Automation controller for next generation testing system

• US 9,183,124 B2
• Filed: 04/13/2012
• Issued: 11/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Original Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Inventors: Brown, Julian M., Smith, Peter J., Williams, Stephen M., Steele, Jason A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zhen, Li B
• Assistant Examiner(s): Miller, Viva
• Application Number:
  US13/446,311
• Publication Number:
  US 20130104106A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,306 Days
• Field of Search: 717/124
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/36 Preventing errors by testing or debugging software
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3668 Software testing software testing in telephone exchanges H04M3/242, testing of hardware G06F11/22
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3672 Test management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3696 Methods or tools to render software testable

Abstract

An automation controller for next generation testing system includes a database including a plurality of scripts and modules, a business layer component, and an automation component. The automation component includes an automation agent and an automation worker. The business layer component is operable to determine a next script from the plurality of scripts and modules and send the next script to the automation component in response to a get next script request sent by the automation component. The automation agent is operable to send the get next script request to the business layer, receive the next script from the business layer, and send the next script to the automation worker for execution. The automation worker is operable to execute the next script or section thereof, obtain a result, send status updates, send proof of life notifications and the result of execution to the automation agent.

Claims

1. An automation controller for a next generation testing system comprising:

a processor and a memory in communication with the processor;

a database in communication with the processor including a plurality of scripts wherein each script comprises one module or more modules that combine to form the script and each module includes a grouping of steps and describes a piece of functionality of the script;

a business layer component; and

an automation component comprising an automation agent and an automation worker,

wherein the business layer component determines a next script from the plurality of scripts based on a return on investment (RoI) of running the next script by;

calculating the RoI of running a particular script from the plurality of scripts as the next script by analyzing a plurality of the modules of the particular script, said analyzing comprising identifying modules that are included in the most scripts, or identifying scripts that include a highest number of automated modules; and

determining the next script based on the calculated RoI of running the particular script from the plurality of scripts;

and transmits the next script to the automation component in response to a get next script request sent by the automation component,

wherein the automation agent transmits the get next script request to the business layer, receives the next script from the business layer, and transmits the next script to the automation worker for execution, and

wherein the automation worker executes the next script or section thereof, obtains a result, transmits status updates, transmits proof of life notifications, and transmits a result of execution to the automation agent.

2. The automation controller of claim 1, wherein analyzing the plurality of modules comprises determining a number of the plurality of scripts including a given module.

3. The automation controller of claim 1, wherein the business layer component is further configured to:

calculate the RoI for developing an automation module or a script to determine where to divert development effort.

4. The automation controller of claim 1, wherein the business layer component further alerts a user if an exception occurs in executing the script.

5. A method for automating testing of modular scripts in a next generation testing system, the method comprising:

receiving, at an automation controller, a plurality of scripts wherein each script comprises one or more modules that combine to form the script and each module includes a grouping of steps and describes a piece of functionality of the script, and wherein the automation controller comprises;

a database configured to store the plurality of scripts and modules,

a business layer component, and

an automation component comprising an automation agent and an automation worker;

determining, by the business layer component, a next script from the plurality of scripts based on a return on investment (RoI) of running the next script by;

calculating the RoI of running a particular script from the plurality of scripts as the next script by analyzing a plurality of the modules of the particular script, said analyzing comprising identifying modules that are included in the most scripts, or identifying scripts that include a highest number of automated modules; and

determining the next script based on the calculated RoI of running the particular script from the plurality of scripts;

and sending the next script to the automation component in response to a get next script request sent by the automation component,

wherein the automation agent sends the get next script request to the business layer, receives the next script from the business layer, and sends the next script to the automation worker for execution, and

wherein the automation worker executes the next script or section thereof, obtains a result, transmits status updates, transmits proof of life notifications, and transmits the result of execution to the automation agent.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein analyzing the plurality of modules comprises determining a number of the plurality of scripts including a given module.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the business layer component is further operable to:

calculate the RoI for developing an automation module or a script to determine where to divert development effort.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the business layer component further alerts a user if an exception occurs in executing the script.

9. A system for automating testing of modular scripts in a next generation testing system, the system comprising:

a computer processor;

a memory in communication with the computer processor, the memory comprising logic for an automation controller component, wherein the automation controller component comprises an automation agent and an automation worker and wherein the logic when executed by the computer processor causes the computer processor to;

receive a plurality of scripts and modules wherein each script comprises one or more modules that combine to form the script and each module includes a grouping of steps and describes a piece of functionality of the script;

store the plurality of scripts and modules in a database in the memory;

determine a next script from the plurality of scripts based on a return on investment (RoI) of running the next script by;

calculating the RoI of running a particular script from the plurality of scripts as the next script by analyzing a plurality of the modules of the particular script, said analyzing comprising identifying modules that are included in the most scripts, or identifying scripts that include a highest number of automated modules; and

determining the next script based on the calculated RoI of running the particular script from the plurality of scripts;

and transmit the next script to the automation controller component in response to a get next script request sent by the automation controller component;

transmit the get next script request to a business layer;

receive the next script from the business layer;

transmit the next script to the automation worker for execution;

execute, by the automation worker, the next script;

obtain, from the automation worker, a result of the execution of the next script; and

send status updates, proof of life notifications, and the result of the execution, to the automation agent.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein analyzing the plurality of modules comprises determining a number of the plurality of scripts including a given module.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the computer processor further:

calculates the RoI for developing an automation module or a script to determine where to divert development effort.