Evaluating test actions

• US 6,961,668 B2
• Filed: 10/23/2003
• Issued: 11/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Watson, Thomas J., Schumacher, Daniel Mark, Burkhart, Michael John, Bodin, William Kress, Eisenhauer, Daniel G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Assouad, Patrick J.
• Application Number:
  US10/692,409
• Publication Number:
  US 20050102120A1
• Time in Patent Office: 740 Days
• Field of Search: 702/108, 702/127, 702/182, 702/186, 702/188, 709/201, 709/202, 709/203, 709/223, 709/224, 340/500, 340/514, 340/5.82, 340/5.8, 340/5.52
• US Class Current: 702/108
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/50 Testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display

Abstract

Exemplary embodiments of the present invention include methods for evaluating a test action for a user. Such methods include creating, within a network, a user metric vector in dependence upon a plurality of disparate user metrics, selecting a test action in dependence upon the user metric vector, executing the test action within the network, and determining a user reaction. Many embodiments also include adding the test action to a user'"'"'s action list in dependence upon the user reaction. Other embodiments often include deleting the test action from an test action list in dependence upon the user reaction.

Claims

1. A method for evaluating a test action for a user, the method comprising

creating, within a network, a user metric vector in dependence upon a plurality of disparate user metrics;

selecting a test action in dependence upon the user metric vector;

executing the test action within the network; and

determining a user reaction.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein selecting a test action in dependence upon the user metric vector comprises retrieving an action ID from a test action list.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein selecting a test action in dependence upon the user metric vector comprises selecting an action ID in dependence upon devices in the domain.

4. The method of claim 1 comprising adding the test action to a user'"'"'s action list in dependence upon the user reaction.

5. The method of claim 1 comprising deleting the test action from an test action list in dependence upon the user reaction.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein determining a user reaction comprises receiving a uses instruction.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein determining a user reaction comprises inferring a user reaction.

8. A system for evaluating a test action for a user, the system comprising

means for creating, within a network, a user metric vector in dependence upon a plurality of disparate user metrics;

means for selecting a test action in dependence upon the user metric vector;

means for executing the test action within the network; and

means for determining a user reaction.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein means for selecting a test action in dependence upon the user metric vector comprises means for retrieving an action ID from a test action list.

10. The system of claim 8 wherein means for selecting a test action in dependence upon the user metric vector comprises means for selecting an action ID in dependence upon devices in the domain.

11. The system of claim 8 comprising means for adding the test action to a user'"'"'s action list in dependence upon the user reaction.

12. The system of claim 8 comprising means for deleting the test action from an test action list in dependence upon the user reaction.

13. The system of claim 8 wherein means for determining a user reaction comprises means for receiving a user instruction.

14. The system of claim 8 wherein means for determining a user reaction comprises means for inferring a user reaction.

15. A computer program product for evaluating a test action for a user, the computer program product comprising

a recording medium;

means, recorded on the recording medium, for creating, within a network, a user metric vector in dependence upon a plurality of disparate user metrics;

means, recorded on the recording medium, for selecting a test action in dependence upon the user metric vector;

means, recorded on the recording medium, for executing the rest action within the network; and

means, recorded on the recording medium, for determining a user reaction.

16. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein means, recorded on the recording medium, for selecting a test action in dependence upon the user metric vector comprises means, recorded on the recording medium, for retrieving an action ID from a test action list.

17. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein means, recorded on the recording medium, for selecting a test action in dependence upon the user method vector comprises means, recorded on the recording medium, for selecting an action ID in dependence upon devices in the domain.

18. The computer program product of claim 15 comprising means, recorded on the recording medium, for adding the test action to a user'"'"'s action list in dependence upon the user reaction.

19. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein means, recorded on the recording medium, for determining a user reaction comprises means, recorded on the recording medium, for receiving a user instruction.

20. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein means, recorded on the recording medium, for determining a user reaction comprises means, recorded on the recording medium, for inferring a user reaction.