Failure tagging

• US 20070245313A1
• Filed: 04/14/2006
• Published: 10/18/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Wright, Richard, Zhang, Xun, Merriman, Loren, Anderson, Curtis, Brown, Alan, Wilson, Jared, Hardy, Donald
• Application Number:
  US11/404,679
• Publication Number:
  US 20070245313A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/124
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3688 for test execution, e.g. scheduling of test suites
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3692 for test results analysis

Abstract

Failure tagging may be provided. A plurality of tests may be initiated on a program module and output resulting from the plurality of tests may be received. The output resulting from the plurality of tests may be determined to comprise at least one failure. The at least one failure may comprise an unknown failure or a known failure. Results of the plurality of tests indicating the failure may be transmitted. In addition, a request to stop one or more of a plurality of computers on a failure may be received when one of the plurality of computers encounters the failure. In addition, the program module may be transmitted to the plurality of computers configured to run tests on the program module. The one of the plurality of computers may be stopped on the failure when the one of the plurality of computers encounters the failure identified by the request.

Claims

1. A computer-readable medium which stores a set of instructions which when executed performs a method for providing failure tagging, the method executed by the set of instructions comprising:

initiating a plurality of tests on a program module;

receiving output resulting from the plurality of tests;

determining that the output resulting from the plurality of tests comprises at least one failure, the at least one failure comprising one of an unknown failure and a known failure; and

transmitting results of the plurality of tests, the results indicating the failure.

2. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, further comprising receiving a program module change notification.

3. The computer-readable medium of claim 2, wherein receiving the program module change notification comprises receiving the program module change notification in response to a change in programming code corresponding to the program module.

4. The computer-readable medium of claim 2, further comprising obtaining the program module associated with the program module change notification.

5. The computer-readable medium of claim 2, wherein determining that the output resulting from the plurality of tests comprises the at least one failure, the at least one failure comprising one of the unknown failure and the known failure further comprises comparing the at least one failure to a database to determine if the at least one failure exists in database as a tagged failure, wherein, if the at least one failure exists in database as the tagged failure, marking the failure as known.

6. The computer-readable medium of claim 2, wherein initiating the plurality of tests on the program module comprises:

transmitting the program module to a first number of computers; and

running a second number of tests on the first number of computers.

7. The computer-readable medium of claim 6, further comprising transmitting at least one test script to the first number of computers, the at least one test script comprising testing code configured to provide the plurality of tests when executed.

8. The computer-readable medium of claim 6, wherein transmitting the program module to the first number of computers comprises transmitting the program module to the first number of computers having at least one of different microprocessors and different processing speeds.

9. The computer-readable medium of claim 6, further comprising:

receiving data configured to tag an unknown failure as a known failure; and

tagging the unknown failure as a known failure based upon the received data.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein tagging the unknown failure as a known failure based upon the received data further comprises tagging the unknown failure as a known failure based upon the received data wherein a tag associated with tagging the unknown failure is configured to expire after a predetermined amount of time.

11. A system for providing failure tagging, the system comprising:

a memory storage; and

a processing unit coupled to the memory storage, wherein the processing unit is operative to;

receive a request to stop a one of a plurality of computers on a failure when the one of the plurality of computers encounters the failure, the request identifying the failure;

transmit a program module to the plurality of computers configured to run tests on the program module; and

stop the one of the plurality of computers on the failure when the one of the plurality of computers encounters the failure identified by the request.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the processing unit is further operative to transmit a notice to a user, the notice configured to indicate at least one of the following:

that the one of the plurality of computers encountered the failure identified by the request, that the one of the plurality of computers is being held, and information identifying the one of the plurality of computers.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the processing unit being operative to receive the request to stop the one of the plurality of computers on the failure comprises the processing unit being operative to the request to stop the one of the plurality of computers on the failure comprising a failure previously tagged as a known failure.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the processing unit being operative to transmit the program module to the plurality of computers comprises the processing unit being operative to transmit the program module to the plurality of computers having at least one of different microprocessors and different processing speeds.

15. A method for providing failure tagging, the method comprising:

receiving a program module change notification in response to a change in programming code corresponding to a program module;

obtaining the program module associated with the program module change notification;

initiating a plurality of tests on the program module;

receiving output resulting from the plurality of tests;

determining that the output resulting from the plurality of tests comprises at least one failure, the at least one failure comprising one of an unknown failure and a known failure; and

transmitting results of the plurality of tests, the results indicating the failure.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein determining that the output resulting from the plurality of tests comprises the at least one failure, the at least one failure comprising one of the unknown failure and the known failure further comprises comparing the at least one failure to a database to determine if the at least one failure exists in the database as a tagged failure, wherein, if the at least one failure exists in the database as the tagged failure, marking the failure as known.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein initiating the plurality of tests on the program module comprises:

transmitting the program module to a first number of computers; and

running a second number of tests on the first number of computers.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising transmitting at least one test script to the first number of computers, the at least one test script comprising testing code configured to provide the plurality of tests when executed.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein transmitting the program module to the first number of computers comprises transmitting the program module to the first number of computers having at least one of different microprocessors and different processing speeds.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

receiving data configured to tag an unknown failure as a known failure; and

tagging the unknown failure as a known failure based upon the received data wherein a tag associated with tagging the unknown failure is configured to expire after a predetermined amount of time.