Automated test execution framework with central management

• US 20040243381A1
• Filed: 01/29/2004
• Published: 12/02/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Rosenman, Victor, Kuturianu, Olga
• Granted Patent: US 7,366,955 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 703/22
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3664 Environments for testing or debugging software
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/71 Version control security arrangements therefor G06F21/57; Configuration management

Abstract

A test execution system has a central repository that contains a management unit, available test suites and a single test execution harness. Using the management unit, a system administrator establishes active versions of the various test suites, and their individual configurations. End users install clients of the central repository, using a system-provided installer program. In the client, an execution script is created, which downloads the harness and a local configuration file. Then, when the harness is executed at the client, it loads with all designated test suites already installed, configured and ready for execution. The client always has the most current versions of all test suites. All necessary information is obtained from a single central location.

Claims

1. A method for testing a plurality of computing products, comprising the steps of:

providing a central repository holding data structures, said data structures comprising platforms, test suites, an execution test harness, and an installer;

downloading said installer to a plurality of clients of said central repository; and

responsively to an execution of said installer in said clients downloading and installing from said central repository selected ones of said platforms and said test suites to said clients for use by said clients in testing said computing products.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of providing a platform editor for making a modification of any of said platforms, said test suites, and said execution test harness, so that said modification is automatically applied to all of said clients using at least one of said platforms, said test suites, and said execution test harness.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said execution test harness is executed using binary files thereof residing on said central repository.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein different selected ones of said platforms and said test suites are installed on different ones of said clients.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein said different ones of said clients execute said test suites concurrently.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein said different ones of said clients execute said test suites at different times.

7. A computer software product, comprising a computer-readable medium in which computer program instructions are stored, which instructions, when read by a computer, cause the computer to perform a method for testing a plurality of computing products, comprising the steps of:

defining a central repository holding data structures, said data structures comprising platforms, test suites, an execution test harness, and an installer;

downloading said installer to a plurality of clients of said central repository; and

responsively to an execution of a script generated by said installer in said clients, downloading selected ones of said platforms, said test suites to said clients for use by said clients in testing said computing products under control of said execution test harness.

8. The computer software product according to claim 7, wherein said computer is further instructed to perform the step of defining a platform editor for modifying at least one of said platforms, said test suites, and said execution test harness.

9. The computer software product according to claim 7, wherein said execution test harness is executed using binary files thereof residing on said central repository.

10. The computer software product according to claim 7, wherein different selected ones of said platforms and said test suites are installed on different ones of said clients.

11. The computer software product according to claim 10, wherein said different ones of said clients execute said test suites concurrently.

12. The computer software product according to claim 10, wherein said different ones of said clients execute said test suites at different times.

13. A test execution system for testing a plurality of computing products, comprising:

a central repository holding data structures, said data structures comprising platforms, test suites, and an execution test harness; and

an installer for downloading and installing selected ones of said platforms, and said test suites at a plurality of clients of said central repository.

14. The test execution system according to claim 13, further comprising a platform editor for modifying at least one of said platforms, said test suites, and said execution test harness.

15. The test execution system according to claim 13, wherein clients of said central repository execute said execution test harness using binary files residing on said central repository.

16. The test execution system according to claim 13, wherein different selected ones of said platforms and said test suites are installed on different ones of said clients.

17. The test execution system according to claim 16, wherein said different ones of said clients execute said test suites concurrently.

18. The test execution system according to claim 16, wherein said different ones of said clients execute said test suites at different times.

19. A method for testing a plurality of computing products, comprising the steps of:

providing a central repository holding data structures, said data structures comprising platforms, test suites, an execution test harness, and an installer;

downloading said installer to a plurality of clients of said central repository;

responsively to an execution of a script generated by said installer in said clients, downloading selected ones of said platforms and said test suites to said clients for use by said clients in testing said computing products under control of said execution test harness; and

defining a platform editor for modifying at least one of said platforms, said test suites, and said execution test harness.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein said execution test harness is executed using binary files thereof residing on said central repository.

21. The method according to claim 19, wherein different selected ones of said platforms and said test suites are installed on different ones of said clients.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein said different ones of said clients execute said test suites concurrently.

23. The method according to claim 21, wherein said different ones of said clients execute said test suites at different times.

24. A computer software product, comprising a computer-readable medium in which computer program instructions are stored, which instructions, when read by a computer, cause the computer to perform a method for testing a plurality of computing products, comprising the steps of:

defining a central repository holding data structures, said data structures comprising platforms, test suites, an execution test harness, and an installer;

downloading said installer to a plurality of clients of said central repository;

responsively to an execution of a script generated by said installer in said clients, downloading selected ones of said platforms and said test suites to said clients for use by said clients in testing said computing products under control of said execution test harness; and

defining a platform editor for modifying at least one of said platforms, said test suites, and said execution test harness.

25. The computer software product according to claim 24, wherein said execution test harness is executed using binary files thereof residing on said central repository.

26. The computer software product according to claim 24, wherein different selected ones of said platforms and said test suites are installed on different ones of said clients.

27. The computer software product according to claim 26, wherein said different ones of said clients execute said test suites concurrently.

28. The computer software product according to claim 26, wherein said different ones of said clients execute said test suites at different times.

29. A test execution system for testing a plurality of computing products, comprising:

a central repository holding data structures, said data structures comprising platforms, test suites, and an execution test harness;

an installer for downloading and installing selected ones of said platforms, and said test suites at a plurality of clients of said central repository; and

a platform editor for modifying at least one of said platforms, said test suites, and said execution test harness.

30. The test execution system according to claim 29, wherein clients of said central repository execute said execution test harness using binary files residing on said central repository.

31. The test execution system according to claim 29, wherein different selected ones of said platforms and said test suites are installed on different ones of said clients.

32. The test execution system according to claim 31, wherein said different ones of said clients execute said test suites concurrently.

33. The test execution system according to claim 31, wherein said different ones of said clients execute said test suites at different times.