Method and apparatus for testing an object management system

• US 5,737,518 A
• Filed: 07/31/1996
• Issued: 04/07/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Novell Incorporated (Open Text Corporation)
• Inventors: Worwood, Tony L., Grover, Douglas M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Canney, Vincent P.
• Application Number:
  US08/690,580
• Time in Patent Office: 615 Days
• Field of Search: 395/183.14, 395/183.01, 395/183.02, 395/183.15, 395/185.01, 395/611, 395/614, 395/200.32, 395/200.53
• US Class Current: 714/38.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3672 Test management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3684 for test design, e.g. generating new test cases

Abstract

A method and apparatus for testing the implementation of an object in an object management system. The method and apparatus according to this invention automatically identify at least one attribute of a selected object, automatically generate one or more test signals as a function of the identified attribute, automatically analyze the response returned in response to the communicated test signal and report any detected errors. The method and apparatus of this invention help ensure that a developer of object management software has implemented the objects correctly.

Claims

1. A method for testing the implementation of an object in an object management system, the object management system including a plurality of objects and procedures for accessing the objects, the object management system being accessible over a network and associated with a network-attached device, comprising:

a) identifying an object;

b) automatically identifying at least one attribute of the object;

c) automatically generating a test signal for testing the identified attribute, the test signal being generated as a function of the identified attribute; and

d) communicating the test signal over the network to the object management system.

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising receiving a response to the test signal, and analyzing the response to determine if the test signal failed.

3. A method according to claim 1, further comprising reporting a failure of the test signal.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the attribute of the object is identified by retrieving the at least one attribute of the object from a structure containing the names of the plurality of objects and the attributes corresponding to each of the plurality of objects.

5. A method according to claim 3, wherein the structure is a management information base compiler output file.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein the test signal comprises one of an object query request and an object modification request which is a valid signal according to the identified attribute.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein the test signal comprises one of an object query request and an object modification request which is an invalid signal according to the identified attribute.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein failure of the test signal comprises receiving no response from the object management system for a predetermined length of time after communicating the test signal over the network.

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein the predetermined length of time is user-definable.

10. A method according to claim 1, wherein failure of the test signal comprises receiving a response indicating no error in response to an invalid test signal.

11. A method according to claim 1, wherein failure of the test signal comprises receiving a response indicating an error in response to a valid test signal.

12. A method according to claim 1, wherein steps (b) through (d) are repeated for a plurality of attributes of the object.

13. A method according to claim 1, further comprising automatically identifying the plurality of objects in the object management system, determining which objects of the plurality of objects are data-retaining objects, and repeating steps (b) through (d) for each data-retaining object.

14. A method according to claim 13, wherein the step of determining which objects are data-retaining objects is accomplished by classifying at least one type of object as a data-retaining object type, determining the object type of an object, comparing the object type of the object with the data-retaining object type, and if the object type of the object matches the data-retaining type, determining that the object is a data-retaining object.

15. A method according to claim 1, further comprising automatically identifying a plurality of objects of a particular type of object, and repeating steps (b) through (d) for each object of that particular type of object.

16. A method according to claim 1, further comprising displaying on a display device the plurality of objects in the object management system, and allowing selection by a user of at least one object whose implementation will be tested.

17. A method according to claim 1, further comprising obtaining an object exclusion list containing at least one object and at least one attribute of the at least one object which is to be bypassed for testing, and bypassing the at least one attribute of the at least one object from testing.

18. A method according to claim 1, further comprising obtaining an object exclusion list containing at least one object which is to be bypassed for testing, and bypassing the at least one object from testing.

19. A system for testing the attributes of an object in an object management system, the object management system including a plurality of objects and procedures for accessing the objects, the object management system being accessible over a network and associated with a network-attached device, the system comprising:

a) an attribute identification subsystem for automatically identifying at least one attribute of the object;

b) a signal generator for automatically generating a test signal for testing the identified attribute, the test signal generated as a function of the identified attribute; and

c) means for communicating the test signal over the network to the object management system.

20. A system according to claim 19, further comprising a report process for reporting the attribute and the object if the test signal fails.

21. A method for testing the implementation of an object in an object management system, the object management system including a plurality of objects and procedures for accessing the objects, the object management system being accessible over a network and associated with a network-attached device, the method comprising:

a) automatically identifying at least one attribute of the object; and

b) determining if the object was implemented properly in the object management system as a function of an expected received value from the object management system.

22. A method according to claim 21 wherein the expected received value comprises a notification that an event corresponding to the network-attached device occurred.