Test execution spanning cloud and local devices

• US 8,819,490 B2
• Filed: 12/30/2011
• Issued: 08/26/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Li, Zhuowei, Wei, Dong, Jagannathan, Muthu A. K.
• Primary Examiner(s): CHU, GABRIEL L
• Application Number:
  US13/340,703
• Publication Number:
  US 20130173962A1
• Time in Patent Office: 970 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 714/32
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2273 Test methods
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3688 for test execution, e.g. scheduling of test suites
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46

Abstract

A test system for a managed cloud computing environment may have a management system that may recruit devices in the cloud and outside the cloud to perform a test on a cloud based application. Each device may execute an agent that connects the device to several cloud services for messaging, data collection, and executable code storage. The management system may identify and gather the devices, then cause the devices to execute a test by sending commands through the messaging service. The devices may access executable code for the specific tasks of a test through the code storage service, and as the devices complete tasks for the test, the devices may publish results in the data collection service. The test system enables any type of scenario to be implemented, including operations that can only be performed inside and outside the managed cloud environment.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a processor;

a test management system that;

determines a list of available devices, said available devices comprising available cloud based devices and available non-cloud based devices;

selects at least one available cloud based device;

selects at least one available non-cloud based device;

launches a test, said test being defined in a sequence of tasks, a first task being a task being performed by said non-cloud based device and a second task being performed by said cloud based device, said sequence of tasks being distributed by a messaging system, said messaging system being subscribed to by said non-cloud based device and said cloud based device;

collects results from said non-cloud based device and said cloud based device; and

displays said results.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the result collection is performed by a data collection service, said data collection service subscribing to output from said non-cloud device and said cloud based device.

3. The system of claim 2, said test management system that further:

identifies a plurality of devices;

receives criteria for said plurality of devices; and

presents a subset of said plurality of devices matching said criteria.

4. A system comprising:

a processor;

a test management system that;

determines a list of available devices, said available devices comprising available cloud based devices and available non-cloud based devices;

selects at least one available cloud based device;

selects at least one available non-cloud based device;

launches a test, said test being defined in a sequence of tasks, a first task being a task being performed by said non-cloud based device and a second task being performed by said cloud based device, said sequence of tasks being distributed by a messaging system, said messaging system being subscribed to by said non-cloud based device and said cloud based device;

collects results from said non-cloud based device and said cloud based device; and

displays said results; and

an installation system that;

connects to a first device, said first device being a non-cloud device;

causes said first device to be connected to a messaging service;

registers said first device as one of said available non-cloud devices; and

makes said first device available as said non-cloud devices to said test management system.

5. The system of claim 4, said installation system that further:

downloads an agent to said first device, said agent connecting to said messaging service.

6. The system of claim 5, said messaging service being a cloud-based service.

7. The system of claim 6, said agent that further:

connects to a data collection service, said data collection service being a cloud-based service.

8. The system of claim 4, said installation system that further:

downloads authentication credentials to said first device, said authentication credentials authenticating said first device to perform cloud management operations.

9. The system of claim 8, said cloud management operations being operations incapable of being performed by a cloud based device.

10. The system of claim 9, said cloud management operations comprising changing an operational status of a cloud based device.

11. The system of claim 4, said first device being capable of address spoofing.

12. A method comprising:

defining a test sequence, said test sequence being a plurality of tasks, at least one task being performed by a cloud based device and at least one task being performed by a non-cloud based device;

selecting a first device being a cloud based device and a second device being a non-cloud based device to perform said test sequence;

transmitting said test sequence to a messaging service, said messaging service being subscribed to by said first device and said second device, said messaging service that transmits said tasks to subscribing devices;

receiving results from said first device and said second device through a data collection service; and

presenting said results in a test report.

13. The method of claim 12, said messaging service and said data collection service being cloud based services.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

installing an agent on said non-cloud based device, said agent connecting said non-cloud based device to said massaging service and said data collection service.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

identifying a group of available devices by accessing said data collection service to retrieve identifiers for said first device and said second device.

16. The method of claim 15, said non-cloud device transmitting an identifier using said data collection service.

17. A system comprising:

a first connection to a first device being a cloud device;

a second connection to a second device being a non-cloud device;

a third connection to a messaging service that receives tasks and transmits said tasks to subscribers of said messaging service, said messaging service being a cloud service;

said first device having a first agent that subscribes to said messaging service;

said second device having a second agent that subscribes to said messaging service;

a test management system that;

receives a test sequence comprising a plurality of said tasks;

identifies said first device and said second device to perform said test sequence; and

transmits said plurality of tasks to said first device and said second device through said messaging service.

18. The system of claim 17 further comprising:

a fourth connection to a data collection service that receives data from said first device and said second device.

19. The system of claim 18, said first agent and said second agent transmitting data to said data collection device.

20. The system of claim 17, said data collection service being a cloud-based service.