CONSTRAINT PROGRAMMING FOR REDUCTION OF SYSTEM TEST-CONFIGURATION-MATRIX COMPLEXITY

• US 20080250049A1
• Filed: 04/09/2007
• Published: 10/09/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GlobalFoundries, Inc.
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Williams, Clay E., O'Sullivan, Patrick J., Yilmaz, Cemal, Ogle, David M., Chakra, Al
• Granted Patent: US 7,805,635 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/102
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3696 Methods or tools to render software testable

Abstract

A system for creating a system configuration data set includes an input operable to receive a set of system properties with attributes and values and a set of expressions representing a set of system test goals. The system further includes a processor operable to define a hierarchical tree structure with a plurality of nodes where each node represents one of the system properties and includes at least one of the attributes and the values and an output operable to output a set of system test data utilizing the hierarchical tree structure combined with the expressions. A method includes creating a hierarchical tree structure with a plurality of nodes where each node represents a system property. The method further includes receiving a set of expressions representing a set of system test goals and creating a set of system test data utilizing the hierarchical tree structure combined with the expressions.

Claims

1. A method of creating a system configuration data set, the method comprising:

creating a hierarchical tree structure with a plurality of nodes where each node represents a system property and includes at least one of an attribute and a value;

receiving a set of expressions representing a set of system test goals; and

creating a set of system test data utilizing the hierarchical tree structure combined with the expressions.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the expressions are first-order logic expressions that define conditional and quantified goals of a system.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein an expression includes at least one of:

if then;

iff;

if and;

or;

and negate;

true; and

false.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

selecting at least one of the attribute, the value, and the expression so as to further define at least one of the set of system test goals.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

the set of expressions includes at least one preference expression that defines at least one of testing knowledge, testing experience, and testing beliefs.

6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising:

associating a bias value to the at least one preference expression; and

associating a priority value to the at least one preference expression.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

creating the set of system test data by performing pairwise testing on at least three of the plurality of nodes.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

the system property is one of abstract and concrete.

9. A system for performing event analysis, the system comprising:

an input operable to receive;

a set of system properties with attributes and values; and

a set of expressions representing a set of system test goals;

a processor operable to define a hierarchical tree structure with a plurality of nodes where each node represents one of the system properties and includes at least one of the attributes and the values; and

an output operable to output a set of system test data utilizing the hierarchical tree structure combined with the expressions.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein the expressions include at least one of:

if then;

iff;

if and;

or;

and negate;

true; and

false.

11. The system according to claim 9, wherein the input is further operable to:

receive a selection of at least one of the attribute, the value, and the expression so as to further define at least one of the set of system test goals.

12. The system according to claim 9, wherein:

the set of expressions includes at least one preference expression that defines at least one of testing knowledge, testing experience, and testing beliefs.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein:

the input is further operable to receive at least one bias value and at least one preference value; and

the processor is further operable to;

associate the at least one bias value with the at least one preference expression; and

associate the at least one priority value to the at least one preference expression.

14. A computer program product for creating a system configuration data set, the computer program product comprising:

a storage medium readable by a processing circuit and storing instructions for execution by the processing circuit for performing a method comprising;

creating a hierarchical tree structure with a plurality of nodes where each node represents a system property and includes at least one of an attribute and a value;

receiving a set of expressions representing a set of system test goals; and

creating a set of system test data utilizing the hierarchical tree structure combined with the expressions.

15. The computer program product according to claim 14, wherein an expression includes at least one of:

if then;

iff;

if and;

or;

and negate;

true; and

false.

16. The computer program product according to claim 14, wherein the expressions are first-order logic expressions that define conditional and quantified goals of a system.

17. The computer program product according to claim 14, further comprising:

selecting at least one of the attribute, the value, and the expression so as to further define at least one of the set of system test goals.

18. The computer program product according to claim 14, wherein:

the set of expressions includes at least one preference expression that defines at least one of testing knowledge, testing experience, and testing beliefs.

19. The computer program product according to claim 18, further comprising:

associating a bias value to the at least one preference expression; and

associating a priority value to the at least one preference expression.

20. The computer program product according to claim 14, wherein:

the system property is one of abstract and concrete.