Method and apparatus for testing a data retrieval system

• US 6,694,459 B1
• Filed: 01/14/1999
• Issued: 02/17/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Nyman, Noel
• Primary Examiner(s): Decady, Albert
• Assistant Examiner(s): LAMARRE, GUY J
• Application Number:
  US09/231,470
• Time in Patent Office: 1,860 Days
• Field of Search: 709/245, 709/242, 709/230, 709/328, 369/53.35, 716/2, 716/4, 716/18, 716/5, 707/8, 707/4, 707/10, 707/5, 707/102, 707/3, 707/2, 707/1, 707/9, 714/807, 714/752, 714/52, 714/755, 714/770, 714/733, 714/718, 379/211.02, 704/4, 345/700
• US Class Current: 714/718
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6227 where protection concerns the structure of data, e.g. records, types, queries
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation

Abstract

A method for testing data retrieval systems that uses codes embedded within the test data set to confirm that retrieved data is legal, valid, is the right type of data, belongs to the right owner, and is accurate. The embedded codes and translation keys are created simultaneously with the data set. The codes are imported along with the data by the retrieval system being tested, and then compared to the expected values based on the translation keys.

Claims

1. A method of testing a data retrieval system comprising the steps of:

receiving a query for information from a data set, the data set comprising a plurality records, each of the plurality of records having a plurality of fields;

retrieving, using the data retrieval system, a data value and a code from a record in a data set, the code being correlated to an attribute of the data value, and located in the same field of the same record as the data value; and

analyzing the code to determine the correctness of the attribute, wherein the data retrieval system is deemed defective if the attribute is incorrect.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the analyzing step comprises the step of interpreting the code to determine whether the data value is legal.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the analyzing step comprises the step of interpreting the code to determine whether the data value is valid.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the record is organized into a plurality of categories, and the analyzing step comprises the step of interpreting the code to determine whether the data value corresponds to the correct record category.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the analyzing step comprises the step of interpreting the code to determine whether the data value has been retrieved from the correct record.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the record has a corresponding owner, and the analyzing step comprises the step of interpreting the code to determine whether the data value is accurate.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the code is a checksum.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the code is a cyclical redundancy check.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the code is an error correcting code.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the code is a frame check sequence.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein the code is a parity check code.

12. The method of claim 6, wherein the code is a block check sequence.

13. A method of conducting a test on a data retrieval system, the method comprising the steps of:

creating a data set comprising a plurality of records, each of the plurality of records containing a plurality of fields, each of the plurality of fields containing one more data values;

for at least one of the plurality of records, inserting into a field of the plurality of fields a code that indicates that a particular data value contained in one of the plurality of fields is of the type that the data retrieval system is designed to access;

submitting a query to the data retrieval system;

receiving a response containing data retrieved by the data retrieval system in response to the query;

if the code is present in the response, deeming the test to be a success; and

, if the code is not present in the response, deeming the test to be a failure and the data retrieval system to be defective.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the code comprises one or more text characters.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the inserting step comprises inserting the code into the same field as the particular data value.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the data retrieval system comprises a database program, and the query is submitted to the database program.

17. A method of testing a data retrieval system, the method comprising the steps of:

creating a data set comprising a plurality of records, each of the plurality of records containing a plurality of fields, each of the plurality of fields containing one or more data values;

for at least one of the plurality of records, inserting into a field of the plurality of fields a code that indicates the version of the data set to which a particular data value contained in the data record belongs;

submitting a query to the data retrieval system;

receiving, from the data retrieval system in response to the query, the particular data value along with the code; and

, based on an analysis of the code, determining whether the particular data value belongs to a correct version of the data set, wherein the data retrieval system is deemed defective if the particular data value does not belong to a correct version of the data set.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the determining step comprises determining whether the particular data value should have been deleted from the data set, but was not.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the determining step comprises determining whether the particular data value should have been previously updated, but was not.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the code comprises one or more text characters.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein the inserting step comprises inserting the code into the same field as the particular data value.

22. The method of claim 17, wherein the data retrieval system comprises a database program, and the query is submitted to the database program.

23. A method of testing a data retrieval system, the method comprising the steps of:

creating a data set comprising a plurality of records, each of the plurality of records comprising data describing a plurality of characteristics of a particular person, place, or thing, each of the plurality of records containing a plurality of fields;

for at least one of the plurality of records, insetting into a field of the plurality of fields a code that indicates the characteristic of the person, place or thing that a particular data value in the record describes;

submitting a query to the data retrieval system for information regarding the characteristic of the person, place or thing;

receiving, from the data retrieval system in response to the query, the particular data value along with the code; and

, based on the code, determining whether the correct characteristic regarding the person, place or thing has been retrieved by the data retrieval system, wherein the data retrieval system is deemed defective if the correct characteristic has not been retrieved the data retrieval system.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the code comprises one or more text characters.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the inserting step comprises inserting the code into the same field as the particular data value.

26. The method of claim 23, wherein the data retrieval system comprises a database program, and the query is submitted to the database program.

27. A method of testing a data retrieval system, the method comprising the steps of:

creating a data set comprising a plurality of records, each of the plurality of records associated with a particular person, place, or thing, each of the plurality of records containing a plurality of fields and a plurality of data values, each of the plurality of fields containing at least one of the plurality of data values, the data value representing information about the particular person, place, or thing;

for at least one of the plurality of records, inserting into a field of the plurality of fields a code that indicates the identity of the particular person, place or thing, the code being associated with one of the plurality of data values;

submitting a query to the data retrieval system for information regarding the characteristic of the person, place or thing;

receiving, from the data retrieval system in response to the query, a data value of the plurality of data values along with the code associated with the data value; and

, based on an analysis of the code, determining whether the received data value describes the person, place or thing that is the subject of the query or describes some other person, place or thing, wherein the data retrieval system is deemed defective if the received data value does not describe the person, place or thing that is the subject of the query or describes some other person, place or thing.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the code comprises one or more text characters.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein the inserting step comprises inserting the code associated with the data value into the same field as the data value.

30. The method of claim 27, wherein the data retrieval system comprises a database program, and the query is submitted to the database program.

31. The method of claim 27, wherein the determining step comprises determining whether the data value describes something that is specific to the person, place or thing that is the subject of the query.

32. A method of testing a data retrieval system, wherein the data retrieval system has access to a data set that comprises a plurality of records, the data set having a plurality of versions, the method comprising:

querying the data retrieval system for a data item that describes a characteristic of a particular person, place, or thing;

receiving, from the data retrieval system in response to the query, a data record of the plurality of data records;

performing a first level of verification by searching the record for one or more codes indicating that the data item is of a type that the data retrieval system is designed to retrieve;

performing a second level of verification by searching the record for one or more codes that indicate which version of the data set the data item belongs to;

performing a third level of verification by searching the record for one or more codes that indicate which characteristic of the person, place or thing that the data item describes so as to determine whether the data item describes the correct characteristic; and

performing a fourth level of verification by searching the record for one or more codes that indicate which person, place or thing the data item is associated with so as to determine whether the correct data record has been retrieved, wherein the data retrieval system is deemed defective if the received record fails any of the levels of verification.