Software application certification service

• US 8,997,054 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2007
• Issued: 03/31/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Inventors: Huff, David P., Faus, Norman L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dam, Tuan Q.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wei, Zheng
• Application Number:
  US11/948,654
• Publication Number:
  US 20090144837A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,678 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 717/126
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3668 Software testing software testing in telephone exchanges H04M3/242, testing of hardware G06F11/22

Abstract

An embodiment relates to a method of providing certification. The method includes providing for a software application and applying a set of certification metatags to the software application. The set of certification metatags configured to provide at least one parameter to become certified with the software application. The method also includes querying the set of certification metatags by a second application to determine whether the second application can be certified with the software application.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a computing system, a software application from a software vendor, the software application comprising a set of certification metatags describing one or more components supported by the software application;

determining that the software application is a precursor application using content of the set of certification metatags, wherein the precursor application is a component of an application stack;

determining whether the software application is an existing component of an existing application stack or is a new type of software application by comparing a type for the software application to a plurality of types of software applications that are stored in a database;

applying a regression analysis to the software application to determine whether to certify the software application in view of a determination that the software application is an existing component of an existing application stack; and

in view of a determination that the software application is a new type of application;

identifying, using the set of certification metatags, a compatible software application from a plurality of software applications stored in the database,

forming a new application stack with the compatible software application,

applying a plurality of quality assurance tests on the new application stack, and

determining whether to certify the software application in view of applying the plurality of quality assurance tests on the new application stack.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

querying the set of certification metatags by a second software application to determine whether the second software application can be certified with the software application;

testing the second software application with at least one parameter specified by the set of certification metatags; and

certifying the second software application in response to a successful result of the testing.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein applying the plurality of quality assurance tests comprises:

providing a plurality of precursor applications to operate with the software application;

selecting a precursor application of the plurality of precursor applications as the compatible software application; and

testing the software application and the precursor application as the new application stack with a single set of quality assurance tests.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

receiving results of the single set of quality assurance tests; and

applying regression analysis using remaining precursor applications of the plurality of precursor applications in response to the results being successful.

5. The method of claim 4, the method further comprising:

certifying the remaining precursor applications of the plurality of precursor applications with the software application in response to a successful passing of the regression analysis.

6. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

providing a plurality of complementary applications, each complementary application configured with a respective set of certification metatags to provide at least a description of a respective service;

interrogating the set of certification metatags of the software application to determine a desired service; and

selecting one of the plurality of complementary applications in response to the desired service.

7. A system comprising:

a memory to store a plurality of various types of software applications; and

a processor coupled to the memory to;

receive a software application from a software vendor, the software application comprising a set of certification metatags describing one or more component supported by the software application;

determine that the software application is a precursor application using the content of the set of certification metatags, wherein the precursor application is a component of an application stack;

determine whether the software application is an existing component of an existing application stack or is a new type of software application by comparing a type for the software application to a plurality of various types of software applications, the plurality of various types of software applications being stored in a database;

apply a regression analysis to the software application in view of a determination that the software application is an existing component of an existing application stack; and

in view of a determination that the software application is a new type of application;

identifying, using the set of certification metatags, a compatible software application from a plurality of software applications stored in the database,

forming a new application stack with the compatible software application,

applying a plurality of quality assurance tests on the new application stack, and

determining whether to certify the software application in view of applying the plurality of quality assurance tests on the new application stack.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the processor is further to:

query the set of certification metatags to determine whether a second software application can be certified with the software application;

test the second software application with at least one parameter specified by the set of certification metatags; and

certify the second software application in response to a successful result of the testing.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein to apply the plurality of quality assurance tests comprises:

providing for a plurality of precursor applications to operate with the software application;

selecting a precursor application from the plurality of precursor applications as the compatible software application; and

testing the selected precursor application with the software application as the new application stack with a single set of quality assurance tests.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the processor is further to:

receive results of the single set of quality assurance tests; and

apply regression analysis using remaining precursor applications of the plurality of precursor applications in response to the results being successful.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor is further to:

certify the remaining precursor applications with the software application in response to a successful passing of the regression analysis.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the processor is further to:

provide a plurality of complementary applications, each complementary application to provide at least a description of a respective service;

interrogate the set of certification metatags of the software application to determine a desired service; and

select one of the plurality of complementary applications in response to the desired service.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the certification module is further to:

classify the new application as a precursor application in response to the set of certification metatags of the new application matching the at least one parameter of the software application.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving, by the processor, a software application from a software vendor, the software application comprising a set of certification metatags describing one or more components supported by the software application;

determining that the software application is a precursor application using the set of certification metatags, wherein the precursor application is a component of an application stack;

determining whether the software application is an existing component of an existing application stack or is a new type of software application by comparing a type for the software application to a plurality of various types of software applications, the plurality of various types of software applications being stored in a database;

applying a regression analysis to the software application to determine whether to certify the software application in view of a determination that the software application is an existing component of an existing application stack; and

in view of a determination that the software application is a new type of application;

identifying, using the set of certification metatags, a compatible software application from a plurality of software applications stored in the database,

forming a new application stack with the compatible software application,

applying a plurality of quality assurance tests on the new application stack, and

determining whether to certify the software application in view of applying the plurality of quality assurance tests on the new application stack.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, the operations further comprising:

querying the set of certification metatags to determine whether a second software application can be certified with the software application

testing the second software application with at least one parameter specified by the set of certification metatags; and

certifying the second software application in response to a successful result of the testing.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, the operations further comprising:

providing a plurality of complementary applications, each complementary application configured with a respective set of certification metatags to provide at least a description of a respective service;

interrogating the set of certification metatags of the software application to determine a desired service; and

selecting one of the plurality of complementary applications in response to the desired service.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein applying the plurality of quality assurance tests comprises:

providing a plurality of precursor applications to operate with the software application;

selecting a precursor application of the plurality of precursor applications as the compatible software application; and

testing the software application and the precursor application as the new application stack with a single set of quality assurance tests.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, the operations further comprising:

receiving results of the single set of quality assurance tests; and

applying regression analysis using remaining precursor applications of the plurality of precursor applications in response to the results being successful.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, the operations further comprising:

certifying the remaining precursor applications of the plurality of precursor applications with the software application in response to a successful passing of the regression analysis.