Hewlett-packard Development Company, L.P.

Carlos Alberto Bonilla

Humberto A Sanchez, Ii

Terence E Lister

Douglas P Drees

Richard Dale Harrah

Mary Thomas Robb

Jeffrey R Finz

Paula Curtis

David D Grindeland

Scott W Parker

George Williams, Jr

A computer implemented method of automatic software testing. Status information of a software test running on a test system is stored to a common information point. The common information point is typically on a computer system independent from a computer system running the software test. An operating system on the test system is reinitialized. The operating system may be changed. The common information point is queried to determine the status information and the software test is resumed. The testing may be resumed at a point immediately after a last completed test operation.

Automatic software testing

Top-down testing is a mechanism that, by setting up a central location for the modification of test documentation and test execution, provides for close proximity of the text execution and the description of the test. In particular, by providing assertions which point to the line of end user documentation being tested, as well as the associated test script code, top-down testing enables a tester easily trace back to the origin in the end user documentation reference. In addition, the tester can quickly become productive with little product knowledge or test expertise.

Method and apparatus for top-down testing based on end user documentation

Independent tool integration uses existing mechanisms, software distributor (SD) commands and a common file directory, to integrate software products without the need to inform the base product beforehand about the new product's software tool definition. The software products may also be automatically updated without the base product having to change.

Independent tool integration

A service control manager (SCM) module may, through a light weight centraized authorization process, assign certain tools to a role so that a non-root user with such role may run the authorized commands specified in the tools as a root user. The usage of these commands is tracked and logged, typically by a log manager who observes each of the commands that are run within the role. If the non-root user tries to run a command that is not assigned to the role, the log manager may block that attempt. Therefore the lightweight authorization may be achieved without compromising security. The user may also be given a finer granularity of running specific commands and options. In addition, the non-root user with the role may only need to be authorized on one node (machine) to be able to perform the commands on multiple nodes.

Non-root users execution of root commands

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Fort Collins, CO, United States of America

Carlos Alberto Bonilla