Mechanism for executing test suites written for different harnesses under one test execution harness

• US 20050172268A1
• Filed: 01/29/2004
• Published: 08/04/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Rosenman, Victor, Kuturianu, Olga
• Granted Patent: US 7,543,275 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/124
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3664 Environments for testing or debugging software
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3684 for test design, e.g. generating new test cases

Abstract

A mechanism has been developed for transforming different test suites, written for different test harnesses, into a common XML-type format that can be read by one test harness. Thus differences in the structure of the test suites is transparent to the test harness. To implement this mechanism, a component has been developed that parses XML descriptors and provides an API to the test harness.

Claims

1. A method for testing computing devices, comprising the steps of:

providing a plurality of suites of test programs on a server for execution by one or more computing devices that are coupled to said server, wherein said suites are represented in a plurality of formats;

converting said suites to a common representation;

processing said common representation in said server to define suites of converted test programs; and

downloading said converted test programs from said server to said computing devices for execution thereof by said computing devices.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of controlling from said server said execution of said converted test programs by said computing devices using no more than one test harness.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said step of converting said suites to said common representation is performed by converting said suites to a common intermediate format, and thereafter converting said common intermediate format to a native format for use in said step of processing said common representation in said server.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein said common intermediate format is a markup language.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein said markup language is XML, and said suites are converted into XTRF files.

6. A computer software product, comprising a computer-readable medium in which computer program instructions are stored, which instructions, when read by a computer, cause the computer to perform a method for testing computing devices, comprising the steps of:

inputting a plurality of suites of test programs on a server for execution by one or more computing devices that are coupled to said server, wherein said suites are represented in a plurality of formats;

converting said suites to a common representation processing said common representation to define suites of converted test programs;

downloading said converted test programs to said computing devices for execution thereof by said computing devices; and

controlling said execution of said converted test programs by said computing devices.

7. The computer software product according to claim 6, wherein said computer is further instructed to perform the steps of controlling from said server said execution of said converted test programs by said computing devices using no more than one test harness defined therein.

8. The computer software product according to claim 6, wherein said step of converting said suites to said common representation is performed by converting said suites to a common intermediate format, and thereafter converting said common intermediate format to a native format for use in said step of processing said common representation in said server.

9. The computer software product according to claim 8, wherein said common intermediate format is a markup language.

10. The computer software product according to claim 9, wherein said markup language is XML, and said suites are converted into XTRF files.

11. A server apparatus for testing computing devices, comprising:

a communication interface for coupling a plurality of said computing devices therewith; and

a processor, which is adapted to provide a suite of test programs for execution by said computing devices that are coupled to said server apparatus, and to download said test programs via said communication interface for execution by said computing devices coupled thereto, said processor being further adapted to control said execution by said computing devices;

wherein said test programs are initially input to said server apparatus in a plurality of formats, and said processor is further adapted to convert said plurality of formats into a common format for download thereof to said computing devices.

12. The server apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said server apparatus is adapted to convert said plurality of formats into said common format by converting said plurality of formats into a common intermediate format, and thereafter converting said common intermediate format to said common format.

13. The server apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said common intermediate format is a markup language.

14. The server apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said common intermediate format is XTRF.