Virtual execution environment for software delivery and feedback

• US 8,776,028 B1
• Filed: 04/03/2010
• Issued: 07/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Parallels International GmbH (Corel Holdings LP)
• Original Assignee: Parallels Holdings Limited (HNA Technology Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Tormasov, Alexander G., Koryakin, Alexey B., Beloussov, Serguei M., Enakiev, Anton A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dam, Tuan Q.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wei, Zheng
• Application Number:
  US12/753,860
• Time in Patent Office: 1,557 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 717/127
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0712 in a virtual computing platform, e.g. logically partitioned systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0766 Error or fault reporting or storing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3664 Environments for testing or debugging software
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3672 Test management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/455 Emulation; Interpretation; Software simulation, e.g. virtualisation or emulation of application or operating system execution engines
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45533 Hypervisors; Virtual machine monitors

Abstract

A method and system for testing and logging execution events of software delivered to a user. The user can launch and run the software product while having the support and a necessary input from the product developer. A software product is provided from a first remote server and executed on a user computer, while execution statistics are collected and analyzed by a second remote server. The software product is used in a virtual execution environment. The software product is executed on a Guest Operating System (GOS) also installed on the user computer. A hypervisor-level monitoring of tested software products and GOSs is implemented.

Claims

1. A method for testing a new software product in a virtual machine, the method comprising:

installing a host operating system on a user computer;

installing a Virtual Machine Monitor (VMM) on the user computer;

installing a Virtual Machine (VM) to run under control of the VMM on the user computer, wherein the VMM has a privilege level at least as high as the host operating system of the user computer to access memory pages assigned to the VM being mapped and handles exceptions generated within the VM;

loading a software product onto the user computer from a component encapsulated inside the VM via a first server;

launching the software product in the VM;

using the VMM to monitor software product execution and to log software product execution data;

using the VMM to generate an incremental snapshot relative to a master snapshot of the VM;

using the VMM to generate a software product execution report; and

using the VMM to provide the software product execution report to a second server,

wherein the software product execution report includes the incremental snapshot of the VM.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the snapshot comprises a state of the VM prior to crash.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the monitoring of the software product execution is performed by the VMM.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the VMM has a detect module for detecting VM crashes.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the report comprises information related to the user actions.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the report comprises information related to power saving applications.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein VMM includes any of:

continuous data protection means;

driver verification tools;

instruction trace log; and

state capture means.

8. A computer useable non-transitory storage medium having computer program logic stored thereon for executing on a processor for implementing the steps of claim 1.

9. A system for testing a test application, the system comprising:

a client computer connected to a remote server;

a virtual machine (VM) implemented on the client;

a guest operating system (GOS) running on the VM;

a test application executed on the (GOS);

a virtual machine monitor (VMM) controlling the VM and having a detect module, wherein the VMM has a privilege level at least as high as a host operating system of the client computer to access memory pages assigned to the VM being mapped and wherein the VMM handles exceptions generated within the VM, and

wherein;

the test application is loaded onto the client computer from a component encapsulated inside the VM via a first server;

execution of the test application is monitored by the VMM;

user actions, system operations and VM crashes are detected by the detect module within the VMM;

the VMM generates a test application report;

the VMM generates an incremental snapshot relative to a master snapshot of the VM; and

the VMM transmits the test application report and the incremental snapshot of the crashed VM, at a moment prior to the crash, to the remote server.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the VMM provides execution statistics of the test application and of the VM to the remote server.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the execution statistics comprise snapshots of the VM prior to crash.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the execution statistics comprise user action-related data.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the snapshot includes contents of video memory.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the snapshot includes a screenshot.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the snapshot includes a state of virtual peripheral devices.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein the snapshot includes a paging file contents.

17. The system of claim 9, wherein the snapshot includes a call stack.