Concurrent test instrumentation

• US 9,103,874 B2
• Filed: 01/09/2012
• Issued: 08/11/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Buckhurst, David W., Cartmell, Michael T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Do, Chat
• Assistant Examiner(s): JEON, JAE UK
• Application Number:
  US13/346,138
• Publication Number:
  US 20130179735A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,310 Days
• Field of Search: 717/130, 717/131, 717/154
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/2516 Modular arrangements for computer based systems; using personal computers (PC's), e.g. "virtual instruments"
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/2834 Automated test systems [ATE]; using microprocessors or computers G01R31/317 takes precedence; ATE for detection of defective computer hardware G06F11/2736

Abstract

A program can be instrumented to test the program. The test instruments are classified, and concurrency constraints applied based on the classifications. A testing tool determines classifications of a plurality of test instruments in the instrumented program. The testing tool prevents concurrent instantiation of multiple of the plurality of test instruments in a first classification of the classifications. Multiple of the plurality of test instruments in a second classification of the classifications are concurrently instantiated.

Claims

1. A computer program product for classification based concurrent test instrumentation of an instrumented program to be tested, the computer program product comprising:

a computer readable storage medium having computer usable program code embodied therewith, the computer usable program code comprising a computer usable program code to;

determine classifications of a plurality of test instruments in an instrumented program, wherein the plurality of test instruments at least includes a first test instrument and a second test instrument in a first classification of the classifications and the plurality of test instruments includes at least a third test instrument and a fourth test instrument in a second classification of the classifications;

instantiate the first test instrument in the instrumented program;

increment a counter for the first classification after the instantiation of the first test instrument and decrement the counter for the first classification when the first test instrument is no longer active;

prevent concurrent instantiation, in the instrumented program, of the second test instrument with the first test instrument based, at least in part, on the first and second test instruments being in the first classification, wherein the program code to prevent concurrent instantiation, in the instrumented program, of the second test instrument with the first test instrument comprises program code to,

determine that the instrumented program is attempting to instantiate the second test instrument;

determine that the first test instrument is currently instantiated for the instrumented program, wherein program code to determine that the first test instrument is currently instantiated for the program comprises program code to determine that the counter for the first classification is greater than zero;

prevent access to code of the second test instrument in response to a determination that the first test instrument is currently instantiated;

concurrently instantiate, in the instrumented program, the third and fourth test instruments based, at least in part, on the third and fourth test instruments being in the second classification;

create a copy of the instrumented program with an indication that prevents instantiation of the first test instrument in the copy and that allows instantiation of the second test instrument; and

instantiate the second test instrument in the copy.

2. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the computer usable program code further comprises program code to:

determine sub-classes of a set of the plurality of test instruments classified in a third classification of the classifications; and

prevent concurrent instantiation of multiple of the set of the plurality of test instruments in same ones of the sub-classes.

3. The computer program product of claim 2, wherein the computer usable program code configured to determine the sub-classes of the set of the plurality of test instruments classified in the third classification of the classifications comprises the computer usable program code to:

for each of the set of the plurality of test instruments, determine an identifier of the test instrument and determine which of the sub-classes the identifier indicates.

4. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the computer usable program code to determine the classifications of the plurality of test instruments in the instrumented program comprises the computer usable program code configured to:

for each of the plurality of test instruments, determine an identifier of the test instrument and determine which of the classifications the identifier indicates.

5. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the computer usable program code configured to prevent instantiation of the second test instrument comprises the computer usable program code to, one of, delete the second test instrument, comment out the second test instrument, and skip execution of the second test instrument.

6. The computer program product of claim 1 wherein the computer usable program code is further configured to track instantiations of test instruments for each of the plurality of classifications.

7. An apparatus comprising:

a processor;

a storage device coupled with the processor; and

a concurrent instrument test module operable to,

determine classifications of a plurality of test instruments in an instrumented program, wherein the plurality of test instruments at least includes a first test instrument and a second test instrument in a first classification of the classifications and the plurality of test instruments includes at least a third test instrument and a fourth test instrument in a second classification of the classifications;

instantiate the first test instrument in the instrumented program;

increment a counter for the first classification after instantiation of the first test instrument and decrement the counter for the first classification when the first test instrument is no longer active;

prevent concurrent instantiation, in the instrumented program, of the second test instrument with the first test instrument based, at least in part, on the first and second test instruments being in the first classification, wherein the concurrent instrument test module operable to prevent concurrent instantiation, in the instrumented program, of the second test instrument with the first test instrument comprises the concurrent instrument test module operable to,

determine that the instrumented program is attempting to instantiate the second test instrument;

determine that the first test instrument is currently instantiated for the instrumented program, wherein the concurrent instrument test module operable to determine that the first test instrument is currently instantiated for the program comprises the concurrent instrument test module operable to determine that the counter for the first classification is greater than zero;

prevent access to code of the second test instrument in response to a determination that the first test instrument is currently instantiated;

concurrently instantiate, in the instrumented program, the third and fourth test instruments based, at least in part, on the third and fourth test instruments being in the second classification;

create a copy of the instrumented program with an indication that prevents instantiation of the first test instrument in the copy and that allows instantiation of the second test instrument; and

instantiate the second test instrument in the copy.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 further comprising a computer readable storage medium encoded with program instructions that embody the concurrent instrument test module.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the concurrent test instrument module is further operable to:

determine sub-classes of a set of the plurality of test instruments classified in a third classification of the classifications; and

prevent concurrent instantiation of multiple of the set of the plurality of test instruments in same ones of the sub-classes.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said determine the sub-classes of the set of the plurality of test instruments classified in the third classification of the classifications comprises a concurrent instrument test module operable to, for each of the set of the plurality of test instruments, determine an identifier of the test instrument and determining which of the sub-classes the identifier indicates.

11. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said determine the classifications of the plurality of test instruments in the instrumented program comprises a concurrent instrument test module operable to, for each of the plurality of test instruments, determine an identifier of the test instrument and determine which of the classifications the identifier indicates.

12. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said prevent instantiation of the second test instrument comprises a concurrent instrument test module operable to do one of delete the second test instrument, comment out the second test instrument, and skip execution of the second test instrument.

13. The apparatus of claim 7 further comprising a concurrent instrument test module operable to track instantiations of test instruments for each of the plurality of classifications.