Methods and apparatus for automated testing of a device through a command line interface

• US 20070263773A1
• Filed: 03/03/2006
• Published: 11/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Symbol Technologies, Inc. (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Symbol Technologies, Inc. (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Inventors: Malik, Ajay, Sharma, Manas
• Application Number:
  US11/368,252
• Publication Number:
  US 20070263773A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/1.10
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/50 Testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/24 Arrangements for testing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/28 Automatic routine testing ; Fault testing; Installation testing; Test methods, test equipment or test arrangements therefor

Abstract

A method for automated testing of a device (e.g., a router, switch, mobile terminal, barcode reader, or the like) includes creating a metafile, establishing a network connection to the device, parsing the metafile to determine a device command and an expected result, issuing the device command to the command line interface of the device via the network connection; receiving a response from the command line interface of the device via the network connection; comparing the response to the expected result, then logging, to a test summary file, a test result based on said comparing step. The metafile language has a relatively simple vocabulary and syntax, and is thus easy to learn and implement.

Claims

1. A method for automated testing of a network device having a command line interface, said method comprising:

creating a metafile;

establishing a network connection with the device;

parsing said metafile to determine a device command and an expected result;

issuing said device command to said command line interface of the device via said network connection;

receiving a response from said command line interface of the device via said network connection;

comparing said response to said expected result;

logging, to a test summary file, a test result based on said comparing step.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said metafile is partitioned into a plurality of test cases, and wherein said method further includes logging, to said test summary file, a test case result based on said comparing step.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said creating step includes creating a plurality of lines of text that include a command string and an expression string.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said parsing step includes determining the device command from one of said expression strings of one of said lines having a predetermined command string.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein said parsing step includes determining the expected result from one of said expression strings of one of said lines having a predetermined command string.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein said lines of text include a first line and a second line subsequent to said first line, said method including determining the device command from said first line, and determining the expected result from said second line.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein said lines of text include said command string followed by a delimiter followed by said expression string.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of establishing a connection includes establishing a Telnet connection, a serial console connection, or a secure ssh connection.

9. A system for automated testing of a network device of the type having a command line interface (CLI), said system comprising:

a test apparatus configured to;

establish a network connection with the device via the network connection;

parse a text metafile to determine a device command and an expected result;

issue said device command to said command line interface of the device via said network connection;

receive a response from said command line interface of the device via said network connection;

compare said response to said expected result and log, to a test summary file, a test result based on said comparing step.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein said test apparatus includes a processor, a memory, an input output device, and a display.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein said test apparatus is further configured to log, to said test summary file, a test case result based on said comparing step.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein said test apparatus is configured to establish a network connection with the device via a packet-switched network.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein said network connection is a ssh session a serial console connection, or a secure ssh connection.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the network connection is a wireless connection.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the device is a network component selected from the group consisting of routers, gateways, switches, mobile devices, and wireless access points.