METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR SIMULATING A PLURALITY OF DEVICES

• US 20100070255A1
• Filed: 09/17/2008
• Published: 03/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Original Assignee: Accenture Global Services GmbH (Accenture PLC)
• Inventors: Biltz, Michael J., MacDonald, Graeme D., Stauth, Sean, Hsu, Jonathan
• Granted Patent: US 8,825,462 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 703/13
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/261 by simulating additional hardware, e.g. fault simulation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/20 Design optimisation, verification or simulation optimisation, verification or simulation of circuit designs G06F30/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2532 Clique of NAT servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2535 Multiple local networks, e.g. resolving potential IP address conflicts
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/123 received data contents, e.g. message integrity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/12 Protocol engines

Abstract

A method and system for simulating a plurality of devices are disclosed. A simulator configured to simulate a plurality of devices may output simulated device data for the plurality of devices, where the output of the simulated device data may be performed based upon execution of commands by the simulator. The commands may be received from a device abstraction layer in response to a request from the simulator for any commands associated with the plurality of devices. Additionally, the simulated device data may be communicated to a component coupled to the simulator, where a result of the processing of the simulated device data by the component may be used to analyze the performance of the component. Further, other commands may be executed by simulator for changing the frequency at which simulated device data is output, for performing another operation defined during configuration of the simulator, etc.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of simulating a plurality of devices, said method comprising:

accessing configuration data for said plurality of devices and automatically instantiating said plurality of devices within computer memory based upon said configuration data, wherein said accessing and said automatically instantiating are performed by a simulator operable to be coupled to a system under test;

accessing commands communicated from a device abstraction layer, wherein said commands are associated with said plurality of devices;

automatically simulating said plurality of devices based upon execution of said commands, wherein said automatically simulating comprises communicating simulated device data from said simulator to said system under test for performance testing thereof.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of devices is selected from a group consisting of a sensor, an embedded device, a portable electronic device, and a data hub for accessing data from a plurality of devices.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said commands comprise requests for simulated device data associated with said plurality of devices, and wherein said automatically simulating said plurality of devices further comprises executing said commands and generating said simulated device data.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein a command of said commands comprises a request to change an output frequency of simulated device data associated with said plurality of devices.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein a command of said commands comprises a custom command associated with at least one device of said plurality of devices.

4. The method of claim 4, wherein said simulated device data is packetized data.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said configuration data comprises information selected from a group consisting of a format of said simulated device data, a rate at which said simulated device data is output by said simulator, a range of values for said simulated device data, an operating parameter of at least one of said plurality of devices for inclusion in said simulated device data, and current device state data for at least one of said plurality of devices.

8. A method of simulating a plurality of devices, said method comprising:

configuring a simulator to simulate a plurality of devices, wherein said configuring comprises generating configuration data based upon at least one user-defined attribute of said plurality of devices;

configuring a device abstraction layer for communication with said simulator, wherein said configuring said device abstraction layer further comprises downloading said configuration data to a memory accessible to said device abstraction layer, and wherein said device abstraction layer is a component of a system under test;

accessing commands communicated from said device abstraction layer, wherein said commands are associated with said plurality of devices; and

simulating said plurality of devices based upon execution of said commands, wherein said simulating said plurality of devices further comprises simulating said plurality of devices in accordance with said configuration data.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

generating simulated device data in response to said execution of said commands;

communicating said simulated device data to a component of said system under test coupled to said simulator; and

analyzing performance of said component based upon a result of processing of said simulated device data by said component.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said component is selected from a group consisting of a component of said device abstraction layer and a component of a business application coupled to said device abstraction layer.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein each of said plurality of devices is selected from a group consisting of a sensor, an embedded device, a portable electronic device, and a data hub for accessing data from a plurality of devices.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein said commands comprise a request for simulated device data associated with said plurality of devices, and wherein said simulating said plurality of devices further comprises executing said commands by outputting said simulated device data.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said simulated device data is packetized data.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein said configuration data comprises information selected from a group consisting of a format of said simulated device data, a rate at which said simulated device data is output by said simulator, a range of values for said simulated device data, an operating parameter of at least one of said plurality of devices for inclusion in said simulated device data, and current device state data for at least one of said plurality of devices.

15. The method of claim 8, wherein said commands comprise a request to change an output frequency of simulated device data associated with said plurality of devices.

16. The method of claim 8, wherein said commands comprise a custom command associated with at least one device of said plurality of devices.

17. The method of claim 8, wherein said configuring a simulator further comprises:

automatically instantiating said plurality of devices within a memory accessible by said simulator based upon said configuration data.

18. A device simulation system comprising:

a simulator for simulating a plurality of devices based upon configuration data associated with said plurality of devices, wherein said configuration data is associated with at least one user-defined attribute of said plurality of devices;

a device abstraction layer coupled to said simulator, wherein said device abstraction layer comprises a memory for storing said configuration data downloaded from said simulator, wherein said device abstraction layer is further operable to implement communication with said simulator, and wherein said device abstraction layer is further operable to communicate commands associated with said plurality of devices to said simulator; and

wherein said simulator is further operable to simulate said plurality of devices based upon execution of said commands to performance test a system associated with said device abstraction layer.

19. The system of claim 18 further comprising:

at least one business application coupled to said device abstraction layer; and

wherein said device abstraction layer is further operable to implement communication between said at least one business application and said simulator.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein said simulator is further operable to generate simulated device data in response to said execution of said commands, and wherein said device abstraction layer is further operable to communicate said simulated device data to a component coupled to said simulator for analysis thereof.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein said component is selected from a group consisting of a component of said device abstraction layer and a component of at least one business application coupled to said device abstraction layer.

22. The system of claim 18, wherein each of said plurality of devices is selected from a group consisting of a sensor, an embedded device, a portable electronic device, and a data hub for accessing data from a plurality of devices.

23. The system of claim 18, wherein said commands comprise a request for simulated device data associated with said plurality of devices, and wherein said simulator is further operable to execute said commands by outputting said simulated device data.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein said simulated device data is packetized data.

25. The system of claim 23, wherein said configuration data comprises information selected from a group consisting of a format of said simulated device data, a rate at which said simulated device data is output by said simulator, a range of values for said simulated device data, an operating parameter of at least one of said plurality of devices for inclusion in said simulated device data, and current device state data for at least one of said plurality of devices.

26. The system of claim 18, wherein said commands comprise a request to change an output frequency of simulated device data associated with said plurality of devices.

27. The system of claim 18, wherein said commands comprise a custom command associated with at least one device of said plurality of devices.

28. The system of claim 18, wherein said simulator is operable to automatically instantiate said plurality of devices in memory based upon said configuration data.