Automated load model

• US 8,332,820 B2
• Filed: 10/30/2008
• Issued: 12/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Original Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Inventors: Hummel, David M. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zhen, Wei
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wu, Junchun
• Application Number:
  US12/261,519
• Publication Number:
  US 20100115339A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,503 Days
• Field of Search: 717/124
• US Class Current: 717/124
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/263 Generation of test inputs, e.g. test vectors, patterns or sequences ; with adaptation of the tested hardware for testability with external testers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3414 Workload generation, e.g. scripts, playback
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3433 for load management allocation of a server based on load conditions G06F9/505; load rebalancing G06F9/5083; redistributing the load in a network by a load balancer H04L67/1029
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3452 Performance evaluation by statistical analysis
• 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 and system for testing a computer system is provided. In one implementation the method and system may include receiving a script footprint that includes dimension-effect values corresponding to the number of times a computer system dimension is affected by the script. Target information may also be received. The target information includes target dimension values corresponding to a desired number of times per time period each dimension should be affected. The method and system may determining the number of times to execute the scripts within the time period so as to minimize the difference between the actual number of times dimensions are affected and the target-dimension value per time period. The method and system may also execute the script on the computer system the determined number of times within the time period.

Claims

1. A method for testing a computer system, the method comprising:

receiving script information that includes a dimension-effect value for each of multiple dimensions, each dimension-effect value corresponding to a number of times a dimension is affected by a script;

receiving, based on user input, a target-dimension value for each of the multiple dimensions, each target-dimension value corresponding to a desired number of times per time period each dimension should be affected by the script;

determining, by a processor and based on the dimension-effect value for each of the multiple dimensions and the target-dimension value for each of the multiple dimensions, a number of times to execute the script within the time period that minimizes a total error across the multiple dimensions, the total error accounting for differences between dimension-effect value and target-dimension value for each of the multiple dimensions; and

executing the script on the computer system the determined number of times within the time period.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising minimizing the total error across the multiple dimensions via a linear-least-squares algorithm.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising scaling at least one dimension-effect value and at least one target-dimension value by a weighting factor.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the weighting factor corresponds to the reciprocal of a highest of the target-dimension values.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein the weighting factor corresponds to the reciprocal of an average of all of the target-dimension values.

6. The method according to claim 3, wherein the weighting factor corresponds to the reciprocal of a sum of all of the target-dimension values.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising multiplying at least one target-dimension value by a growth factor.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein minimizing the total error across the multiple dimensions comprises determining a percentage of error and communicating the percentage of error to a display.

18. The method of claim 1:

wherein receiving script information comprises receiving script information for multiple scripts with at least one dimension-effect value for each of the multiple scripts;

wherein determining the number of times to execute the script within the time period that minimizes the total error across the multiple dimensions comprises determining, by the processor, a load model for the multiple scripts that minimizes the total error across the multiple dimensions, the load model defining an execution rate for each of the multiple scripts; and

wherein executing the script on the computer system the determined number of times within the time period comprises executing the multiple scripts in accordance with the load model.

19. The method of claim 18:

wherein the multiple scripts are grouped in a manner that defines relationships between groups of the multiple scripts; and

wherein determining the load model for the multiple scripts that minimizes the total error across the multiple dimensions comprises constraining the load model to minimize the total error across the multiple dimensions while maintaining the relationships between the groups of the multiple scripts.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein determining the load model for the multiple scripts that minimizes the total error across the multiple dimensions comprises finding, by the processor, combinations of script execution rates for the multiple scripts that minimize the total error.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein minimizing the total error across the multiple dimensions comprises minimizing a summation of errors for each of the multiple dimensions while allowing a first error for a first dimension in the multiple dimensions to be higher than a second error for a second dimension in the multiple dimensions, thereby sacrificing the first dimension for the second dimension to better reduce the total error across the multiple dimensions.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein minimizing the total error across the multiple dimensions comprises minimizing the total error across the multiple dimensions without balancing error across the multiple dimensions.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the number of times to execute the script within the time period that minimizes the total error across the multiple dimensions comprises:

applying a first weighting factor to values for a first dimension in the multiple dimensions;

applying a second weighting factor to values for a second dimension in the multiple dimensions, the second weighting factor being different than the first weighting factor; and

determining, based on the weighted values for the first dimension and the weighted values for the second dimension, the number of times to execute the script within the time period that minimizes the total error across the multiple dimensions.

9. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium having stored thereon a computer program comprising at least one code section for testing a computer system, the at least one code section being executable by a machine for causing the machine to perform acts of:

receiving script information that includes a dimension-effect value for each of multiple dimensions, each dimension-effect value corresponding to a number of times a dimension is affected by a script;

receiving, based on user input, a target-dimension value for each of the multiple dimensions, each target-dimension value corresponding to a desired number of times per time period each dimension should be affected by the script;

determining, based on the dimension-effect value for each of the multiple dimensions and the target-dimension value for each of the multiple dimensions, a number of times to execute the script within the time period that minimizes a total error across the multiple dimensions, the total error accounting for differences between dimension-effect value and target-dimension value for each of the multiple dimensions; and

executing the script on the computer system the determined number of times within the time period.

10. The machine-readable storage according to claim 9, wherein the code section is executable to cause the machine to minimize the total error via a linear-least-squares algorithm.

11. A system for testing a computer system, the system comprising:

a processor operable to receive script information that includes a dimension-effect value for each of multiple dimensions, each dimension-effect value corresponding to a number of times a dimension is affected by a script;

receive, based on user input, a target-dimension value for each of the multiple dimensions, each target-dimension value corresponding to a desired number of times per time period each dimension should be affected by the script;

determine, based on the dimension-effect value for each of the multiple dimensions and the target-dimension value for each of the multiple dimensions, a number of times to execute the script within the time period that minimizes a total error across the multiple dimensions, the total error accounting for differences between dimension-effect value and target-dimension value for each of the multiple dimensions; and

execute the script on the computer system the determined number of times within the time period.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein the processor is operable to minimize the total error via a linear-least-squares algorithm.

13. The system according to claim 11, wherein the processor is operable to scale at least one dimension-effect value and at least one target-dimension value by a weighting factor.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein the weighting factor corresponds to the reciprocal of a highest of the target-dimension values.

15. The system according to claim 13, wherein the weighting factor corresponds to the reciprocal of an average of all of the target-dimension values.

16. The system according to claim 13, wherein the weighting factor corresponds to the reciprocal of a sum of all of the target-dimension values.

17. The system according to claim 11, wherein the processor is operable to multiply at least one target-dimension value by a growth factor.