Detecting configuration problems in an eclipse-based software application

• US 8,627,289 B2
• Filed: 05/07/2012
• Issued: 01/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ServiceNow Incorporated
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Farrell, Peter L. H., Wijenayake, Sudarsha D. A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Das, Chameli
• Application Number:
  US13/465,073
• Publication Number:
  US 20120222011A1
• Time in Patent Office: 610 Days
• Field of Search: 717/124
• US Class Current: 717/124
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/71 Version control security arrangements therefor G06F21/57; Configuration management

Abstract

Detecting configuration problems in an ECLIPSE-based software application can be detected. Such a method can begin with the receipt of a user-command to test a configuration of an ECLIPSE-based software application or with a detection of a feature addition/update when an auto-testing feature is enabled. Information about the available sites for the ECLIPSE-based application can then be obtained. Then, a list of software elements required to operate the ECLIPSE-based software application can be compiled. At least one data attribute can be extracted from the meta data of each software element in the compiled list. The extracted data attributes can then be analyzed. When the analysis identifies a configuration problem, the existence of the configuration problem can be validated.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

at least one computing device receiving a user-command to test a configuration of an ECLIPSE-based software application, wherein the ECLIPSE-based software application includes a plurality of software elements;

at least one computing device obtaining available sites for the ECLIPSE-based application;

at least one computing device compiling a list of software elements required to operate the ECLIPSE-based software application;

extracting a set of at least one data attribute from a set of meta data for each software element contained in the compiled list of software elements;

analyzing the set of data attributes extracted for each software element; and

at least one computing device, if a result of the analyzing step determines an existence of a configuration problem, validating the existence of the configuration problem, wherein the ECLIPSE-based software application comprises a plurality of discrete features each separately versioned, wherein a hierarchical dependency structure exists between the discrete features, which must be satisfied for the ECLIPSE-based application to function properly, wherein the analyzing the set of data attribute further comprises analyzing the hierarchical dependency structure to determine if the specific feature of the bundle is able to be installed or upgraded for the ECLIPSE-based application given installed versions of the discrete features of the ECLIPSE-based application and given the included dependencies.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein further comprising:

generating a test report containing results of the analyzing and the validating, if executed, wherein the test report includes a recommended solution for the configuration problem.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the results in the test report are grouped into at least one section, wherein the at least one section includes a missing software elements section, a missing meta data section, a versioning errors section, a platform filter issues section, an incomplete dependencies section, and a captured errors and warnings section.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the configuration problems indicate that one of the features or feature patches is not properly installed.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein improperly installed features or feature patches provide no functionality to the ECLIPSE-based application whether or not bundles for the improperly installed features or feature patches are present in an application build.

6. The method of claim 5, ECLIPSE-based software application comprises a plurality of discrete features each separately versioned, wherein a hierarchical dependency structure exists between the discrete features, which must be satisfied for the ECLIPSE-based application to function properly.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of extracted data attributes includes one of an element identifier, a version identifier, a set of platform filters, a set of included software elements, a set of required software elements, and an identification of a branding plug-in.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the configuration problem represents an unmet operating condition of at least one of the ECLIPSE-based operating system, an ECLIPSE coding standard, and ECLIPSE framework.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprises at least one computing device attempting to install or update the specific feature from the bundle.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the existence of the configuration problem refers to a dependency of the specific feature not able to be resolved by installing or updating one of the discrete features using the included dependencies of the bundle.

11. A system comprising:

one or more processors, one or more non-transitory machine readable media;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more machine readable media for execution by at least one of the one or more processors;

an ECLIPSE-based software application, comprising at least a portion of said program instructions, configured to operate in an ECLIPSE framework, wherein the ECLIPSE-based software includes a plurality of software elements, wherein each software element contains a set of meta data defining a plurality of operational data; and

a configuration test utility configured to determine an existence of configuration problems between the plurality of software elements of the ECLIPSE-based software application, wherein the configuration test utility produces a test report containing determined configuration problems, wherein the configuration problems indicate that features or feature patches are not properly installed for the ECLIPSE-based software application, wherein improperly installed features or feature patches provide no functionality to the ECLIPSE-based software application whether or not bundles for the improperly installed features or feature patches are present in an application build, wherein the ECLIPSE-based software application comprises a plurality of discrete features each separately versioned, wherein a hierarchical dependency structure exists between the discrete features, which must be satisfied for the ECLIPSE-based application to function properly, wherein the system analyzes the set of data attribute by analyzing the hierarchical dependency structure to determine if the specific feature of the bundle is able to be installed or upgraded for the ECLIPSE-based application given installed versions of the discrete features of the ECLIPSE-based application and given the included dependencies.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein a configuration problem represents an unmet operating condition of at least one of the ECLIPSE framework, a software engineering standard, and an ECLIPSE standard, wherein the configuration test utility is configured to detect at least four of the following configuration problems:

manifest error, a versioning error, an incompatible platform filter problem, an unavailable required dependency, an unavailable optional dependency, an absence of parent features, a non-standard application of feature patches, and an unavailable branding plug-in.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the set of meta data is captured in a manifest document written in an Extensible Markup Language (XML), wherein the configuration test utility utilizes an Application Programming Interface (API) to interface with the plurality of software elements of the ECLIPSE-based software application, wherein the system further comprises:

a user interface configured to accepting a user-configuration of at least one of the configuration test utility and the test report.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the determined configuration problems of the test report are grouped into at least one section, wherein the at least one section includes a missing software elements section, a missing meta data section, a versioning errors section, a platform filter issues section, an incomplete dependencies section, and a captured errors and warnings section, wherein the test report includes a recommended solution for the determined configuration problems.

15. An apparatus comprising:

a set of programmatic instructions digitally encoded in a non-transitory machine readable media, wherein said programmatic instructions are executable by at least one processor of at least one computing device, wherein said set of programmatic instructions are configured to analyze one or more features or feature patches of an ECLIPSE-based application, to determine an existence of configuration problems if any, and to report determined configuration problems, wherein the features or feature patches must have a valid manifest in order to be integrated within the ECLIPSE-based application that conforms to an ECLIPSE-based framework, wherein the configuration problems occur when attempting to install or update one of the features or feature patches, and wherein the configuration problems indicate that one of the features or feature patches is not properly installed, wherein improperly installed features or feature patches provide no functionality to the ECLIPSE-based application whether or not bundles for the improperly installed features or feature patents are present in an application build, wherein the ECLIPSE-based software application comprises a plurality of discrete features each separately versioned, wherein a hierarchical dependency structure exists between the discrete features, which must be satisfied for the ECLIPSE-based application to function properly, wherein the apparatus analyzes the set of data attribute by analyzing the hierarchical dependency structure to determine if the specific feature of the bundle is able to be installed or upgraded for the ECLIPSE-based application given installed versions of the discrete features of the ECLIPSE-based application and given the included dependencies.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the software is a component of an ECLIPSE development software tool able to be triggered based upon a user selection within a graphics based software development interface.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the software is at least one of a component of the ECLIPSE-based application and a software executable able to interact with the ECLIPSE-based application, wherein said software automatically executes when a new feature or feature update is applied to the ECLIPSE-based application, and wherein detection of a configuration problem during the automatic execution causes the application of the new feature or feature update to be aborted.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein at least one of the configuration problems determined and reported by the software represents an unmet operating condition of at least one of the ECLIPSE framework, a software engineering standard, and an ECLIPSE standard, and wherein at least one of the configuration problems is one of a software element unavailability, a corruption of the set of meta data, an absence of the set of meta data, a violation of the at least one ECLIPSE standard, a conflict between version of the software element, an unfulfilled dependency between software elements, an absence of a branding plug-in, and an exclusion of a software element from the ECLIPSE-based software application.