Application Topology–Driven Automated Chaos Testing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Chaos testing is challenging to implement effectively due to the need for a deep understanding of software application architecture, vulnerabilities, and component interactions, leading to potential unintended consequences and reduced reliability and performance.

Innovation Solution

A processor analyzes configuration files to generate a chaos testing data structure, determining the software application's topology and potential failure points, and automatically executes chaos tests to identify vulnerabilities and implement remediations.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If manual chaos testing is performed by testers, then deep understanding of application architecture and vulnerabilities can be achieved, but unintended consequences and reduced reliability may occur due to lack of sufficient information

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesystem reliabilityVSAvoidtesting complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs self-service by automatically analyzing its own configuration files and topology to generate chaos testing scenarios without requiring external testers to have deep architectural knowledge. The chaos testing module extracts application metadata, determines topology, and creates targeted test cases autonomously, eliminating the need for manual expertise while maintaining reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces the manual mechanical process of tester analysis and scenario design with an automated computational system. The chaos testing module uses configuration file parsing, topology determination algorithms, and automated scenario generation to substitute human testers, thereby eliminating errors from insufficient information while reducing testing complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Measurement precision

If comprehensive understanding of application architecture is obtained, then accurate chaos testing can be designed, but testing time and resources increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetesting accuracyVSAvoidtesting time

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary action by automatically analyzing configuration files and determining application topology before chaos testing begins. This pre-processing step extracts all necessary architectural information and vulnerability points in advance, enabling accurate test scenario generation without requiring extended manual analysis time during the testing phase.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces time-consuming manual architecture analysis with automated computational processes. The chaos testing module rapidly parses configuration files, determines topology, and identifies vulnerability points using algorithms that execute much faster than manual analysis, thereby achieving high testing accuracy without proportional time investment.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Productivity

If automated chaos testing is implemented, then testing efficiency increases, but deep understanding of application vulnerabilities may be lacking

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetesting efficiencyVSAvoidapplication knowledge

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces manual tester expertise with an automated system that extracts application knowledge directly from configuration files and metadata. The chaos testing module parses application-specific configurations, determines topology, and identifies vulnerability points algorithmically, substituting human architectural understanding with automated information extraction that achieves both efficiency and comprehensive application knowledge.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The system introduces configuration files and application metadata as intermediaries between the automated testing system and the application architecture. These intermediaries contain embedded knowledge about application structure, dependencies, and vulnerability points, allowing the automated chaos testing module to access deep application understanding without requiring human expertise while maintaining high testing efficiency.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS12353318B1Systems, methods, and media for automatically and dynamically generating and executing chaos testing for different software applications executing in a computing environment

Publication Date: 2025.07.08 FMR CORP

AI summary

Techniques are provided for automatically generating and executing chaos tests for different software applications in a computing environment. A chaos testing data structure can be generated based on an analysis of configuration and/or property files for the software application and/or hosting platform service provider. A pattern and other information from the chaos data structure can be used to determine a topology of the software application and determine defined paths to different identified potential points of failure. One or more components can be selected for the defined paths to the identified potential points of failure. A chaos test template can be selected and automatically populated for each selected component. One or more chaos tests can be executed using the populated chaos test templates to identify one or more vulnerabilities/weaknesses, determine one or more recommendations to improve the vulnerabilities/weaknesses, and/or automatically implement one or more remediations to improve the vulnerabilities/weaknesses.