SYSTEM AND METHODS THAT ENABLE AUTOMATED TESTING OF MOBILE DEVICES AT A REMOTE MONITOR SITE

• US 20130196600A1
• Filed: 02/01/2012
• Published: 08/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dynatrace LLC (Dynatrace, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Compuware Corporation (KKR & Co., Inc.)
• Inventors: Rajagopal, Priya, Capers, Walt
• Granted Patent: US 9,071,989 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/41.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/06 Testing, supervising or monitoring using simulated traffic

Abstract

A computer-implemented system is provided that enables automated testing of a plurality of mobile devices residing at a monitor site. The system is comprised generally of a test controller in data communication with the plurality of mobile devices. The test controller transmits a test request over a wireless network to each of the plurality of mobile devices, where the test controller communicates via a persistent data channel using a short range communication protocol such as a Bluetooth. Each of the mobile devices is configured with a test agent that is configured to receive the test request from the test controller and execute a test in response to the test request.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented system that enables automated testing of a plurality of mobile devices residing at a monitor site, comprising:

a plurality of mobile devices;

a test controller in data communication over a wireless network with the plurality of mobile devices and operable to transmit a test request to each of the plurality of mobile devices, where the test controller communicates over the wireless network via a persistent data channel using a short range communication protocol at a physical layer; and

a test agent residing on each of the plurality of mobile devices, the test agent configured to receive the test request from the test controller and execute a test in response to the test request, where the test controller and the plurality of mobile devices reside physically at the monitor site.

2. The computer-implemented system of claim 1 wherein the test controller operates to establish the persistent data channel on the wireless network with a given mobile device from the plurality of mobiles devices and transmits the test request to the given mobile device using the persistent data channel.

3. The computer-implemented system of claim 2 wherein the test controller transmits, using the persistent data channel, a control notification to the given mobile device asynchronously during execution of the test by the test agent, where the command pertains to the test being executed.

4. The computer-implemented system of claim 2 wherein the short range communication protocol is further defined in accordance with Bluetooth wireless technology standard.

5. The computer-implemented system of claim 2 wherein the test agent operates to communicate with the test controller over the wireless network using a secondary communication protocol when communication using the short range communication protocol fails, where the secondary communication protocol differs from the short range communication protocol.

6. The computer-implemented system of claim 5 wherein the test agent interfaces with a cellular transceiver in the mobile device to access a cellular network and perform a portion of the test.

7. The computer-implemented system of claim 6 wherein the test agent disables communication with the test controller using the secondary communication protocol while accessing the cellular network.

8. The computer-implemented system of claim 5 wherein the secondary communication protocol is further defined in accordance with WiFi wireless technology standard.

9. The computer-implemented system of claim 1 wherein the test agent is configured to retrieve a test script in response to the test request, where the test script is retrieved using a secondary communication protocol from a repository located remote from the monitor site, where the secondary communication protocol differs from the short range communication protocol.

10. The computer-implemented system of claim 1 wherein the test controller communicates at a layer above a transport layer in the Open Systems Interconnection model using an extensible notification protocol.

11. The computer-implemented system of claim 1 wherein the test controller operates in a slave relationship with a master controller residing at the monitor site.

12. A software-implemented method for operating a test agent of a mobile device residing at a monitor site, comprising:

establishing, by the test agent, a persistent data channel via a wireless network with a test control device, where the test control device and the mobile device reside physically at the monitor site;

receiving, by the test agent, a request to execute a test via the persistent data channel;

executing, by the test agent, a test in response to the test request; and

establishing, by the test agent, a secondary data communication channel with the test controller when communication using the persistent data channel fails, where the secondary data communication channel employs a short range communication protocol that differs from the persistent data channel.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprises establishing the persistent data channel using a short range communication protocol further defined in accordance with Bluetooth wireless technology standard.

14. The method of claim 12 further comprises establishing the secondary communication channel using a short range communication protocol defined in accordance with WiFi wireless technology standard.

15. The method of claim 12 further comprises receiving, by the test agent, a command from the test control device via the persistent data channel during execution of the test, where the command pertains to the test being executed by the test agent.

16. The method of claim 12 further comprises:

accessing, by the test agent, a cellular network during execution of the test; and

disabling, by the test agent, the secondary communication channel while accessing the cellular network.

17. The method of claim 12 further comprises establishing, by the test agent, a tertiary communication channel with the test controller when communication using the persistent data channel and the secondary communication channel fails, where the tertiary communication channel is established using a cellular data network.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprises retrieving, by the test agent, a test script using the secondary communication channel from a repository located remote from the monitor site.

19. A computer-implemented system that enables automated testing of a plurality of mobile devices residing at a monitor site, comprising:

a plurality of mobile devices;

a test controller in data communication over a wireless network with the plurality of mobile devices and operable to transmit a notification pertaining to a test to each of the plurality of mobile devices, where the test controller communicates over the wireless network via a persistent data channel defined in accordance with Bluetooth wireless technology standard; and

a test agent residing on each of the plurality of mobile devices, the test agent configured to execute a test in response to a test request received from the test controller and receive notifications pertaining to the test asynchronously over the persistent data channel, the test agent further operates to communicate with the test controller over the wireless network using a secondary communication channel when communication using the persistent data channel fails, where the secondary communication channel differs from persistent data channel.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the test agent accesses a cellular network during execution of the test and disables the secondary communication channel while accessing the cellular network.

21. The system of claim 19 wherein the test agent establishes a tertiary communication channel with the test controller when communication using the persistent data channel and the secondary communication channel fails, where the tertiary communication channel is established using a cellular data network.