Methods and apparatus for testing components of a distributed transaction processing system

• US 6,243,862 B1
• Filed: 01/23/1998
• Issued: 06/05/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Unisys Corporation
• Original Assignee: Unisys Corporation
• Inventors: Lebow, Max A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chaki, Kakali
• Assistant Examiner(s): Khatri, Anil
• Application Number:
  US09/012,653
• Time in Patent Office: 1,229 Days
• Field of Search: 717/4, 717/7, 717/8, 717/9, 707/10, 702/119, 702/203, 714/799
• US Class Current: 717/131
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3684 for test design, e.g. generating new test cases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/466 Transaction processing

Abstract

A computer executable test language is provided for testing a component of a distributed transaction processing system implemented in accordance with the X/Open Distributed Transaction Processing model and supporting the XATMI application programming interface of said model (XATMI API). The test language comprises a plurality of commands, each command corresponding to a respective one of the function calls of the XATMI API. At least some of the commands of the test language have a syntax and semantics that requires a lesser number of parameters to be supplied with the command than the formal syntax of the corresponding function call of the XATMI API, thus hiding the complexities of the XATMI API from the test operator. A client program of the test environment comprises an interpreter of the test language that determines from a parsed test command whether any parameters required by the formal syntax of the XATMI API have not been supplied, generates default values for any unsupplied parameters, constructs the corresponding function call of the XATMI API in accordance with its formal syntax using the generated defaults, and issues the constructed function call to the component under test. A server program of the test environment comprises at least one service that provides an expected response to a function call issued by the client program.

Claims

1. A tool for enabling a test operator to create a test script comprising commands of a simplified test language and to execute the commands of the test script to test a component of a distributed transaction processing system implemented in accordance with X/Open Distributed Transaction Processing model and supporting the XATMI application programming interface of said model (XATMI API), each command of the simplified test language corresponding to a respective one of the function calls of the XATMI API and at least some of the commands of the test language having a syntax and semantics that requires a lesser number of parameters to be supplied with the command than the formal syntax of the corresponding function call of the XATMI API, said tool comprising:

a parser for parsing the commands of the test script; and

an interpreter that (i) determines from a parsed command of the test script whether any parameters required by the formal syntax of the corresponding function call of the XATMI API have not been supplied, (ii) generates default values for any unsupplied parameters, (iii) constructs the corresponding function call of the XATMI API in accordance with its formal syntax using said generated default parameter values, and (iv) issues the constructed function call to the component under test.

2. The tool recited in claim 1, further comprising a means for recording information concerning a result of the issued function call to a log file.

3. The tool recited in claim 1, wherein the parser and interpreter are implemented as a YACC grammar, wherein the syntax of each test command is specified by a group of grammar productions, and wherein the steps (i) through (iv) performed by the interpreter are implemented as semantic actions to respective ones of the grammar productions.

4. The tool recited in claim 1, wherein the interpreter further operates to determine from a parsed command of the test script whether any buffers must be allocated in accordance with the formal syntax of the XATMI function call to which the parsed command corresponds, and if so, allocates any such necessary buffers.

5. The tool recited in claim 1, wherein the parser and interpreter together define a client program, and wherein the tool further comprises a server program executing on a server of the distributed transaction processing system, the server program providing at least one service that responds to an XATMI function call constructed and issued by the interpreter.

6. The tool recited in claim 5, wherein the server program provides at least one of:

a service that responds to an XATMI function call of the request/response type issued by the client program by returning any data transmitted with the function call back to the client program;

a service that responds to an XATMI function call of the request/response type issued by the client program by returning a message indicating that the function call failed;

a service that responds to an XATMI function call of the request/response type issued by the client program by terminating the server program; and

a service that establishes a connection with the client program in response to a tpconnect function call and that subsequently responds to successive tpsend function calls until the client program relinquishes control of the connection, at which time the service returns a message to the client program indicating successful termination of the connection.

7. A tool for enabling a test operator to create a test script comprising commands of a simplified test language and to execute the commands of the test script to test a component of a distributed transaction processing system implemented in accordance with the X/Open Distributed Transaction Processing model and supporting the XATMI application programming interface of said model (XATMI API), each command of the simplified test language corresponding to a respective one of the function calls of the XATMI API and at least some of the commands of the test language having a syntax and semantics that requires a lesser number of parameters to be supplied with the command than the formal syntax of the corresponding function call of the XATMI API, said tool comprising a client program and a server program, the client program comprising:

a parser for parsing the commands of the test script; and

an interpreter that (i) determines from a parsed command of the test script whether any parameters required by the formal syntax of the corresponding function call of the XATMI API have not been supplied, (ii) generates default values for any unsupplied parameters, (iii) constructs the corresponding function call of the XATMI API in accordance with its formal syntax using said generated default parameter values, and (iv) issues the constructed function call to the component under test;

the server program comprising at least one service that provides an expected response to an XATMI function call constructed and issued by the client program.

8. The tool recited in claim 7, further comprising a means for recording information concerning the execution of a test command.

9. The tool recited in claim 7, wherein the parser and interpreter of the client program are implemented as a YACC grammar, wherein the syntax of each test command is specified by a group of grammar productions, and wherein the steps (i) through (iv) performed by the interpreter are implemented as semantic actions to respective ones of the grammar productions.

10. The tool recited in claim 7, wherein the interpreter further operates to determine from a parsed command of the test script whether any buffers must be allocated in accordance with the formal syntax of the XATMI function call to which the parsed command corresponds, and if so, allocates any such buffers.

11. The tool recited in claim 10, wherein said at least one service comprises at least one of:

a service that responds to an XATMI function call of the request/response type issued by the client program by returning any data transmitted with the function call back to the client program;

a service that responds to an XATMI function call of the request/response type issued by the client program by returning a message indicating that the function call failed;

a service that responds to an XATMI function call of the request/response type issued by the client program by terminating the server program; and

a service that establishes a connection with the client program in response to a tpconnect function call and that subsequently responds to successive tpsend function calls until the client program relinquishes control of the connection, at which time the service returns a message to the client program indicating successful termination of the connection.

12. A tool for enabling a test operator to create a test script comprising commands of a simplified test language and to execute the commands of the test script to test a component of a distributed transaction processing system implemented in accordance with the X/Open Distributed Transaction Processing model and supporting the XATMI application programming interface of said model (XATMI API), each command of the simplified test language corresponding to a respective one of the function calls of the XATMI API and at least some of the commands of the test language having a syntax and semantics that requires a lesser number of parameters to be supplied with the command than the formal syntax of the corresponding function call of the XATMI API, said tool comprising:

means for parsing the compound ofn the test script; and

means for (i) determining from a parsed command of the test script whether any parameters required by the formal syntax of the corresponding function call of the XATMI API have not been supplied, (ii) generating default values for any unsupplied parameters, (iii) constructing the corresponding function call of the XATMI API in accordance with its formal syntax using said generated default parameter values, and (iv) issuing the constructed function call to the component under test.

13. The tool recited in claim 12, further comprising a means for recording information concerning a result of the issued function call to a log file.

14. The tool recited in claim 12, wherein the means for parser and means for determining, generating, constructing, and issuing are implemented as a YACC grammar, wherein the syntax of each test command is specified by a group of grammar productions, and wherein the functions (i) through (iv) are implemented as semantic actions to respective ones of the grammar productions.

15. The tool recited in claim 12, further comprising means for determining from a parsed command of the test script whether any buffers must be allocated in accordance with the formal syntax of the XATMI function call to which the parsed command corresponds, and if so, for allocating any such necessary buffers.

16. The tool recited in claim 12, further comprising means providing at least one service that responds to an XATMI function call constructed and issued by the interpreter.

17. The tool recited in claim 16, wherein said at least one service comprises at least one of:

a service that responds to an XATMI function call of the request/response type by returning any data transmitted with the function call;

a service that responds to an XATMI function call of the request/response type by sending a return message indicating that the function call failed;

a service that responds to an XATMI function call of the request/response type by terminating said at least one service; and

a service that establishes a connection in response to a tpconnect function call and that subsequently responds to successive tpsend function calls until control of the connection is relinquished, at which time the service sends a return message indicating successful termination of the connection.

18. A method for enabling a test operator to create a test script comprising commands of a simplified test language and to execute the commands of the test script to test a component of a distributed transaction processing sytem implemented in accordance with the X/Open Distributed Transaction Processing model and supporting the XATMI application programming interface of said model (XATMI API), each command of the simplified test language corresponding to a respective one of the function calls of the XATMI API and at least some of the commands of the test language having a syntax and semantics that requires a lesser number of parameters to be supplied with the command than the formal syntax of the corresponding function call of the XATMI API, said method comprising of the steps;

parsing the commands of the test script;

determining from a parsed command of the test script whether any parameters required by the formal syntax of the corresponding function call of the XATMI API have not been supplied;

generating default values for any unsupplied parameters;

constructing the corresponding function call of the XATMI API in accordance with its formal syntax using said generated default parameter values; and

issuing the constructed function call to the component under test.

19. The method recited in claim 18, further comprising the step of recording information concerning a result of the issued function call to a log file.

20. The method recited in claim 18, further comprising the steps of determining from the parsed command whether any buffers must be allocated in accordance with the formal syntax of the XATMI function call to which the parsed command corresponds, and if so, allocating any such buffers.

21. The method recited in claim 18, wherein said steps of parsing, determining, generating, constructing, and issuing are performed by a client program, and wherein the method further comprises providing, by a server program executing on a server of the distributed transaction processing system, at least one service that responds to an XATMI function call issued in said issuing step.

22. The method recited in claim 21, wherein said at least one service comprises at least one of:

a service that responds to an issued XATMI function call of the request/response type by returning any data transmitted with the function call back to the client program;

a service that responds to an issued XATMI function call of the request/response type issued by returning a message indicating that the function call failed;

a service that responds to an issued XATMI function call of the request/response type by terminating the server program; and

a service that establishes a connection with the client program in response to a tpconnect function call and that subsequently responds to successive tpsend function calls until the client program relinquishes control of the connection, at which time the service returns a message indicating successful termination of the connection.

23. A method of testing a component of a distributed transaction processing system implemented in accordance with the X/Open Disturbed Transaction Processing model and supporting the XATMI API application programming interface of said model (XATMI API), said method comprising the steps of:

providing a simplified test language comprising a plurality of commands from which a test operator can create a test script, each command of the test language corresponding to a respective one of the function calls of the XATMI API, at least ones of the commands of the test language having a syntax and semantics that requires a lesser number of parameters to be supplied with the command than the formal syntax of the corresponding function call of the XATMI API;

parsing a command of a test script written in said test language and determining therefrom whether any parameters required by the formal syntax of the corresponding function call of the XATMI API have not been supplied with the command;

generating default values for any unsupplied parameters;

constructing the corresponding function call of the XATMI API in accordance with its formal syntax using said generated default parameter values; and

issuing the constructed function call to the component under test.

24. The method recited in claim 23, further comprising the step of recording information concerning a result of the issued function call to a log file.

25. The method recited in claim 23, further comprising the steps of determining from the parsed command whether any buffers must be allocated in accordance with the formal syntax of the XATMI function call to which the parsed command corresponds, and if so, allocating any such buffers.

26. The method recited in claim 23, wherein said steps of parsing, determining, generating, constructing, and issuing are performed by a client program, and wherein the method further comprises providing, by a server program executing on a server of the distributed transaction processing system, at least one service that responds to an XATMI function call issued in said issuing step.

27. The method recited in claim 26, wherein said at least one service comprises at least one of:

a service that responds to an issued XATMI function call of the request/response type by returning any data transmitted with the function call back to the client program;

a service that responds to an issued XATMI function call of the request/response type issued by returning a message indicating that the function call failed;

a service that responds to an issued XATMI function call of the request/response type by terminating the server program; and

a service that establishes a connection with the client program in response to a tpconnect function call and that subsequently responds to successive tpsend function calls until the client program relinquishes control of the connection, at which time the service returns a message indicating successful termination of the connection.

28. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon program code that implements a test tool that enables a test operator to create a test script comprising commands of a simplified test language and to execute the commands of the test script to test a component of a distributed transaction processing system implemented in accordance with the X/Open Distributed Transaction Processing model and supporting the XATMI application programming interface (XATMI API) of said model, said test language comprising a plurality of commands, each command of the simplified test language corresponding to a respective one of the function calls of the XATMI API and at least ones of the commands of the test language having a syntax and semantics that requires a lesser number of parameters to be supplied with the command than the formal syntax of the corresponding function call of the XATMI API, the program code, when executed by a computer, causing the computer to perform the following steps:

(a) parse a command of test script written in the test language,

(b) determine from the parsed command whether any parameters required by the formal syntax of the corresponding function call of the XATMI API have not been supplied;

(c) generate default values for any unsupplied parameters;

(d) construct the corresponding function call of the XATMI API in accordance with its formal syntax using said generated default values; and

(e) issue the constructed function call to a component under test.

29. The computer program recited in claim 28, further comprising program code that, when executed by a computer, records information concerning a result of the issued function call to a log file.

30. The computer program recited in claim 28, wherein the program code of the computer program is generated from a YACC grammar specification in which the syntax of each command of the test language is specified as a group of grammar productions, and in which the program code for performing the functions of steps (b) through (e) for each command is implemented as semantic actions to respective ones of the grammar productions.

31. The computer program recited in claim 28, wherein the computer program further comprises program code that, when executed by a computer, further determines from the parsed command of the test language whether any buffers must be allocated in accordance with the formal syntax of the XATMI function call to which the parsed command corresponds, and if so, allocates any such buffers.

32. An interpreter of a simplified test language for testing a component of a distributed transaction processing system implemented in accordance with the X/Open Distributed Transaction Processing model and supporting the XATMI application programming interface of said model (XATMI API), said language comprising a plurality of commands, each command corresponding to a respective one of the function calls of the XATMI API, at least ones of the commands of the test language having a syntax and semantics that requires a lesser number of parameters to be supplied with the command than the formal syntax of the corresponding function call of the XATMI API, the interpreter comprising program code embodied on a computer readable medium.