Multi-layer Test Suite Generation for Operating Platform Consistency

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing operating platforms face inconsistencies due to vendor extensions, making it difficult for providers to maintain a consistent user experience and for application developers to create compatible applications across different vendor implementations.

Innovation Solution

A method is introduced to create a test suite that separates the system layer from the framework layer, injecting software faults into the system layer to identify and flag faults, and iteratively adding test cases to the suite until a threshold is satisfied, allowing for comprehensive testing of vendor-specific implementations.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If vendor extensions are applied to the operating platform, then vendor-specific functionality is provided, but inconsistencies across vendor implementations are created

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevendor-specific functionalityVSAvoidconsistency across implementations
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides the operating platform into distinct layers: a system layer that remains consistent across all vendors and a framework layer that allows vendor-specific extensions. This segmentation enables vendors to customize functionality while maintaining a stable, consistent base platform that ensures uniform behavior and compatibility.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Reliability

If a compatibility test suite is applied to vendor devices, then consistency of user experience is improved, but the complexity of testing increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveuser experience consistencyVSAvoidtesting complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The test suite is segmented into two distinct parts: system layer tests that verify consistent behavior across all vendors, and framework layer tests that accommodate vendor-specific variations. This segmentation simplifies the testing process by focusing system layer tests on invariant properties while allowing framework layer tests to handle diversity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent extracts the core consistency verification into separate system layer tests, isolating them from vendor-specific framework layer tests. This extraction allows the consistency testing to be performed independently and more efficiently, reducing the overall complexity by separating concerns.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Difficulty of detecting and measuring

If fault injection is performed on the system layer, then fault localization is improved, but the complexity of fault detection increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefault localization capabilityVSAvoidfault detection complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Difficulty of detecting and measuringVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The fault detection process is segmented by testing the system layer independently from the framework layer. By injecting faults into the system layer and executing tests that isolate system layer behavior, the patent enables precise fault localization without the interference of vendor-specific framework code, thereby reducing detection complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentEP3504626B1Multi-layer test suite generation
Publication Date: 2021.10.06 GOOGLE LLC
  • EP3504626B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3504626B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3504626B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A system and method for developing a multi-layered test suite for an operating platform including a framework layer and a system layer includes executing a first test suite against a version of the operating platform modified based on a software faults. A first counter is incremented if a first test suite executed against the modified version of the operating platform fails. A second test suite can be executed against the modified version of the operating platform and test cases may be added to the first test suite based on whether the second test suite passes or fails.