Content Generation Service for Software Testing

• US 20140156630A1
• Filed: 11/30/2012
• Published: 06/05/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Yin, Jianwen, Peng, Tsen-Loong, Zhou, Li Jun, Maddox, Thomas P., King, Ryan D.
• Granted Patent: US 8,954,389 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/710
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3684 for test design, e.g. generating new test cases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/211 Schema design and management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/215 Improving data quality; Data cleansing, e.g. de-duplication, removing invalid entries or correcting typographical errors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation

Abstract

A method includes receiving a request to generate data which describes the data. A database of seed content and an algorithms database are searched. If both seed content and an algorithm are found, the algorithm is applied to the seed content, thereby generating data. Some embodiments may include advertising a content generation service. Users may register for the service.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving by a computing device a request to generate data, the request including a specification of data to be generated;

maintaining a database of seed content;

maintaining a database of algorithms for generating data from seed content;

searching the database of seed content for seed content satisfying the specification of the request;

if seed content is found, searching the database of algorithms for an algorithm to generate data from the seed content in satisfaction of the request; and

if the algorithm is found, applying the algorithm to the seed content, thereby generating data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the method further comprises;

advertising a data generation service; and

registering a user for the data generation service in response to the advertisement; and

the receiving comprises receiving the request to generate data from the registered user.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the registering comprises receiving targeting information from the user.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a specification of a type of delivery for the generated data from a requester of the data; and

delivering the generated data to the requester pursuant to the specification of the type of delivery.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising guaranteeing delivery of the generated data.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein:

the generating comprises generating data in a cloud; and

the delivering comprises delivering the generated data to the requester within the cloud.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving from a requester of the generation of data an application; and

testing the application on the generated data.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing the generated data;

receiving a second request to generate data from a requester; and

transmitting a portion of the generated data to the requester in response to the request.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

not generating data because of failing to find seed content or failing to find an algorithm;

sending an error message to a requester of the generation of data; and

generating a request for additional content to satisfy the request, the additional content to include seed content or an algorithm.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

creating additional seed content in response to the request for additional content; and

notifying the requester of the availability of the additional seed content.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

creating an additional algorithm in response to the request for additional content; and

notifying the requester of the availability of the additional algorithm.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the searching for seed content comprises searching the database of seed content for seed content satisfying a specification of a vertical line of business and a specification of a type of data, both specifications contained in the specification of the data to be generated.

13. A method comprising:

creating by a computing device a database of seed content;

creating a database of algorithms for generating data from seed content;

advertising a data generation service;

receiving requests to generate data in response to the advertising;

adding seed content to the database of seed content in response to not finding seed content in the database of seed content, for fulfilling a first request to generate data; and

adding an algorithm to the database of algorithms in response to not finding an algorithm in the database of algorithms, for fulfilling a second request to generate data.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the creating the database of seed content comprises creating by the computing device the database of seed content for generating data, the database indexed by vertical line of business and data type.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

receiving a first request to generate data;

generating data in response to the first request by applying an algorithm of the database of algorithms to seed content from the database of seed content;

storing the generated data;

receiving a second request to generate data from a requester; and

transmitting a portion of the generated data to the requester in response to the second request.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising adding to the database of algorithms an algorithm for generating additional data from seed content by modifying sequence numbers of records in the seed content.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

receiving a specification of a format for records;

generating records with the format in response to the receiving; and

adding the records to the database of seed content.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

receiving data;

scrubbing the data of sensitive content; and

adding the scrubbed data to the database of seed content.

19. An information handling system comprising:

a database of seed content;

a database of algorithms for generating data from seed content;

a communication module to receive requests to generate data, the requests including specifications of data to be generated; and

a controller to;

search the database of seed content for seed content satisfying one of the specifications of the request;

if seed content is found, search the database of algorithms for an algorithm to generate data in satisfaction of the request from the seed content; and

if the algorithm is found, apply the algorithm to the seed content, thereby generating data.

20. The information handling system of claim 19, wherein the communication module is to advertise a data generation service;

to receive registrations from users for the data generation service, the registrations to include targeting information from the users; and

to deliver generated data to the users pursuant to the targeting information.