International Business Machines Corporation

Geoffrey D Lubold

Brad Byer Topol

Jerry Alan Dancy

Christopher A Maul

Pralhad M Khatri

Sahdev P Zala

John Raithel Hind

A method for selecting a virtual machine (VM) for problem determination utilizes a policy-based process for receiving an authorized program analysis report (APAR) containing problem type, a client information handling system (IHS) environment, a configuration, and a program version. The method determines automatically that the problem according to a provisioning policy is a candidate for provisioning a VM for analyzing the problem and searches a provisioning database for an existing VM for a system environment and configuration according to a closeness criteria. The method applies required updates to the provisioned VM, and utilizes the provisioned VM with the required updates for problem analysis. The method also may automatically create a new baseline image in the database according to expected value policy criteria that exceeds predetermined criteria.

Provisioning virtual environments based on policies for troubleshooting purposes

Information handling device locally reproducing received defects by selecting an appropriate virtual machine image

Accessing a problem report data store including customer problem reports. Each customer problem report includes configuration and platform data. Calculating a number of instances each platform is stored, and identifying platforms that satisfy a platform threshold. Calculating a number of instances each configuration is stored, and identifying configurations that satisfy a configuration threshold. Calculating a number of instances each platform is associated with each configuration, and generating a data structure with a plurality of nodes and edges. Each of the nodes identifies one of the platforms and configurations. The weight of the edge connecting a platform to a configuration indicates a number of instances that the platform is associated with the configuration in the data store. Identifying a weighted edge that satisfies a weight threshold, where the weighted edge connects a first platform to a first configuration and, in response, generating a test case for development of a software product.

Test case production utilizing problem reports

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Wake Forest, NC, United States of America

Geoffrey D Lubold