Interactive automatic-test gui for testing devices and equipment using shell-level, cli, and snmp commands

Abstract

A test manager software program includes an interactive test graphical-user-interface (GUI) for testing network devices using high-level networking commands. The test GUI allows the test engineer user to enter high-level commands such as Simple Networking Management Protocol (SNMP) commands that read values in a management information database in a network device under test. The high-level commands can be sent from the test manager using a command-line interface (CLI) in a telnet session opened to the network device during testing. The user specifies high-level test, analyze, and restore commands in test cases that are collected into test suites. Rules for logging on to the network device under test are stored that include expected prompts from the network device and user responses such as passwords. Addresses of the network device under test can be re-mapped for testing other devices so the test suites can be reused.