Automated test input generation for integration testing of microservice-based web applications

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018039565-A1
Application number	US-201615229949-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 5, 2016
Priority date	Aug 5, 2016
Publication date	Feb 8, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

Techniques for automated generation of inputs for testing microservice-based applications are provided. In one example, a computer-implemented method comprises: traversing, by a system operatively coupled to a processor, a user interface of a microservices-based application by performing actions on user interface elements of the user interface; and generating, by the system, an aggregated log of user interface event sequences and application program interface call sets based on the traversing. The computer-implemented method also comprises: determining, by the system, respective user interface event sequences that invoke application program interface call sets; and generating, by the system, respective test inputs based on the user interface event sequences that invoke the application program interface call sets.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A system, comprising:
a memory that stores computer executable components; and a processor that executes the computer executable components stored in the memory, wherein the computer executable components comprise:
a user interface crawling component that traverses a user interface of a microservices-based application by performing actions on user interface elements of the user interface;
an event sequence component that:
generates an aggregated log of user interface event sequences and application program interface call sets based on the traversal of the user interface; and
determines respective user interface event sequences that invoke application program interface call sets; and

a test input recording component that generates respective test inputs based on the user interface event sequences that invoke the application program interface call sets.

2 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a coverage component that:
generates an annotated application program interface call graph associated with the microservices-based application based on an aggregated log, wherein respective edges of the annotated application program interface call graph are annotated with coverage indications; and determines at least one coverage metric related to the annotated application program interface call graph based on the coverage indications.

3 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the coverage component further determines that the user interface should be traversed again with one or more mutated event sequences based on the at least one coverage metric and at least one coverage criterion.

4 . The system of claim 3 , wherein the coverage component further determines an event sequence for mutation, where the event sequence is determined by the coverage component to invoke an externally visible application program interface that is at least one of directly or indirectly connected with an uncovered edge of the annotated application program interface call graph.

5 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the user interface crawling component mutates the event sequence to invoke the externally visible application program interface with at least one of a different parameter or a different parameter value.

6 . The system of claim 5 , wherein the user interface crawling component mutates the event sequence by at least one of deletion of an event of the event sequence that contributes at least one parameter to invocation of the externally visible application program interface, addition of an additional event to the event sequence that contributes at least one additional parameter to invocation of the externally visible application program interface, or modification of at least one data value of at least one event of the event sequence.

7 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a test execution component that tests at least a portion of an application program interface call graph associated with the microservices-based application using at least one test input of the test inputs.

8 . A computer-implemented method, comprising:
traversing, by a system operatively coupled to a processor, a user interface of a microservices-based application by performing actions on user interface elements of the user interface; generating, by the system, an aggregated log of user interface event sequences and application program interface call sets based on the traversing; determining, by the system, respective user interface event sequences that invoke application program interface call sets; and generating, by the system, respective test inputs based on the user interface event sequences that invoke the application program interface call sets.

9 . The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , further comprising:
annotating, by the system, respective edges of an application program interface call graph associated with the microservices-based application with coverage indications based on an aggregated log; and determining, by the system, at least one coverage metric related to the annotated application program interface call graph based on the coverage indications.

10 . The computer-implemented method of claim 9 , further comprising determining, by the system, whether the user interface should be traversed again with one or more mutated event sequences based on the at least one coverage metric and at least one coverage criterion.

11 . The computer-implemented method of claim 10 , further comprising determining, by the system, an event sequence for mutation, wherein the event sequence is determined to invoke an externally visible application program interface that is at least one of directly or indirectly connected with an uncovered edge of the annotated application program interface call graph.

12 . The computer-implemented method of claim 11 , further comprising mutating, by the system, the event sequence to invoke the externally visible application program interface with at least one of a different parameter or a different parameter value.

13 . The computer-implemented method of claim 12 , wherein the mutating comprises at least one of deleting of an event of the event sequence that contributes at least a parameter to invocation of the externally visible application program interface, adding of an additional event to the event sequence that contributes at least one additional parameter to invocation of the externally visible application program interface, or changing of at least one data value of at least one event of the event sequence.

14 . The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , further comprising testing, by the system, at least a portion of an application program interface call graph associated with the microservices-based application using at least one test input of the test inputs.

15 . A computer program product for automatically generating test inputs for testing of a microservices-based application, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by a processing component to cause the processing component to:
traverse a user interface of a microservices-based application by performing actions on user interface elements of the user interface; generate an aggregated log of user interface event sequences and application program interface call sets based on the traversing; determine respective user interface event sequences that invoke application program interface call sets; and generate respective test inputs based on the user interface event sequences that invoke the application program interface call sets.

16 . The computer program product of claim 15 , wherein the program instructions are further executable by the processing component to cause the processing component to:
annotate respective edges of an application program interface call graph associated with the microservices-based application with coverage indications based on an aggregated log; and determine at least one coverage metric related to the annotated application program interface call graph based on the coverage indications.

17 . The computer program product of claim 16 , wherein the program instructions are further executable by the processing component to cause the processing component to:
determine whether the user interface should be traversed again with one or more mutated event sequences based on the at least one coverage metric and at least one coverage criterion.

18 . The computer program product of claim 15 , wherein the prog

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Rajagopalan Shriram
• Sinha Saurabh

Classifications

• G06F11/3476

  Data logging (G06F11/14, G06F11/2205 take precedence) · CPC title

• G06F11/3438

  monitoring of user actions (tracking the activity of the user H04L67/535) · CPC title

• G06F9/451 Primary

  Execution arrangements for user interfaces · CPC title

• G06F16/9024

  Graphs; Linked lists (G06F16/9027 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G06F3/0482

  Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus · CPC title