(Adapted from an article published in the IBM Technical Disclosure Bulletin, Vol. 36 No. 8 (August, 1993), pages 109-110.)
Host-based Initiation and Analysis of PC-driven Tests
Timothy D. Greer
Disclosed is a method to facilitate host-based initiation and analysis of PC-driven tests. Three communications programs interact to first tell the workstation what tests to run, and then send results files to a designated host USERID. No host USERID (except those which may be being tested) need be logged on during the actual testing. For a specific implementation, the host system may be VM and the workstation may be running OS/2.
The three communications programs used consist of two programs on the host (generally run in separate USERIDs) and one on the workstation. The workstation runs a multi-tasking operating system such as OS/2. Communications can be by PWSCS/ISFC or a similar facility. The first host program uses the Common Programming Interface for Communications (CPIC) to connect to a private resource on the target workstation. The private resource is the workstation program. The host program transmits data (using CPIC) to the workstation program concerning which tests to run, a USERID at HOSTNAME to send the results to, and test-specific information such as what test USERIDs to use, passwords, etc. The workstation program then starts the tests and uses the conversation with the host program to tell the host program that the test is started, or that starting the test failed. Additional information such as the sessions being used for the test or the apparent reason for the failure of the tests to start may also be transmitted. The host program terminates at this point, and the user is free to go on to other work, or to log off.
The workstation program now executes the tests. Test results are accumulated in a file on the workstation. When the tests complete, the workstation program connects, again using CPIC, to a private server on a host system. The workstation program reads the results file(s) from the test(s) and transmits them line by line to the host private server program using CPIC. The host private server program copies the lines of the results file(s) to a single host file (or multiple files, but since the test was initiated as a single group, the likely preferred form is a single file). The workstation program also sends the host private server program the USERID at HOSTNAME earlier passed to it from the first host program. When all the information has been transmitted, the workstation program terminates. The host private server program then sends (via RSCS if necessary) the completed copy of the results file(s) to the designated USERID at HOSTNAME. The host private server program then terminates.
The figure shows a time line of what is happening at the workstation and at the host USERIDs. Time is increasing downward in the figure. Note that the host USERID initiating the process is in general not the same as the private server nor the eventual target of the results file(s). However, it is not impossible for a single host USERID to play two or even all three of the roles. Note also that by configuring the workstation and host server programs as private resources, they are automatically started when a connect to them arrives.
The USERID at HOSTNAME can of course be the same as the USERID which ran the original program. Since the results arrive as a file, their pending and actual arrival do not interfere with other work which the user might be doing. When the file arrives, the user can analyze it, possibly choosing to revise testing strategy, run additional tests, etc. The user could also have started up additional tests before the first test completed, up to the capacity of the workstation running the tests.
Workstation Side Host Side
------------------------
|User requests test start|
| and sends data such |
| as forwarding |
| destination for test |
| results |
| | |
------------------------- | | |
|Workstation gets request | | | |
| | | | | |
| v | | | |
|Workstation starts test | <--------------------> | | |
| | | CPIC communication | | |
| v | | | |
|Workstation tells user | | | |
| of successful start, | | | |
| or sends error data | | | |
------------------------- | | |
| | v |
| |User gets start or error|
| | data |
| | | |
| | v |
| |User's request program |
| | terminates |
| ------------------------
|
v
-------------------------
|Workstation runs test |
-------------------------
|
v
-------------------------
|Workstation connects to | ------------------------
| host private server, | |Host private server gets|
| delivers test results, | <--------------------> | test results and |
| delivers forwarding | CPIC communication | forwarding |
| information, and | | information |
| terminates. | | | |
------------------------- | v |
|Host private server |
| sends file with test |
| results to user |
| specified in |
| forwarding |
| information |
| | |
| v |
|Host private server |
| terminates |
------------------------
|
|
|
v
------------------------
|User specified in |
| forwarding |
| information gets |
| test results file |
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