Test information management system

• US 6,381,604 B1
• Filed: 07/30/1999
• Issued: 04/30/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Weber, Steve C., Caughran, Dennis E., Caughran, Michael J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shah, Sanjiv
• Application Number:
  US09/364,710
• Time in Patent Office: 1,005 Days
• Field of Search: 707/10, 714/4, 714/121, 714/31, 714/38
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

A centralized test information management system and method for its operation are disclosed. The system is implemented on a server that communicates with remote users using a web-based interface. The interface is bifurcated into a tester'"'"'s interface and a query interface.

The tester'"'"'s interface allows testers developing products to use a standardized set of web-based templates to create test plans and tests, enter test results, and associate test plans, tests, and test results. Data entered by the testers is stored in a database.

The query interface allows remote users, including testers, their managers, and program managers to obtain an instantaneous snapshot of testing progress by entering queries on a web-based search form. The queries are used to retrieve test data from the database, and are presented to the remote user in a web-browser viewable standardized format. The user can then view more or less detail by selecting hyperlinks on the displayed forms, the hyperlinks linking the user to other levels of data associated with the currently displayed test data.

In a preferred embodiment, test data is assignable to one of several levels of visibility. Thus, for instance, a specific test may be viewable by the tester only, by the test group, the engineering group, company-wide, or unlimited. When access is set to company-wide or unlimited, the test results are available to aid account representatives and customers in troubleshooting or setting up similar equipment.

Claims

1. A centralized test information management system comprising:

a database for storing test plan data, test data, and test result data for multiple products;

a tester'"'"'s web interface presenting a navigable collection of web-browser viewable templates that allow testers to construct test plans and tests, enter test results, and associate the test plans, tests, and test results together into test suites that are automatically formatted by the tester'"'"'s web interface for accessing through a web page engine; and

a query web interface where remote users enter queries through the web page engine that retrieve the test suites matching those queries from the database, the query web interface presenting the retrieved test suites as web-browser viewable overviews of the associated test plans, test, and test results.

2. The centralized test information management system of claim 1, wherein the database and the web interfaces reside on a common server.

3. The centralized test information management system of claim 1, wherein at least one web interface resides on a first server and the database resides on a second server.

7. The centralized test information management system of claim 1, wherein in the web-browser viewable test plans, tests, and test results, an association between a test plan and its associated tests is accessible by means of one or more hyperlinks on the web-browser viewable test plan.

8. The centralized test information management system of claim 1, wherein in the web-browser viewable test plans, tests, and test results, an association between a test and its associated test results is accessible by means of one or more hyperlinks on the web-browser viewable test.

4. A centralized test information management system comprising:

a database for storing test plan data, test data, and test result data for multiple products;

a tester'"'"'s web interface presenting a navigable collection of web-browser viewable templates that allow testers to construct test plans and tests, enter test results, and associate test plans, tests, and test results, the interface storing tester data and associations into the database; and

a query web interface that allows remote users to enter queries and retrieve data matching those queries from the database, the interface presenting the retrieved data as web-browser viewable and associated test plans, tests, and test results, wherein the tester'"'"'s web interface allows tester input to be classified to one of multiple levels of visibility, and wherein the query web interface uses the visibility level of a remote user to filter the data matching the user'"'"'s query and present only the data matching the user'"'"'s visibility level to the user.

5. The centralized test information management system of claim 4, wherein the query web interface comprises at least two separate interfaces, each applicable to different visibility levels.

6. The centralized test information management system of claim 5, wherein one of the two separate interfaces is accessible via a public network connection.

9. A method of providing a tracking function for an ongoing test program, the method comprising the steps of:

presenting a web-based tester interface that constructs test plans and tests, enters test results, and associates the results, test, and the test plan together while automatically formatting the associated results, test and test plan together into test suits that are searchable and viewable through a web browser;

storing test data representing the test plans, tests, results, and association, supplied by testers via the tester interface, in a database; and

providing a query interface that displays through the web browser an overview of the results, test, and test plan for test suites of specified test data from the database in response to a query.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the query interface step of formatting retrieved data includes the step of including on the viewable web page a hyperlink to a second viewable web page showing associated data of greater or lesser detail than the retrieved data.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the web-based tester interface provides a mechanism for a tester to upload an image to the database for inclusion in test data.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising the steps of providing an option to query interface users for printing specified test data, and responding to requests for that option by formatting the retrieved data in a printable format.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising the steps of providing an option for submission of a viewable web page and/or printable format output to a revision control system.

14. A method of supplying product information to customers and/or customer account representatives, the method comprising the steps of:

providing templates used for entering test and test results during development testing of a product by a testing group;

automatically compiling the tests and test results entered through the templates into a searchable database of test suites keyed to different product attributes including tests and test results; and

providing visibility into this database from a web-based search utility that allows a user outside of the testing group to search the database for test data matching the different product attributes, the search utility returning results and overviews of the different product attributes in a viewable web page.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising the step of providing, in the results returned in a viewable web page, a hyperlink to more detailed results associated with the returned results.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the database is simultaneously available for development testing use by the testing group and for search use by users outside of the testing group.

17. A method of supplying product information to customers and/or customer account representatives, the method comprising the steps of:

during development testing of a product by a testing group, compiling tests and test results into a searchable database of test data keyed to one or more product attributes;

providing visibility into this database from a web-based search utility that allows a user outside of the testing group to search the database for test data matching a selected attribute value, the search utility returning results in a viewable web page;

wherein the database is simultaneously available for development testing use by the testing group and for search use by users outside of the testing group; and

wherein elements of test data are stored in the database with an associated visibility level, selected from a first visibility level that limits visibility to the testing group and a second visibility level that extends visibility to others outside of the testing group.

18. A computer-readable medium containing a program for accessing a test information database, the program comprising:

a database interface for storing test information to and retrieving test information from a database;

a web page engine that receives retrieved test information from the database interface and constructs viewable web pages based on the retrieved information;

a tester'"'"'s web interface that allows testers to navigate a collection of web-browser viewable templates in order to construct and enter test plans, tests, and test results, the templates assigning categories to the test plans, tests, and test results and associating the test plans, tests and test results with test suites according to the assigned categories, the tester'"'"'s web interface supplying tester-entered data to the database interface for storage; and

a query web interface that parses query data entered by remote users on web forms, and requests that the database interface and web page engine generate a viewable web page containing and displaying overviews of the test plans, tests and test results for the test suites identified in query results from the database.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 18, further providing, in the results returned in a viewable web page, a hyperlink to more detailed results associated with the query results.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 18 wherein the database is simultaneously available for development testing use by a testing group and for search use by users outside of the testing group, the users outside the testing group being prevented from changing the test plans, tests and test results.

21. The computer readable medium of claim 18 wherein elements of test plans, tests, and test results are stored in the database with an associated visibility level, selected from a first visibility level that limits visibility to the testing group and a second visibility level that extends visibility to others outside of the testing group.

22. A system for supplying product information to customers and/or customer account representatives, the system comprising:

means for providing templates used for entering test and test results during development testing of a product by a testing group;

means for automatically compiling the tests and test results entered through the templates into a searchable database of test suites keyed to different product attributes including tests and test results; and

means for providing visibility into the database from a web-based search utility that allows a user outside of the testing group to search the database for test data matching the different product attributes, the search utility displaying results and overviews of the different product attributes from a viewable web page.

23. The system of claim 22 further comprising means for providing, in the results and overviews returned in a viewable web page, a hyperlink to more detailed results associated with the returned results.

24. The system of claim 22 including means for making the database simultaneously available for development testing use by the testing group and for search use by users outside of the testing group;

the users outside the testing group being prevented from changing the tests and test results.

25. The system of claim 22 including means for storing elements of test data in the database with an associated visibility level and selecting from a first visibility level that limits visibility to the testing group and a second visibility level that extends visibility to others outside of the testing group.