Method, system and graphical user interface for configuring a simulator to simulate a plurality of devices

• US 8,893,035 B2
• Filed: 09/17/2008
• Issued: 11/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Original Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Inventors: Biltz, Michael J., Hsu, Jonathan, Stauth, Sean, MacDonald, Graeme D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Theriault, Steven B
• Assistant Examiner(s): Levy, Amy M
• Application Number:
  US12/212,573
• Publication Number:
  US 20100070909A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,253 Days
• Field of Search: 715/781, 715/964, 715/764
• US Class Current: 715/781
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/367 Design verification, e.g. using simulation, simulation program with integrated circuit emphasis [SPICE], direct methods or relaxation methods
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

A method, system and graphical user interface for configuring a simulator. A graphical user interface may be used to define a configurable device profile, where a large number of devices for simulation by a simulator may be created based upon the configurable device profile. Once created, the devices may be individually configured and/or configured in groups. Additionally, the configuration of the devices may determine how the simulator generates and/or outputs simulated device data for the devices. For example, an attribute may be associated with a device which defines a format of the simulated device data, a rate at which the simulated device data is output, a range of values for the simulated device data, or an operating parameter of the device. An attribute specifying the communicative coupling of the devices may also be defined. Further, the simulated device data may include a data value.

Claims

1. A method of configuring a simulator, said method comprising:

generating a graphical user interface for display on a computer system, wherein said graphical user interface is operable to generate, based on a user interaction with said graphical user interface, configuration data operable to define a plurality of simulated devices for instantiation by said simulator for analyzing a performance of a system under test, said graphical user interface comprising an on-screen display operable to allow a user to define a customized attribute for at least one simulated device of said plurality of simulated devices, wherein said customized attribute is unique to said at least one simulated device;

generating said configuration data for said plurality of simulated devices;

storing said configuration data in a first database comprised in said simulator, and a second database comprised in a device abstraction layer, the device abstraction layer being included in said system under test and logically disposed between said plurality of simulated devices and a plurality of applications, said abstraction layer further comprising a device configuration management component and a device monitoring component;

configuring, via the device configuration management component, said device abstraction layer based on said configuration data stored in said second database to implement communication between said simulator and the device monitoring component operable to process received simulated output data from said plurality of simulated devices;

automatically instantiating said plurality of simulated devices by said simulator;

communicating a request to said device abstraction layer for a plurality of commands associated with said plurality of simulated devices;

accessing said plurality of commands communicated from said device abstraction layer by said simulator; and

generating simulated device data based on an execution of said plurality of commands and said configuration data stored in said first database;

wherein said simulator is operable to generate said simulated device data for a subset of said plurality of simulated devices based on said configuration data,

wherein said simulated device data is operable to be used to analyze a performance of an additional component of the system under test coupled to receive said simulated device data, and

wherein analyzing the performance of the system under test includes analyzing performance of said device abstraction layer.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

automatically instantiating said plurality of simulated devices in a memory accessible by said simulator.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said additional component comprises a business application of said plurality of applications.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of simulated devices is selected from a group consisting of a sensor, an embedded device, a portable electronic device, and a data hub operable to access data from said plurality of simulated devices.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said configuration data comprises a device profile, the device profile comprising at least one attribute selected from a group consisting of a format of said simulated device data, a rate at which said simulated device data is output by said simulator, a range of values for said simulated device data, and an operating parameter of at least one of said plurality of simulated devices for inclusion in said simulated device data.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said graphical user interface further comprises an on-screen display operable to allow a user to define a communicative coupling of said plurality of simulated devices, and wherein generating said configuration data for said plurality of simulated devices is based upon said communicative coupling of said plurality of simulated devices.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said graphical user interface further comprises an on-screen display operable to allow a user to group said plurality of simulated devices into a plurality of groups, wherein said on-screen display is further operable to allow a user to define a customized attribute for each simulated device of at least one group of said plurality of groups.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said graphical user interface is further operable to receive user input corresponding to a change in configuration data for said portion of said plurality of simulated devices, and wherein said simulator changes said configuration data for said portion of said plurality of simulated devices.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said simulator changes said configuration data for said portion of said plurality of simulated devices after said portion of said plurality of simulated devices is instantiated.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said configuration data comprises at least one attribute of said plurality of simulated devices, said at least one attribute comprising a range of data values.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said configuration data comprises at least one attribute of said plurality of simulated devices said at least one attribute comprising a frequency for generating said simulated device data wherein said.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said configuration data comprises at least one attribute of said plurality of simulated devices, said at least one attribute comprising a format for an output of said simulated device data.

13. The method of claim of claim 1, wherein said graphical user interface is further operable to allow a user to generate an average device, said average device being configured to generate simulated device data based on said average of simulated device data for said plurality of simulated devices.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein said graphical user interface is further operable to:

define a quantity of said plurality of simulated devices for instantiation by said simulator; and

designate a subset of said plurality of simulated devices in a said plurality of device environments for simulation.

15. A computer system comprising a processor coupled to a bus and a memory coupled to said bus, wherein said memory comprises instructions that when executed implement a method of configuring a simulator, said method comprising:

generating a graphical user interface for display on a computer system, wherein said graphical user interface is operable to generate, based on user interaction with said graphical user interface, configuration data operable to define a plurality of simulated devices for instantiation by said simulator for analyzing a performance of a system under test, said graphical user interface comprising an on-screen display operable to allow a user to define a customized attribute for at least one simulated device of said plurality of simulated devices, wherein said customized attribute is unique to said at least one simulated device;

generating said configuration data for said plurality of simulated devices;

storing said configuration data in a first database comprised in said simulator, and a second database comprised in a device abstraction layer, the device abstraction layer being included in said system under test and logically disposed between said plurality of simulated devices and a plurality of applications, said abstraction layer further comprising a device configuration management component and a device monitoring component;

configuring, via the device configuration management component, said device abstraction layer to implement communication between said simulator and the device monitoring component operable to process received simulated output data from said plurality of simulated devices an based on said configuration data as stored in said second database;

automatically instantiating the plurality of simulated devices by said simulator;

communicating a request to said device abstraction layer for a plurality of commands associated with said plurality of simulated devices;

accessing said plurality of commands communicated from said device abstraction layer by said simulator; and

generating simulated device data based on an execution of said plurality of commands and said configuration data stored in said first database;

wherein said simulator is operable to generate said simulated device data for said subset of plurality of simulated devices based on said configuration data,

wherein said simulated device data is operable to be used to analyze a performance of an additional component of the system under test coupled to receive said simulated device data, and

wherein analyzing the performance of the system under test includes analyzing performance of said device abstraction layer.

16. The computer system of claim 15, wherein said method further comprises:

automatically instantiating said plurality of simulated devices in a memory accessible by said simulator.

17. The computer system of claim 15, wherein said additional component corresponds to a business application of said plurality of applications.

18. The computer system of claim 15, wherein each of said plurality of simulated devices is selected from a group consisting of a sensor, an embedded device, a portable electronic device, and a data hub operable to access data from a plurality of simulated devices.

19. The computer system of claim 15, wherein said configuration data comprises a device profile, the device profile comprising at least one attribute selected from a group consisting of a format of said simulated device data, a rate at which said simulated device data is output by said simulator, a range of values for said simulated device data, and an operating parameter of at least one of said plurality of simulated devices for inclusion in said simulated device data.

20. The computer system of claim 15, wherein said graphical user interface comprises an on-screen display operable to allow a user to define a communicative coupling of said plurality of simulated devices, and wherein generating said configuration data comprises:

generating said configuration data for said plurality of simulated devices based upon said communicative coupling of said plurality of simulated devices.

21. The computer system of claim 15, wherein said graphical user interface comprises an on-screen display operable to allow a user to group said plurality of simulated devices into a plurality of groups, wherein said graphical user interface is further operable to allow a user to define a customized attribute for each simulated device of at least one group of said plurality of groups.

22. A system for configuring a simulator, the system comprising:

a graphical user interface configured to receive user interaction and to generate a configuration data operable to define a plurality of simulated devices based on the received user interaction, said graphical user interface comprising an on-screen display operable to allow a user to define a customized attribute for at least one simulated device of said plurality of simulated devices, wherein said customized attribute is unique to said at least one simulated device and said graphical user interface further configured to generate said configuration data for said plurality of simulated devices, said graphical user interface displayed on a screen;

a simulator for analyzing a performance of a system under test, said simulator executed on one or more processors, the simulator comprising;

a first database for storing the configuration data;

a simulation engine configured to instantiate the plurality of simulated devices based on the configuration data and to generate simulated device data in the plurality of simulated devices;

a plurality of applications configured to receive the simulated device data; and

a device abstraction component included in said system under test and logically disposed between the plurality of applications and the simulator and configured, via a device configuration management component, to implement communication between the simulator and a device monitoring component operable to process received simulated output data from said plurality of simulated devices an based on the configuration data, the device abstraction component comprising a second database configured to store the configuration data from the first database, said abstraction layer further comprising a device configuration management component and a device monitoring component;

wherein the device abstraction component is configured based on the configuration data stored in the second database,

wherein the simulator is operable to generate the simulated device data for a subset of plurality of simulated devices in the plurality of device environments based on the configuration data, and

wherein the simulated device data is operable to be used to analyze a performance of an additional component of the system under test coupled to receive said simulated device data, and wherein analyzing the performance of the system under test includes analyzing performance of said device abstraction layer;

the screen and the one or more processors.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein each of the plurality of simulated devices is selected from a group consisting of a sensor, an embedded device, a portable electronic device, and a data hub operable to access data from a plurality of simulated devices.

24. The system of claim 22, wherein the configuration data comprises at least one attribute selected from the group consisting of:

a format of the simulated device data, a rate at which the simulated device data is output by the simulator, a range of values for the simulated device data, and an operating parameter of at least one of the plurality of simulated devices for inclusion in the simulated device data.

25. The system of claim 22 wherein the graphical user interface is further configured to allow a user to define a communicative coupling of the plurality of simulated devices, and wherein the communicative coupling of the plurality of simulated devices is for generating the configuration data for the plurality of simulated devices.

26. The system of claim 22 wherein the graphical user interface is further configured to receive user input corresponding to a change in the configuration data for a portion of the plurality of simulated devices, and wherein the simulator changes the configuration data for the portion of the plurality of simulated devices.