Test Orchestration Platform Using Support Containers

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Solution Overview

Problem

Manual preparation of test environments for software applications or hardware designs is time-consuming and error-prone, requiring significant effort to ensure proper functionality across various environments.

Innovation Solution

A test orchestration platform that uses programmatic tools to configure and execute software components for testing, orchestrating support containers to execute different configurations of test execution plans based on user-supplied configuration data, thereby reducing manual input and improving efficiency.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If manual preparation of test environments is used, then flexibility in configuring test environments is maintained, but time consumption and error rate increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetest environment setup speedVSAvoidtest environment configuration accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system enables self-service automation where the test orchestration platform automatically configures and prepares test environments based on user-supplied configuration data, eliminating the need for manual intervention while ensuring consistent and accurate environment setup across multiple test scenarios

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary actions by pre-configuring test environments and support containers before actual test execution begins. The orchestration platform prepares all necessary software components, databases, and infrastructure in advance based on the test execution plan, reducing setup time and ensuring environment readiness

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Adaptability or versatility

If manual configuration of test environments is performed, then complex test scenarios can be customized, but the process becomes error-prone and time-consuming

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetest environment customization capabilityVSAvoidtest environment preparation time

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements universality through support containers that can perform multiple test support operations across different test environments and scenarios. A single container architecture provides database management, file storage, network configuration, and other services that are adaptable to various test requirements without requiring separate manual configuration for each scenario

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The orchestration platform performs preliminary configuration of support containers with all necessary software components and settings before test execution. User-supplied configuration data is processed in advance to generate pre-configured environments that maintain adaptability while eliminating time-consuming manual setup steps

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Productivity

If programmatic tools are used to orchestrate test execution, then efficiency and error reduction improve, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetest execution efficiencyVSAvoidtest orchestration system complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The test orchestration platform serves as an intermediary layer between the user and the complex underlying container infrastructure. It provides a simplified interface for submitting test requests and configuration data, while automatically managing the complexity of container orchestration, software component configuration, and test execution coordination in the background

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system segments the test execution process into distinct, manageable components including test request submission, configuration data processing, support container orchestration, and test result collection. This modular approach organizes the complexity into separate functional units that can be independently managed and executed

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS11307967B2Test orchestration platform

Publication Date: 2022.04.19 ORACLE INT CORP

AI summary

Techniques for test orchestration are disclosed. A system executes multiple test execution plans, using instances of a same test container image that encapsulates a test environment and instances of at least two different test support container images that are specified by different user-defined test configurations and each configured to perform, respectively, one or more test support operations. To execute each of the test execution plans, the system generates a respective instance of the test container image and one or more test support containers. A particular test execution plan includes generating a test support container that is specified in a corresponding user-defined test configuration and that is different from any test support container specified in another user-defined test configuration.