Automatically testing firmware

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016179656-A1
Application number	US-201514973160-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 17, 2015
Priority date	Dec 19, 2014
Publication date	Jun 23, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method and a system for automatically testing firmware by determining a contextual environment where a firmware is located; determining a hardware environment where the firmware is located; and testing the firmware at least partly based on the contextual environment and the hardware environment.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method for automatically testing a firmware, the method comprising:
determining a contextual environment where a firmware is located; determining a hardware environment where the firmware is located; and testing the firmware at least partly based on the contextual environment and the hardware environment.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein testing the firmware at least partly based on the contextual environment and the hardware environment further comprises:
in response to the contextual environment not matching a predetermined contextual environment, guiding the firmware from the contextual environment to the predetermined contextual environment; and performing tests on the firmware in the predetermined contextual environment.

3 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein testing the firmware at least partly based on the contextual environment and the hardware environment further comprises:
modifying a test case to create a modified test case for the test according to the hardware environment; and testing the firmware by at least using the modified test case.

4 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the hardware environment includes a hardware structure and a hardware interface, wherein the hardware structure is abstracted to form a code for describing hardware structure properties, and the hardware interface is abstracted to form a code for describing communication via the hardware interface.

5 . The method according to claim 4 , wherein the hardware structure being abstracted further comprises:
abstracting the hardware structure properties related to the test and not abstracting the hardware structure properties not related to the test.

6 . A method for automatically testing a plurality of firmware, the method comprising:
assigning a priority level for each of a plurality of firmware; determining a testing order for the plurality of firmware at least partly based on the priority levels; and according to the testing order, executing for each of the plurality of firmware
determining a contextual environment where a firmware is located;
determining a hardware environment where the firmware is located; and
testing the firmware at least partly based on the contextual environment and the hardware environment.

7 . The method according to claim 6 , further comprising:
determining an arrival time for a testing task of each of the plurality of firmware, wherein the testing order is further determined based on the arrival time.

8 . The method according to claim 6 , further comprising:
for a current firmware to be tested among the plurality of firmware, determining whether the current firmware to be tested has already entered a tested state, and starting the test in response to the firmware having already entered the tested state.

9 . The method according to claim 8 , further comprising:
in response to the current firmware to be tested having not yet entered the tested state, skipping the current firmware to be tested, and determining whether next firmware to be tested according to the testing order has already entered a tested state.

10 . The method according to claim 6 , wherein the test is performed concurrently for a plurality of different tested platform types or a plurality of firmware to be tested under the same tested platform type.

11 . A system for automatically testing a firmware, the system configured to determine a contextual environment where the firmware is located;
determine a hardware environment where the firmware is located; and test the firmware at least partly based on the contextual environment and the hardware environment.

12 . The system according to claim 11 , further configured to:
in response to the contextual environment not matching a predetermined contextual environment, guide the firmware from this contextual environment to the predetermined contextual environment, and perform test on the firmware in the predetermined contextual environment.

13 . The system according to claim 11 , further configured to
modify a test case to create a modified test case for the test according to the hardware environment; and test the firmware by at least using the modified test case.

14 . The system according to claim 11 , wherein the hardware environment includes a hardware structure and a hardware interface, wherein the hardware structure is abstracted to form a code for describing hardware structure properties, and the hardware interface is abstracted to form a code for describing communication via the hardware interface.

15 . The system according to claim 14 , wherein the hardware structure being abstracted comprises:
abstracting the hardware structure properties related to the test and not abstracting the hardware structure properties not related to the test.

Assignees

• Emc Corp

Inventors

• Yang Bruce Yunlong
• Zhang Martin Yang

Classifications

• G06F11/3698 Primary

  Environments for analysis, debugging or testing of software · CPC title

• G06F11/368

  for test version control, e.g. updating test cases to a new software version · CPC title

• G06F11/3664 Primary

  Physics · mapped topic

• G06F11/3668

  Testing of software · CPC title