Closed-loop automated testing of system equipment and management

• US 6,069,873 A
• Filed: 10/01/1997
• Issued: 05/30/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Qwest Communications International Incorporated (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: MediaOne Group Inc. (Comcast Corporation), U S West Inc.
• Inventors: Kays, Jeffrey T., Chantiloupe, Nicholas P., Pugaczewski, John T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kizou, Hassan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Previl, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US08/943,354
• Time in Patent Office: 972 Days
• Field of Search: 370/241, 370/244, 370/245, 370/248, 370/249
• US Class Current: 370/241
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/50 Testing arrangements

Abstract

An automated closed-looped test system and method for testing network devices such as CPE and system network managers is arranged as a modular, comprehensive test system which seamlessly integrates physical layer testing with higher layer services protocol testing. A set of tests are generated based on the device or manager being tested. A selection menu provided via a GUI such as a Web browser allows a user to select the desired test option to be run. Test results are output in real time via the GUI, and can be logged in a form suitable for documentation.

Claims

1. A method for automated closed loop testing of network devices and system managers comprising the steps of:

interfacing the network device or manager to be tested with a closed loop test system having a main test processor subsystem;

generating a set of tests to be run based on the type of network device or manager being tested;

providing a user with a graphical user interface (GUI) having a selection menu indicating a set of possible test options;

initiating the set of tests corresponding to a selected test option;

detecting and automatically logging each test result in a form suitable for output documentation; and

displaying the tests result in real time using the GUI when each result is detected.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of generating a set of tests comprises generating a set of tests which inject predetermined errors into the tested device.

3. A closed loop test system for automated testing of network devices and system managers comprises:

a main test workstation comprising a processor for generating a set of tests based on a type of network device or manager to be tested, and a test result output generator for displaying test results in real time using a graphical user interface (GUI); and

a test interface for connecting the device and manager being tested to said main test workstation, wherein said processor provides a set of test options to a user through the GUI, and displays the result of each selected test as the result is detected.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the set of test options are provided to the user as a selection menu in a Hyper Text Markup Language (HTML) document.

5. The system of claim 3 wherein said processor is arranged to generate a set of tests which introduce a plurality of predetermined errors into the tested device or manager.