Method for Testing Connectivity of Software Applications Hosted on Networked Computers

• US 20130073698A1
• Filed: 10/31/2012
• Published: 03/21/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Ling, Calvin, Wu, George K., McNicholl, Michael J., Thorup, Seth J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,589,521 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/220
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/22 Detection or location of defective computer hardware by testing during standby operation or during idle time, e.g. start-up testing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3696 Methods or tools to render software testable

Abstract

A method for verifying the connectivity of software applications hosted on networked computers. The connectivity of hosted function applications to be loaded into networked computers is verified and validated using quasi-hosted function applications that simulate the communications functions (i.e., connectivity) of those hosted function applications. The quasi-hosted function applications are run on the same hardware that the real hosted function applications will be run on. Furthermore, the connectivity of a real hosted function application loaded into one computer can be verified and validated by simulating communications of that real hosted function application with a multiplicity of quasi-hosted function applications running on the networked computers.

Claims

1. A method for testing the connectivity of software applications hosted on networked computers, comprising the following steps:

using configuration files for respective desired hosted function applications to generate quasi-hosted function applications that simulate the communications functions of respective ones of said desired hosted function applications, each configuration file containing configuration parameters and data;

building executable files for said quasi-hosted function applications and loading said executable files into networked computers;

causing one or more of said quasi-hosted function applications to exchange data blocks among quasi-hosted function applications via the network; and

acquiring and analyzing data representing the connectivity of said quasi-hosted function applications,

wherein each of said quasi-hosted function applications simulates a sender and/or a receiver of a respective desired hosted function application with the same inputs and outputs format, but lacks algorithms to process these inputs and outputs.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein each of said quasi-hosted function applications comprises an instrumentation algorithm that is used to log any one of the following:

mismatch of data block size, mismatch of rates/frequencies or total miss of message data blocks, and network, switches, and end systems jitters in various real avionics operating modes.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said generating step comprises generating respective C language source code files, respective makefile files and respective build directories for each of said configuration files.

5. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein said building step further comprises building each executable quasi-hosted function application using a real-time operating system kernel, the configuration files for the corresponding desired hosted function application, and the source code, makefile and build directory derived from the configuration file for the corresponding desired hosted function application.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the step of verifying the time durations and data block size allocated for each quasi-hosted function application to transmit data on the network.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the step of evaluating the connectivity performance of each quasi-hosted function application during transmission of data on the network.

8. The method as recited in claim 7, further comprising the steps of generating a second set of configuration files that take into account any mishaps or abnormal behavior identified during said evaluating step.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the step of determining the impact of disablement of said quasi-hosted function applications on the connectivity performance of other quasi-hosted function applications.

10. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said configuration files are in XML format, and said generating step comprises using XML stylesheets to parse configuration parameters and data in said set of configuration files to generate C language source code, makefiles, and build directories.

11. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the networked computers simulate arc components of an avionics system.

2. (canceled)

12. A method for testing the connectivity of a software application hosted on a networked computer, comprising the following steps:

using configuration files for respective hosted function applications to generate quasi-hosted function applications that simulate the communications functions of respective ones of said hosted function applications, each configuration file containing configuration parameters and data;

building executable files for said quasi-hosted function applications and loading said executable files into one or more computers which are connected by a network;

loading a hosted function application into one of said one or more computers or into an additional computer connected to said one or more computers by the network;

causing said hosted function application to send data blocks to one or more quasi-hosted function applications via the network and/or receive data blocks from one or more quasi-hosted function applications via the network; and

acquiring and analyzing data representing the connectivity of said hosted function application,

wherein each of said quasi-hosted function applications simulates a sender and/or a receiver of a respective desired hosted function application with the same inputs and outputs format, but lacks algorithms to process these inputs and outputs, and said hosted function application comprises a sender and/or a receiver with the same inputs and outputs format and further comprises algorithms to process inputs and outputs.

14. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein each of said quasi-hosted function applications comprises an instrumentation algorithm that is used to log any one of the following:

mismatch of data block size, mismatch of rates/frequencies or total miss of message data blocks, and network, switches, and end systems jitters in various real avionics operating modes.

15. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein said generating step comprises generating respective C language source code files, respective makefile files and respective build directories for each of said configuration files.

16. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein said building step further comprises building each executable quasi-hosted function application using a real-time operating system kernel, the configuration files for the corresponding desired hosted function application, and the source code, makefile and build directory derived from the configuration file for the corresponding desired hosted function application.

17. The method as recited in claim 12, further comprising the step of evaluating the connectivity performance of said hosted function application during transmission of data on the network.

18. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein said configuration files are in XML format, and said generating step comprises using XML stylesheets and other high level programming language (Java Script) to parse configuration parameters and data in said configuration files to generate C language source code, makefiles, and build directories.

19. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the networked computers are components of an avionics system aboard an airplane.

13. (canceled)

20. A system comprising a multiplicity of computers connected by a network, each computer hosting one or more executable quasi-hosted function applications that simulate the communications functions of respective desired hosted function applications, wherein each of said quasi-hosted function applications simulates a sender and/or a receiver of a respective desired hosted function application with the same inputs and outputs format, but lacks algorithms to process said inputs and outputs, and comprises an instrumentation algorithm that is used to log any one of the following:

mismatch of data block size, mismatch of rates/frequencies or total miss of message data blocks, and network, switches, and end systems jitters in various real avionics operating modes.

21. The system as recited in claim 20, further comprising a computer connected to said network that hosts a hosted function application comprising a sender and/or receiver with the same inputs and outputs format and algorithms to process said inputs and outputs.