Architecture for location independent, automated integration testing and quality assurance of next generation IMS services

• US 7,809,368 B2
• Filed: 06/09/2006
• Issued: 10/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: WSOU Investments, LLC (WSOU Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent USA, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Logan, Ian
• Primary Examiner(s): Corsaro, Nick
• Assistant Examiner(s): Magloire, Vladimir
• Application Number:
  US11/423,275
• Publication Number:
  US 20070287445A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,579 Days
• Field of Search: 455/423, 455/425, 455/67.11
• US Class Current: 455/423
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5087 wherein the managed service relates to voice services management of VoIP services H04M7/0081
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5093 wherein the managed service relates to messaging or chat services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/50 Testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements

Abstract

A tool is provided that allows engineers to perform call-based, network, and scenario testing at a customer site from a remote location. This tool not only improves the accuracy of testing, but also nearly eliminates the need for mobility engineers to spend time and money traveling to customer sites.

Claims

1. A system for automated testing, the system comprising:

a plurality of architectural layers, each layer associated with a specific automated testing service allowing separation at key architectural points to thereby abstract away from a specific testing context, the system further comprises;

a platform configured to communicate with terminals of different types; and

a server communicatively coupled to the platform, wherein;

the server stores a plurality of dynamic configurations, each dynamic configuration associated with a particular type of terminal;

the server is configured to support automated testing services for one or more remote clients in communication with the server, wherein each of the automated testing services is defined by a respective plurality of generic commands; and

the platform is further configured, for each of the different types of the terminals;

to translate, for one or more of the automated testing services, each respective plurality of generic commands into a corresponding plurality of terminal actions, using a respective dynamic configuration associated with the type, the plurality of terminal actions adapted to the terminal type to stimulate terminals of the terminal type.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of generic commands for at least one of the automated testing services is defined using an application independent stimulus and response rules language, the language adapted to define sets of abstract stimulus actions and respective sets of abstract response actions for expected results of abstract stimulus actions.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the expected results of abstract stimulus actions comprise one or more of expected direct results of abstract stimulus actions and expected side effects of abstract stimulus actions.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein generic commands are one or more of terminal-independent and environment-independent.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the automated testing services comprises one of stimulus-response testing and black box testing.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of generic commands defining at least one of the automated testing services has been determined by a remote client of the one or more remote clients and provided to the server.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the terminals comprise wireless devices and external network elements involved in processing of events associated with the wireless devices, wherein the plurality of generic commands defining at least one of the automated services comprises commands defining a sets of abstract stimulus actions associated with one of the wireless devices and a set of abstract response actions for expected results of the abstract stimulus actions, the expected results associated with one or more of the external network elements.

8. A method for providing automated testing, the method comprising:

separating at key architectural points a plurality of architectural layers, each layer associated with a specific automated testing service, thereby abstracting away from a specific testing context, the method further comprises;

receiving, at a server, a plurality of generic commands defining an automated testing service for a terminal, wherein each of the plurality of generic commands is terminal-independent;

using a dynamic configuration associated with a type of the terminal to translate the plurality of generic commands into a respective plurality of terminal commands adapted to the type of the terminal; and

propagating at least one of the plurality of terminal commands toward the terminal for stimulating the terminal.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the plurality of generic commands is defined using an application independent stimulus and response rules language, the language adapted to define sets of abstract stimulus actions and respective sets of abstract response actions for expected results of abstract stimulus actions.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the expected results of abstract stimulus actions comprise one or more of expected direct results of abstract stimulus actions and expected side effects of abstract stimulus actions.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the automated testing service comprises one of stimulus-response testing and black-box testing.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein each of the plurality of generic commands is environment-independent.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

propagating each of the plurality of terminal commands toward the terminal for stimulating the terminal; and

determining success or failure of the automated testing service for the terminal.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

providing, toward a remote client device associated with the automated testing service, information indicating the success or failure and data associated with performing of the automated testing service.

15. A computer-readable storage medium storing instructions for performing a method for providing automated testing, the method comprising:

separating at key architectural points a plurality of architectural layers, each layer associated with a specific automated testing service, thereby abstracting away from a specific testing context, the method further comprises;

receiving, at a server, a plurality of generic commands defining an automated testing for a terminal, wherein each of the plurality of generic commands is terminal-independent;

using a dynamic configuration associated with a type of the terminal to translate the plurality of generic commands into a respective plurality of terminal commands adapted to the type of the terminal; and

propagating at least one of the plurality of terminal commands toward the terminal for stimulating the terminal.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the plurality of generic commands is defined using an application independent stimulus and response rules language, the language adapted to define sets of abstract stimulus actions and respective sets of abstract response actions for expected results of abstract stimulus actions.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the expected results of abstract stimulus actions comprise one or more of expected direct results of abstract stimulus actions and expected side effects of abstract stimulus actions.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the automated testing service comprises one of stimulus-response testing and black-box testing.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises:

propagating each of the plurality of terminal commands toward the terminal for stimulating the terminal; and

determining success or failure of the automated testing service for the terminal.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the method further comprises:

providing, toward a remote client device associated with the automated testing service, information indicating the success or failure and data associated with performing of the automated testing service.