Model-based provisioning of test environments

• US 20060037002A1
• Filed: 06/29/2005
• Published: 02/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ServiceNow Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Tabbara, Bassam, Mensching, Rob, Outhred, Geoffrey, Hunt, Galen C., Fries, Robert M., Grealish, Kevin, Parchem, John M., Lassettre, Edwin R., Welland, Robert V., Woolsey, Jeffrey A., Vinberg, Anders B., Vega, Rene Antonio, Winner, Eric J., Pardyak, Przemek, Hydrie, Aamer
• Granted Patent: US 7,890,951 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/124
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3664 Environments for testing or debugging software
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3684 for test design, e.g. generating new test cases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3692 for test results analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/10 Requirements analysis; Specification techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/145 involving simulating, designing, planning or modelling of a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers

Abstract

Model-based provisioning of test environments includes accessing a model of an application to be installed in a test environment of a system and further accessing a model of the system and a model of the test environment. An installation specification for the application is also generated, the installation specification being derived at least in part from the model of the application, the model of the system, and the model of the test environment.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

accessing a model of an application to be installed in a test environment of a system;

accessing a model of the system;

accessing a model of the test environment; and

generating an installation specification for the application, the installation specification being derived at least in part from the model of the application, the model of the system, and the model of the test environment.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

accessing a model of each of one or more additional test environments; and

generating, for each one of the one or more additional test environments, an installation specification for the application, the installation specification being derived at least in part from the model of the application, the model of the system, and the model of the one of the one or more additional test environments.

3. A method as recited in claim 2, further comprising:

accessing a new model of the application, the new model reflecting changes to the application as a result of one or more tests run on the application in the test environment;

wherein the generating, for each one of the one or more additional test environments, comprises generating an installation specification for the application, the installation specification being derived at least in part from the new model of the application, the model of the system, and the model of the one of the one or more additional test environments

4. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the test environment includes one or more computing devices running one or more virtual machines.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the installation specification includes an indication to install a virtual machine on a computing device of the test environment prior to installing the application on the virtual machine of the computing device.

6. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

generating a plurality of device class installation specifications for the application, each of the plurality of device class installation specifications being for a different one of a plurality of classes of devices in the test environment on which the application could be installed.

7. A method as recited in claim 6, further comprising:

generating a record associating each of the plurality of device class installation specifications with one of the plurality of classes of devices.

8. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the generating comprises:

accessing a constraint information page in the model of the application;

obtaining default values for settings from the constraint information page; and

including, in the installation specification, the default values to be stored as settings on a computing device of the test environment during installation of the application on the computing device.

9. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

performing, prior to generating the installation specification, a logical deployment evaluation to determine whether the application could be installed in the system, the performing comprising comparing constraints associated with the application to constraints associated with other applications installed in the system.

10. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

identifying, prior to generating the installation specification, which one or more computing devices of a plurality of computing devices in the system is to have a new virtual machine created thereon, wherein the application is to be installed on the new virtual machine.

11. One or more computer readable media having stored thereon a plurality of instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to:

generate an application installation specification for an application to be installed on one or more computing devices of a test environment, the application installation specification being based at least in part on a model of the application, a model that includes the one or more computing devices, and a model of a system that includes the test environment.

12. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 11, wherein the plurality of instructions further cause the one or more processors to:

access a model of each of one or more additional test environments of the system; and

generate, for each one of the one or more additional test environments, an installation specification for the application, the installation specification being derived at least in part from the model of the application, the model of the system, and the model of the one of the one or more additional test environments.

13. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 11, wherein the test environment includes one or more computing devices running one or more virtual machines.

14. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 11, wherein the application installation specification includes an indication to install a virtual machine on the one or more computing devices prior to installing the application on the virtual machine of the one or more computing devices.

15. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 11, wherein the application installation specification identifies a plurality of computing devices in the test environment on which the application is to be installed.

16. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 11, wherein the plurality of instructions further cause the one or more processors to:

generate a plurality of device class installation specifications for the application, each of the plurality of device class installation specifications being for a different one of a plurality of classes of devices on which the application could be installed; and

include the plurality of device class installation specifications in the application installation specification.

17. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 11, wherein to generate the application installation specification is to:

access a constraint information page in the model of the application;

obtain default values for settings from the constraint information page; and

include, in the application installation specification, the default values to be stored as settings on the one or more computing devices during installation of the application on the one or more computing devices.

18. A computing device comprising:

a processor; and

a memory, coupled to the processor, to store instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

access a model of an application to be installed in a test environment of a system;

access a model of the system;

access a model of the test environment; and

generate an installation specification for the application, the installation specification being derived at least in part from the model of the application, the model of the system, and the model of the test environment.

19. A computing device as recited in claim 18, further comprising:

generating a plurality of device class installation specifications for the application, each of the plurality of device class installation specifications being for a different one of a plurality of classes of devices in the test environment on which the application could be installed.

20. A computing device as recited in claim 18, wherein the generating comprises:

accessing a constraint information page in the model of the application;

obtaining default values for settings from the constraint information page; and

including, in the installation specification, the default values to be stored as settings on a computing device of the test environment during installation of the application on the computing device.