Multi-Interface aware scenario execution environment

• US 7,546,586 B2
• Filed: 02/15/2005
• Issued: 06/09/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Amit, Amit, Lin, YiCheng Michael, Vago, Marcelo V.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zhen; Wei Y
• Assistant Examiner(s): Brophy; Matthew J
• Application Number:
  US11/059,113
• Publication Number:
  US 20060183085A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,575 Days
• Field of Search: 717106-109, 717124-135
• US Class Current: 717/124
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 7/00 Electrically-operated teaching apparatus or devices working with questions and answers mechanically operated G09B3/00; computing arrangements G06F

Abstract

A scenario execution environment (SEE) may include one or more action layers. Each action layer may be associated with one or more SEE actions. Each SEE action may be associated with one or more action layers. SEE code may specify one or more SEE actions. The SEE code may be parsed for the SEE actions. Each SEE action may be dispatched to each associated action layer. The action layer interface may include a start scenario element, an end scenario element and a run action element. The start scenario element may inform the action layer that one or more scenarios of the scenario execution environment are commencing. The end scenario element may inform the action layer that one or more scenarios are concluding. The run action element may instruct the action layer to carry out one or more SEE actions associated with one or more scenarios.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of a scenario execution environment having a plurality of action layers, the method comprising:

in a processor;

parsing scenario execution environment code having a scenario operative with a plurality of interfaces of a service, the scenario execution environment code specifying at least one scenario execution environment action for the scenario, the scenario execution environment action having a scenario execution environment variable specification;

identifying at least one of the plurality of action layers associated with said at least one scenario execution environment action specified by the scenario execution environment code, the at least one of the plurality of action layers configured to interact with at least one of the plurality of interfaces by having the scenario execution environment action activate an element of the at least one of the plurality of interfaces of the service;

replacing the scenario execution environment variable specification with a variable value retrieved from the at least one of the plurality of action layers;

dispatching said at least one scenario execution environment action, as modified with the variable value, to said at least one of the plurality of action layers identified as being associated with said at least one scenario execution environment action; and

processing an action result returned by said at least one of the plurality of action layers.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the scenario execution environment code has a format comprising at least one scenario element; and

each scenario element comprises at least one action element.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the format of the scenario execution environment code further comprises at least one required providers element specifying said at least one of the plurality of action layers.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein:

the format of the scenario execution environment code further comprises a scenario suite element;

the scenario suite element comprises said at least one scenario element;

each scenario element further comprises at least one scenario thread element;

said at least one scenario thread element comprises said at least one action element; and

each action element comprises at least one action parameter element.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of action layers has an interface in accordance with an action layer interface comprising:

a start scenario element for informing the action layer that at least one scenario specified by the scenario execution environment code is commencing, each scenario specified by the scenario execution environment code comprising at least one scenario execution environment action;

an end scenario element for informing the action layer that said at least one scenario specified by the scenario execution environment code is concluding; and

a run action element for instructing the action layer to carry out said at least one scenario execution environment action of said at least one scenario specified by the scenario execution environment code.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the scenario execution environment code further specifies at least one scenario comprising said at least one scenario execution environment action;

said at least one scenario specified by the scenario execution environment code has an associated set of computer system resource requirements; and

the method further comprises;

ensuring the set of computer system resource requirements associated with said at least one scenario specified by the scenario execution environment code at one or more of the plurality of action layers; and

releasing the set of computer system resource requirements associated with said at least one scenario specified by the scenario execution environment code at said one or more of the plurality of action layers.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein:

each of the plurality of action layers has an interface in accordance with an action layer interface comprising;

an ensure requirements element for instructing the action layer to reserve computer system resource requirements; and

a release requirements element for instructing the action layer to release computer system resource requirements;

ensuring the set of computer system resource requirements associated with said at least one scenario specified by the scenario execution environment code at one or more of the plurality of action layers comprises invoking the ensure requirements element of each action layer; and

releasing the set of computer system resource requirements associated with said at least one scenario specified by the scenario execution environment code at said one or more of the plurality of action layers comprises invoking the release requirements element of each action layer.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the scenario execution environment code is dynamically generated by a scenario execution environment database; and

the method further comprises querying the scenario execution environment database for the scenario execution environment code.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the scenario execution environment code further specifies at least one required action layer;

each required action layer specified by the scenario execution environment code is one of the plurality of action layers of the scenario execution environment; and

the method further comprises;

loading each required action layer; and

unloading each required action layer.

10. A computer-readable storage medium comprising computer-executable modules for a scenario execution environment, the modules comprising:

a plurality of action layers;

the scenario execution environment code comprises at least one scenario execution environment code variable specification;

a scenario execution engine configured to, at least;

parse the scenario execution environment code;

identify at least one of the plurality of action layers as associated with said at least one scenario execution environment action specified by the scenario executlon environment code;

replace the scenario execution environment variable specification with a variable value retrieved from the at least one of the plurality of action layers; and

dispatch said at least one scenario execution environment action, as modified with the variable value, to said at least one of the plurality of action layers identified as being associated with said at least one scenario execution environment action;

at least one computer system service; and

at least one interface for each of said at least one computer system service; and

each action layer corresponds to one of said at least one interface.

11. The computer-readable storage medium claim 10, further comprising:

a scenario execution environment database; and

an action layer registration tool configured to, at least, register each action layer with the scenario execution environment database.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein:

each action layer implements a set of scenario execution environment actions; and

registering each action layer with the scenario execution environment database comprises registering the set of scenario execution environment actions implemented by each action layer.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein each of the plurality of action layers has an interface in accordance with an action layer interface comprising:

a start scenario element for informing the action layer that at least one scenario of the scenario execution environment is commencing, at least one of said at least one scenario of the scenario execution environment comprising said at least one scenario execution environment action specified by the scenario execution environment code;

an end scenario element for informing the action layer that said at least one scenario of the scenario execution environment is concluding; and

a run action element for instructing the action layer to carry out said at least one scenario execution environment action specified by the scenario execution environment code.

14. A computerized system comprising computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions that, when executed, implement an action layer interface for interfacing with an action layer in a scenario execution environment, the action layer interface comprising:

a start scenario element for informing the action layer that at least one scenario of the scenario execution environment is commencing, each scenario of the scenario execution environment comprising at least one scenario execution environment action;

an end scenario element for informing the action layer that said at least one scenario of the scenario execution environment is concluding; and

a get named object element for retrieving from the action layer a value corresponding to a scenario execution environment code variable specification; and

a run action element for instructing the action layer to carry out said at least one scenario execution environment action of said at least one scenario of the scenario execution environment, said at least one scenario execution environment action being modified with the variable value, wherein the action layer is associated with a computer system service through an interface among a plurality of interfaces of the computer system service, wherein scenario execution environment code having the at least one scenario is parsed, the scenario operative with the plurality of interfaces of the computer system service, the scenario execution environment code specifying said at least one scenario execution environment action for the scenario, the scenario execution environment action having the scenario execution environment code variable specification.

15. The computerized system of claim 14, wherein the action layer interface further comprises:

an ensure requirements element for instructing the action layer to reserve a set of resources of the computerized system associated with said at least one scenario of the scenario execution environment; and

a release requirements element for instructing the action layer to release the set of resources of the computerized system associated with said at least one scenario of the scenario execution environment.

16. The computerized system of claim 14, wherein:

each scenario of the scenario execution environment is specified with scenario execution environment code;

scenario execution environment code has a format in accordance with a scenario execution environment code format;

the scenario execution environment code format comprises at least one scenario element; and

each scenario element comprises at least one action element.

17. The computerized system of claim 16, wherein:

each scenario execution environment action is implemented by at least one of the plurality of action layers; and

each scenario execution environment action corresponds to one of said at least one action element.

18. The computerized system of claim 14, wherein:

each scenario of the scenario execution environment is specified with scenario execution environment code; and

the scenario execution environment code comprises at least one scenario execution environment code variable specification;

the scenario execution environment code variable being among said at least one scenario execution environment code variable specification.