Techniques for distributing information in a computer network related to a software anomaly

• US 8,819,632 B2
• Filed: 02/16/2011
• Issued: 08/26/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Inventors: Williams, Alexis, Mastrogiovanni, Analia, Hatton, James
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Don
• Assistant Examiner(s): Luna, Roberto E
• Application Number:
  US13/028,236
• Publication Number:
  US 20120011406A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,287 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 717/124
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0766 Error or fault reporting or storing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

The present invention is directed to methods and systems of distributing information in a computer network related to a report a software anomaly that includes receiving information concerning the reported software anomaly (RSA); identifying a problematic functional characteristic included in the RSA; ascertaining from a plurality of computer-readable addresses a sub-group of the computer-readable addresses that correspond to parties with information corresponding to the problematic functional characteristic; storing on the computer network an investigation record having associated therewith data corresponding to the RSA; and transmitting to the sub-group a message perceivable by the parties indicating a location on the computer network of the investigation record.

Claims

1. A method of distributing information in a computer network related to a reported software anomaly, said method comprising:

receiving information concerning said reported software anomaly (RSA);

identifying a controlling problematic functional characteristic included in said RSA, the controlling problematic functional characteristic being identified among a plurality of functional characteristics, each functional characteristic of the plurality of functional characteristics comprising an operational behavior that is expected to be demonstrated by operating the software, wherein the controlling problematic functional characteristic comprises an operational characteristic of the software to be investigated to determine a cause of the RSA;

ascertaining from a plurality of computer-readable addresses a sub-group of said computer-readable addresses that correspond to parties with information corresponding to said controlling problematic functional characteristic that are assigned to investigate the RSA;

storing on said computer network an investigation record having associated therewith data corresponding to said RSA;

transmitting to said sub-group a message perceivable by said parties when information changes in a status field of the investigation record stored on said computer network;

augmenting said investigation record with data including the cause of said controlling problematic functional characteristic;

generating, in response to augmenting said investigation record, a bug record;

identifying additional computer-readable addresses corresponding to additional parties having information related to the cause for removing the RSA; and

transmitting, to the additional computer-readable addresses, a second message perceivable by said additional parties indicating a location on said computer network of said bug record.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein storing further includes storing said investigation record in a database having a plurality of additional investigation records stored therein, defining a plurality of investigation records, each of which is assigned a priority level that indicates a relative rank among said plurality of investigation records.

3. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein computer-readable addresses of the sub-group are different than the computer-readable addresses associated with the remaining functional characteristics of said plurality of functional characteristics.

4. The method as recited in claim 1 further including transmitting additional messages to members of said group in response to predetermined events with respect to said investigation record.

5. The method as recited in claim 1 further including associating said bug record with said investigation record.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the information concerning said RSA comprises receiving the information introduced into various data entry fields of a problem integration interface rendered on a display.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein one or more fields of the various data entry fields causes an increase to a severity level indicated by a severity level field of the investigation record.

16. The method of claim 1, the computer network including a multi-tenant database architecture, wherein receiving the information concerning said RSA comprises receiving the information in response to a report of the software anomaly from a tenant or one or more tenant users.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising incorporating the investigation record with one or more additional investigation records when the investigation record and the one or more additional investigation records concern a common product.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising incorporating the investigation record with one or more additional investigation records when the investigation record and the one or more additional investigation records have a common bug associated therewith.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the common bug comprises a newly introduced algorithm across multiple products.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the controlling problematic functional characteristic comprises identifying the controlling problematic functional characteristic from among the plurality of functional characteristics based upon a frequency of occurrence of the controlling problematic functional characteristic being greater than frequencies of occurrence of the remaining functional characteristics of the plurality.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the controlling problematic functional characteristic comprises identifying the controlling problematic functional characteristic from among the plurality of functional characteristics based upon an interdependence among the plurality of functional characteristics.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the parties assigned to investigate the RSA are different than the additional parties who will work on removing the RSA.

6. A computer product of the type comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium that contains a program to control a computer having a display, said computer product comprising:

computer code that receives information concerning a reported software anomaly (RSA);

computer code that identifies a controlling problematic functional characteristic included in said RSA, the controlling problematic functional characteristic being identified among a plurality of functional characteristics, each functional characteristic of the plurality of functional characteristics comprising an operational behavior that is expected to be demonstrated by operating the software, wherein the controlling problematic functional characteristic comprises an operational characteristic of the software to be investigated to determine a cause of the RSA;

computer code that ascertains from a plurality of computer-readable addresses a sub-group of said computer-readable addresses that correspond to parties with information corresponding to said controlling problematic functional characteristic that are assigned to investigate the RSA;

computer code that stores on said computer network an investigation record having associated therewith data corresponding to said RSA;

computer code that transmits to said sub-group a message perceivable by said parties when information changes in a status field of the investigation record stored on said computer network

computer code that augments said investigation record with data including the cause of said controlling problematic functional characteristic;

computer code that generates, in response to augmenting said investigation record, a bug record;

computer code that identifies additional computer-readable addresses corresponding to additional parties having information related to the cause for removing the RSA; and

computer code that transmits, to the additional computer-readable addresses, a second message perceivable by said additional parties indicating a location on said computer network of said bug record.

7. The computer product as recited in claim 6 wherein said computer code that stores further includes a sub-routine to store said investigation record in a database having a plurality of additional investigation records stored therein, defining a plurality of investigation records, each of which is assigned a priority level that indicates a relative rank among said plurality of investigation records.

8. The computer product as recited in claim 6 further including computer code that transmits additional messages to members of said group in response to predetermined events with respect to said investigation record.

9. The computer product as recited in claim 6 further including computer code that augments said investigation record with data including a cause of said controlling problematic functional characteristic and generating, in response thereto, a bug record.

23. The computer product of claim 6, wherein the parties assigned to investigate the RSA are different than the additional parties who will work on removing the RSA.

10. An apparatus for testing computer-readable code, the apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

one or more stored sequences of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to carry out the steps of;

receiving information concerning said reported software anomaly (RSA);

identifying a controlling problematic controlling functional characteristic included in said RSA, the controlling problematic functional characteristic being identified among a plurality of functional characteristics, each functional characteristic of the plurality of functional characteristics comprising an operational behavior that is expected to be demonstrated by operating the software, wherein the controlling problematic functional characteristic comprises an operational characteristic of the software to be investigated to determine a cause of the RSA;

ascertaining from a plurality of computer-readable addresses a sub-group of said computer-readable addresses that correspond to parties with information corresponding to said controlling problematic functional characteristic that are assigned to investigate the RSA;

storing on said computer network an investigation record having associated therewith data corresponding to said RSA;

transmitting to said sub-group a message perceivable by said parties when information changes in a status field of the investigation record stored on said computer network;

augmenting said investigation record with data including the cause of said controlling problematic functional characteristic;

generating, in response to augmenting said investigation record, a bug record;

identifying additional computer-readable addresses corresponding to additional parties having information related to the cause for removing the RSA; and

transmitting, to the additional computer-readable addresses, a second message perceivable by said additional parties indicating a location on said computer network of said bug record.

11. The apparatus as recited in claim 10 where said sequence of instructions includes additional instruction, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to carry out said step of storing to store said investigation record in a database having a plurality of additional investigation records stored therein, defining a plurality of investigation records, each of which is assigned a priority level that indicates a relative rank among said plurality of investigation records.

12. The apparatus as recited in claim 10 wherein said sequence of instructions includes additional instruction, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to carry out a step of transmitting additional messages to members of said group in response to predetermined events with respect to said investigation record.

13. The apparatus as recited in claim 10 wherein said sequence of instructions includes additional instruction, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to carry out a step of associating said bug record with said investigation record.

24. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the parties assigned to investigate the RSA are different than the additional parties who will work on removing the RSA.