TESTING APPLICATIONS WITHIN A GRID ENVIRONMENT USING GHOST AGENTS

• US 20090112565A1
• Filed: 12/31/2008
• Published: 04/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Creamer, Thomas E., Moore, Victor S., Katz, Neil A., Hilf, Bill H.
• Granted Patent: US 8,219,671 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 703/21
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3684 for test design, e.g. generating new test cases

Abstract

A testing method including the step of identifying multiple hosts located within multiple grids of a grid environment, wherein each host is a software object. A ghost agent can be associated with each identified host. Actions of the host can be replicated within each ghost agent. Data relating to the replicated actions can be recorded. Test input can be generated from the recorded data. Tests can be conducted within the grid environment using the test input.

Claims

1. A machine-readable storage medium, comprising computer instructions for testing applications within a grid environment, wherein said grid environment comprises a production segment and a test segment,

wherein an application comprises one or more hosts configured to execute actions within a grid of said grid environment disposed in said production segment, wherein at least a portion of said hosts move from one grid in said grid environment to another grid in said grid environment and

wherein said testing comprises associating a passive ghost agent within said grid with each of said hosts, wherein said ghost agent is configured to record data related to said actions executed by said associated host in said grid, wherein said recorded data is used to simulate user interactions within said test segment, and wherein said passive ghost agent moves responsively from said one grid to said another grid in response to movement of said associated host.

2. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein said testing further comprises deploying a different host configured to execute actions within said test segment and associating a different passive ghost agent with said different host, wherein said different ghost agent is configured to record data related to actions executed by said different host in said test segment.

3. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 2, wherein said testing further comprises deploying an active ghost agent in said production segment, wherein said active ghost agent is configured to trigger said different host in said test segment to execute said actions based upon data recorded by said passive ghost agent in said production segment.

4. A machine-readable storage medium in a grid computing environment, comprising computer instructions for testing applications in said grid environment using a passive ghost agent associated with a host operating within said grid environment, said passive ghost agent comprising a ghost controller for:

managing interactions between said ghost agent and said grid environment,

recording data related to actions executed by the host in a ghost log of said ghost agent, wherein said host is a software object; and

identifying said ghost agent to components within a grid environment;

wherein at least a portion of said hosts move from one grid within said grid environment to another grid, wherein said ghost agent automatically moves from said one grid to said another grid within said grid computing environment in response to said associated host moving from said one grid to said another grid, and wherein said ghost agent is used to test grid-based applications.

5. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 4, further comprising computer instructions for:

generating test input using said recorded data.

6. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 4, further comprising computer instructions for:

simulating user actions during tests using a ghost agent in a testing segment of said grid environment.

7. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 4, further comprising computer instructions for:

generating test output using a ghost agent in a testing segment of said grid environment.

8. A machine-readable storage having stored thereon, a computer program having a plurality of code sections, said code sections executable by a computer for causing the computer to perform the steps of:

identifying a plurality of hosts located within a plurality of grids of a grid environment, wherein each of said hosts is a software object;

for each of said grids, associating a passive ghost agent in said grid with each one of said identified hosts operating in said grid, wherein said passive ghost agent is configured to replicate and record at least one action of said host within said grid environment, wherein said replicated actions of said passive agents are prevented from operationally executing in said grid environment;

moving at least one of said hosts from one of said grids to another of said grids within said grid environment;

in response to said moving of said host, moving said passive ghost agent from said one of said grids to said another grid.

generating test input from said recorded data; and

,

testing within said grid environment using said test input.

9. The machine-readable storage of claim 8, further comprising the steps of:

determining operational metrics for at least one component to be tested;

modifying said test input based upon said operational metrics.

10. The machine-readable storage of claim 8, wherein said hosts are disposed within a production segment of said grid environment and wherein said testing is performed within a test segment of said grid environment.

11. The machine-readable storage of claim 10, further comprising the steps of:

inputting said test input into at least one active ghost agent deployed within said test segment; and

,

executing actions within said test segment based upon said active ghost agent that received said test input.

12. The machine-readable storage of claim 11, further comprising the steps of:

recording data relating to said testing using said deployed ghost agents.

13. The machine-readable storage of claim 8, wherein said hosts are associated with a specific application, wherein said testing is conducted for said application.

14. The machine-readable storage of claim 13, further comprising the step of:

determining system requirements for said application based at least in part upon output from said testing.

15. The machine-readable storage of claim 13, further comprising the step of:

gathering usage data for at least one different application using passive ghost agents.

16. The machine-readable storage of claim 15, further comprising the step of:

testing said specific application while simultaneously simulating load conditions resulting from said at least one different application.

17. A machine-readable storage having stored thereon, a computer program having a plurality of code sections, said code sections executable by a computer for causing the computer to perform the steps of:

identifying a plurality of hosts located within a plurality of grids of a grid environment, wherein each of said hosts is a software object;

associating in each of said grid a passive ghost agent in said grid with each one of said identified hosts operating in said grid, wherein said passive ghost agent is configured to replicate and record at least one action of said host within said grid environment, wherein said replicated actions of said passive agents are prevented from operationally executing in said grid environment, wherein said passive ghost agent automatically moves from one grid to another grid within said grid computing environment in response to said associated host moving from said one grid to said another grid;

generating test input from said recorded data; and

, testing within said grid environment using said test input.