the user, the test-results report indicating when the test executer determines that the network device has failed the test;

wherein the test executer logs on to the network device by sending the user input values in the sequence defined by the user in response to matching prompts that match logon prompts in the rules database, the test executer also sending the high-level commands to the network device and receiving and analyzing the status values to determine when the network device has failed the test,

whereby the network device is tested using high-level commands.

2. The test manager of claim 1 wherein the test GUI receives the high-level commands from the user in a command-line interface (CLI) format, the high-level commands being sent to the network device using the CLI when the test executer tests the network device,

whereby a CLI is used to receive the high-level commands from the user, and to send the high-level commands to the network device.

3. The test manager of claim 2 wherein the high-level commands include CLI commands to show and set configuration setting including a configured speed of a port of the network device.

4. The test manager of claim 2 wherein the high-level commands include Simple Networking Management Protocol (SNMP) commands that the read status values from a management database on the network device,

whereby the user enters SNMP commands to test the network device.

5. The test manager of claim 2 wherein the test GUI stores the high-level commands in a plurality of test cases, each test case having at least one high-level command, at least one analyze command, while at least some test cases also include a restore command that restores the network device to a predetermined state that existed before the high-level command in the test case was executed by the network device,

whereby the high-level commands are arranged into test cases.

6. The test manager of claim 5 wherein the restore command is a command to logout from the network device or a command to reset a configuration of a port on the network device.

7. The test manager of claim 5 wherein at least one of the test cases include a link to the rules database to specify a sequence of logon prompts and user input values for logging on to the network device,

whereby at least one test case identifies a logon sequence, a high-level command, and an analyze command.

8. The test manager of claim 5 wherein the test GUI arranges the plurality of test cases into at least one test suite, the test suite defining a sequence of the test cases to execute to test the network device,

whereby lower-level test cases are arranged into higher-level test suites.

9. The test manager of claim 1 wherein the rules database includes dual-level logon sequences that first logs on to a console level of the network device, then logs on to an enable level or a supervisor level of the network device;

wherein the enable level or the supervisor level allows high-privilege commands to be executed while the console level does not allow high-privilege commands to be executed,

whereby two levels of logon are performed by the test executer.

10. The test manager of claim 1 further comprising:

a network address database that stores network addresses of the network device and other network devices in a test network;

wherein a test case includes an identifier of a network address for the network device, the test executer logging on to the network device and sending the high-level commands using the network address from the network address database.

11. The test manager of claim 10 further comprising:

a test-bed address re-mapper, coupled to the network address database, for replacing a network address of the network device with a new network address to test other network devices.

12. The test manager of claim 11 wherein the test-bed address re-mapper further modifies the logon prompts from the rules database to match with matching prompts from the other network devices,

whereby logon prompts are modified for testing other network devices.

13. The test manager of claim 10 wherein the network address is an Internet Protocol (IP) address.

14. The test manager of claim 13 wherein the network device is a network switch or a network router having at least 24 ports.

15. A computer-implemented method for testing a network device comprising:

using a test graphical-user-interface (GUI) to receive expected prompts from a user, the expected prompts being prompts generated by a network device under test;

displaying the expected prompts in a window in the test GUI in a logon sequence order;

storing the expected prompts and the logon sequence order as a logon rule;

associating the logon rule with the network device under test;

entering into the test GUI user replies to the expected logon prompts for the logon rule;

creating a test case by entering into the test GUI a high-level command for transmission to the network device under test using a command-line interface (CLI);

specifying an analysis command using the test GUI by identifying a CLI command to read a configuration setting that was set by the high-level command and to compare the configuration setting to an expected configuration setting;

associating the test case with a network address for the network device under test;

executing the test case by activating an automated test program that uses the logon rule to connect to the network device under test, and sending the high-level command to the network device under test, and analyzing results of execution of the high-level command to determine when the network device under test has failed the test case; and

reporting results of execution of the test case that includes a failure indication when the network device under test has failed the test case,

whereby the network device under test is automatically tested using a high-level CLI interface.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 15 further comprising:

generating other test cases for the network device under test;

for at least one test case, specifying a restore command or a logout command to be executed after the analysis command, to return the network device under test to a predetermined state;

assembling the test cases into a test suite;

executing the test suite by executing each test case in the test suite in a test order,

whereby a test suite of test cases is automatically executed.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 15 wherein at least some of the high-level commands are Simple Networking Management Protocol (SNMP) commands;

further comprising;

sending the SNMP commands to the network device under test;

receiving from a management agent in the network device under test a status value from a management information database in the network device under test that indicates a status of the network device under test after executing the high-level command from the test case,

whereby the network device under test is automatically tested using high-level SNMP commands.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 17 further comprising:

scheduling execution of the test case at a future date and time by specifying a date and time using the test GUI;

entering a notification address using the test GUI;

activating an automated test program at the future date and time specified;

generating a report of results of execution of the test case;

sending the report to the user by e-mail or by text messaging to the notification address,

whereby the test case is automatically executed and the user automatically notified of test execution.

19. A computer-program product comprising:

a computer-usable medium having computer-readable program code means embodied therein for testing a network device, the computer-readable program code means in the computer-program product comprising;

network connection means for transmitting and receiving packets from a network device under test;

test graphical-user-interface (GUI) means for receiving high-level commands,

logon sequences, and scheduling information from a user, the high-level commands including Simple Networking Management Protocol (SNMP) commands to read status data from a management information base in the network device under test;

execute means, activated in response to the scheduling information entered by the user with the test GUI, for connecting to the network device under test with a telnet session using the logon sequences, and for sending the high-level commands to the network device under test for execution by the network device under test; and

monitor and report means, activated by the execute means, for analyzing execution results from the network device under test and for generating a report of execution results,

whereby high-level SNMP commands are sent to the network device under test after connecting to the network device under test using the logon sequences.

20. The computer-program product of claim 19 wherein the test GUI further comprises:

a tree-view area containing nodes for activating windows of the test GUI for listing and modifying test information on network devices, test sequences, and logon sequences;

an active tab window for viewing and modifying a portion of the test information;

an active sub-tab window for entering the high-level commands,

wherein the active tab window and the active sub-tab window change display appearance for different test information,

whereby the test GUI changes display appearance for entering different test information.