Method, system and computer program for managing test processes based on customized UML diagrams

• US 7,581,138 B2
• Filed: 10/04/2006
• Issued: 08/25/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Tordelli, Emmanuele, Bartucca, Giovanni, Colussi, Agostino
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, DIEU MINH T
• Application Number:
  US11/538,575
• Publication Number:
  US 20070094542A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,056 Days
• Field of Search: 714/25, 714/37, 714/38, 714/47, 718/1, 718/100, 718/102, 718/103
• US Class Current: 714/25
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3672 Test management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3688 for test execution, e.g. scheduling of test suites

Abstract

A method for facilitating the management of a test process is proposed. For this purpose, the different test scenarios included in the process and their execution dependencies are represented by means of a customized UML activity diagram (300a). An execution weight is also associated with each test scenario (for example, defined by the man-hours required for its execution). In this way, it is possible to identify critical test scenarios (315g), which may impair the execution of the whole test process when they fail (because many other test scenarios depend on their successful completion). The order of execution of the test scenarios is then arranged into a test plan, so as to minimize the time required to reach the critical test scenarios. Preferably, the same process is repeated whenever any runtime condition changes (such when a test scenario fails).

Claims

1. A method for facilitating the management of a test process including a plurality of test scenarios, wherein predefined resources are available for executing the test scenarios, the method including the steps of:

defining execution dependencies among the test scenarios based on successful completion thereof,

determining a blocking weight of each test scenario according to the test scenarios depending thereon,

identifying a set of critical test scenarios having the highest blocking weights,

generating a test plan by arranging the order of execution of the test scenarios by the available resources to minimize a cost function for the reaching of the critical test scenarios according to the available resources and the execution dependencies, and

causing the execution of the test scenarios by the available resources according to the test plan.

2. The method according to claim 1, further including the steps of:

detecting a change in runtime conditions affecting the execution of the test scenarios, and

generating a new test plan in response to the change, each test plan being generated further according to the runtime conditions.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the runtime conditions include a status of the test scenarios.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the cost function is indicative of the time required to reach the critical test scenarios.

5. The method according to claim 1, further including the step of:

associating an execution weight with each test scenario, each execution plan being generated further according to the execution weights.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of defining the execution dependencies includes:

representing each test scenario with a node element of a diagram,

representing each execution dependency of a single type, wherein the execution of a first target test scenario depends on the successful completion of a single first source test scenario, with a first arc from the node element of the first source test scenario to the node element of the first target test scenario,

representing each execution dependency of a multiple type, wherein the execution of a second target test scenario depends on the successful completion of a plurality of second source test scenarios, with a second arc from the node element of each second source test scenario to a synchronization element and a further second arc from the synchronization element to the node element of the second target test scenario, and

representing each alternative, wherein a plurality of target elements are suitable to be reached from at least one source element, with a fourth arc from each source element to a branch element and a further fourth arc from the branch element to each target element.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the diagram is a UML activity diagram, each node element being an action state, each arc being a transition, each synchronization element being a synchronization point, and each branch element being a decision point.

8. The method according to claim 1, further including the steps of:

detecting an execution error causing the non-successful completion of a failed test scenario, and

assigning a priority for the fixing of the execution error according to the blocking weight of the failed test scenario.

9. A computer program in a computer readable medium for facilitating the management of a test process including a plurality of test scenarios, wherein predefined resources are available for executing the test scenarios, comprising:

instructions for defining execution dependencies among the test scenarios based on successful completion thereof,

instructions for determining a blocking weight of each test scenario according to the test scenarios for depending thereon,

instructions for identifying a set of critical test scenarios having the highest blocking weights,

instructions for generating a test plan by arranging the order of execution of the test scenarios by the available resources to minimize a cost function for the reaching of the critical test scenarios according to the available resources and the execution dependencies, and

causing the execution of the test scenarios by the available resources according to the test plan.

10. A system for facilitating the management of a test process including a plurality of test scenarios, wherein predefined resources are available for executing the test scenarios, comprising:

means for defining execution dependencies among the test scenarios based on successful completion thereof,

means for determining a blocking weight of each test scenario according to the test scenarios depending thereon,

means for identifying a set of critical test scenarios having the highest blocking weights,

means for generating a test plan by arranging the order of execution of the test scenarios by the available resources to minimize a cost function for the reaching of the critical test scenarios according to the available resources and the execution dependencies, and

means for causing the execution of the test scenarios by the available resources according to the test plan.