Hardware Compatibility Verification Using Test Credit Database
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Solution Overview
Problem
The complexity of computer hardware configurations, driven by variations in chipsets, peripherals, and storage devices, makes it challenging to comprehensively test compatibility with software, leading to inefficiencies in ensuring which configurations work with specific software products.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that gather information about computer equipment configurations, create files for coordinated testing, and utilize a configuration database to provide test credit for previously verified models, reducing the need for repetitive testing by storing successful test results and using kickstart and walkthrough files to guide testers through the testing process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If comprehensive testing of all hardware configurations is performed, then compatibility verification accuracy is improved, but testing time and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-testing hardware configurations before formal compatibility verification. Test results are stored in a database and reused when the same or similar configurations are encountered, eliminating redundant testing. This allows the system to leverage previous testing work and avoid repeating tests on configurations that have already been verified, thereby reducing overall testing time while maintaining accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses copying by creating and storing test results in a database that can be referenced for future testing scenarios. When a hardware configuration matches or is similar to a previously tested configuration, the stored test results are copied and applied, eliminating the need to perform identical tests again. This copying mechanism preserves verification accuracy while dramatically reducing testing time for recurring configurations.
2Measurement precision
If comprehensive testing of all hardware configurations is performed, then compatibility verification accuracy is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent reduces testing process complexity by performing preliminary configuration analysis and matching against the database before initiating full testing. The system automatically determines whether a configuration has been previously tested or is similar to existing entries, simplifying the decision-making process and avoiding the need to manually manage complex testing schedules for all possible configurations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms where test results are continuously fed back into the database and used to improve future testing decisions. The system learns from previous testing outcomes and uses this feedback to intelligently determine which configurations require testing and which can be skipped, thereby reducing the overall complexity of the testing process while maintaining comprehensive verification accuracy.
3Productivity
If testing is limited to gain efficiency, then productivity is improved, but compatibility verification accuracy deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent maintains verification accuracy while improving efficiency by copying and reusing test results from previously tested configurations. When a hardware configuration matches an entry in the database, the system copies the existing test results instead of performing new tests, ensuring that accuracy is preserved through proven test data while productivity increases by eliminating redundant testing efforts.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary configuration matching against the database before committing to full testing. This preliminary action identifies configurations that can leverage existing test results, allowing the system to maintain high verification accuracy for matched configurations while improving overall productivity by reducing the number of full testing cycles required across the hardware portfolio.
Data Source
AI summary
System and method for verifying compatibility of computer equipment with a software product. A system and method are provided to verify compatibility of computer equipment with software. This verification can include gathering information about configurations of the computer equipment, and creating at least one file based on the information. The file or files coordinate testing of the computer equipment. The testing produces results that can be stored and analyzed or evaluated. The results can be contained in a file or a plurality of files. The results provide a description of the configurations in addition to an indication of whether the testing has produced any failures. The configuration descriptions or parts thereof can be stored in a configuration database that can be used to apply credit against future testing of computer equipment so that future testing needs can be reduced.