Hitachi Data Systems Corporation

Archivas, Inc.

Jesse A Noller

Robert S Mason, Jr

An automated system randomly generates test cases for hardware or software quality assurance testing. A test case comprises a sequence of discrete, atomic steps (or 'building blocks'). A particular test case has a variable number of building blocks. The system takes a set of test actions and links them together to create a much larger library of test cases or 'chains.' The chains comprise a large number of random sequence tests that facilitate &#x201c;chaos-like&#x201d; or exploratory testing of the overall system under test. Upon execution in the system under test, the test case is considered successful if each building block in the chain executes successfully; if any building block fails, the test case, in its entirety, is considered a failure.

Method of and system for dynamic automated test case generation and execution

A generic testing framework to automatically allocate, install and verify a given version of a system under test, to exercise the system against a series of tests in a 'hands-off' objective manner, and then to export information about the tests to one or more developer repositories (such as a query-able database, an email list, a developer web server, a source code version control system, a defect tracking system, or the like). The framework does not 'care' or concern itself with the particular implementation language of the test as long as the test can issue directives via a command line or configuration file. During the automated testing of a given test suite having multiple tests, and after a particular test is run, the framework preferably generates an &#x201c;image&#x201d; of the system under test and makes that information available to developers, even while additional tests in the suite are being carried out. In this manner, the framework preserves the system &#x201c;state&#x201d; to facilitate concurrent or after-the-fact debugging. The framework also will re-install and verify a given version of the system between tests, which may be necessary in the event a given test is destructive or otherwise places the system in an unacceptable condition.

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Hudson, MA, United States of America

Jesse A Noller