Data management tool

• US 8,213,871 B1
• Filed: 02/19/2008
• Issued: 07/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Cogan, Ladd
• Primary Examiner(s): GONZALES, APRIL GUZMAN
• Application Number:
  US12/033,883
• Time in Patent Office: 1,596 Days
• Field of Search: 455/425, 455/456.3, 455/560, 455/423, 455/67.11, 455/67.13, 455/424, 709/204, 709/205, 379/27.04, 379/14.01, 379/15.05, 379/88.23, 379/903, 379/420.01, 379/406.01, 702/81, 705/59, 726/23
• US Class Current: 455/67.11
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/50 Testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 379/903 Password

Abstract

A data management tool is provided. The tool comprises a first processor, a server application that, when executed on the first processor, manages allocation of equipment serial numbers (ESNs) used in executing test cases related to mobile devices, aggregates test progress data in a defect board, maintains a test chat forum, and sends a notification of a defect when the defect is reported to the server application, a second processor, and a thick client that, when executed on the second processor, receives the notification of the defect, participates in the test chat forum and requests one of the equipment serial numbers from the server application.

Claims

1. A system testing tool, comprising:

a first processor;

a server application that, when executed on the first processor, promotes managing allocation of equipment serial numbers (ESNs) used in executing test cases related to mobile devices, aggregates test progress data in a defect board, and sends a notification of a defect when the defect is reported to the server application;

a second processor; and

a thick client that, when executed on the second processor, receives the notification of the defect, participates in a test chat forum, requests one of the equipment serial numbers from the server application, wherein the thick client presents a defect template for receiving defect information and reports the defect information to the server application.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein executing test cases includes at least one of originating a test call from a mobile device, terminating a test call on a mobile device, or provisioning a mobile device using a provisioning application.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the server application manages allocation of equipment serial numbers by allocating each equipment serial number less than two times.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the test cases and the test progress data are associated with at least one of code division multiple access (CDMA) and integrated dispatch enhanced network (iDEN) wireless communications.

5. The system testing tool of claim 1, wherein the thick client communicates with the server application at least in part using a socket.

6. The system testing tool of claim 1, wherein the thick client participation in the test chat forum includes posting a message in the test chat forum associated with the defect.

7. The system testing tool of claim 1, wherein the server application further maintains miscellaneous information associated with a testing team, the miscellaneous information comprising contact information of a plurality of members of the testing team.

8. A method of testing a communication system, comprising:

a plurality of testing clients requesting an equipment serial number (ESN) from a testing server;

the testing server reserving a plurality of equipment serial numbers for the testing clients from a pool of unused equipment serial numbers;

the testing server sending the equipment serial numbers to the testing clients;

generating a list of unused reserved equipment serial numbers;

returning the unused reserved equipment serial numbers to the pool of unused equipment serial numbers;

executing a test case based at least in part on one of the equipment serial number;

entering information describing a defect associated with the test case, the information entered into a defect template;

a first testing client sending the information describing the defect to the testing server;

the testing server sending the information describing the defect to a second testing client;

the testing server posting the information describing the defect to a defect board; and

the testing server posting the information describing the defect to a first defect chat room.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the list of unused reserved equipment serial numbers is generated by executing a script.

10. The method of claim 8, further including the testing server deleting the unused equipment serial numbers from the testing clients.

11. The method claim 8 further including:

opening a second defect chat room for posting the information describing the defect;

closing the first defect chat room for posting the information describing the defect; and

searching the first defect chat room.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the defect template comprises information fields for a defect severity, a defect number, an application identity, a defect description, an environment, a blocked test cases, and a defect.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the testing server sends a stock keeping unit (SKU) number and a subscriber identification module (SIM) information to the testing clients with the equipment serial numbers.

14. A method of testing, comprising:

a first testing client sending a first test defect report to a testing server, the first test defect report based on a defect template;

the testing server sending notification of the first test defect report to a second testing client;

the testing server posting the first test defect to a chat room and to a defect board; and

the testing server maintaining a miscellaneous information board, the miscellaneous information including at least contact information of a plurality of test team members,

wherein the first test defect is related to a test case related to testing at least one of a mobile phone provisioning application and at least a portion of a mobile phone communication system.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the first testing client is executed on a computer located in a first building and the second testing client is executed on a computer located in a second building.

16. The method of claim 14, further including:

the second testing client sending a second test defect report to the testing server, the second test defect report based on the defect template;

the testing server sending notification of the second test defect report to the first testing client; and

the testing server posting the second test defect to the chat room, to the defect board.

17. The method of claim 14, further including:

the first testing client sending information describing a resolution of the first defect to the testing server; and

the testing server posting the information describing the resolution of the first defect to the chat room and to the defect board.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the notification is sent as one of an email notification, an instant message notification, and a short message service notification.