Accurately estimating install time

A computer program product for estimating install time, the computer program product comprising:

• a computer readable storage medium having computer usable program code embodied therewith, the computer usable program code configured to:
• determine, for a selected installation configuration option, one or more installation operations for installing a product in a non-test operating environment in accordance with the installation configuration option;
• select a first of a plurality of predetermined install time calculation expressions that comprises at least a combination of a timing parameter and a timing coefficient associated with the timing parameter based, at least in part, on the one or more installation operations;
• identify a set of timing parameter test operations to determine a current value of the timing parameter in the non-test operating environment;
• determine the current value of the timing parameter based, at least in part, on the identified set of timing parameter test operations;
• and
• estimate the install time interval associated with installing the product in accordance with the installation configuration option in the non-test operating environment based, at least in part, on the current value of the timing parameter, the corresponding timing coefficient, and the first of the plurality of install time calculation expressions.

A method comprising:

• identifying a timing parameter that influences an install time interval for installing a product on a plurality of computing machines in accordance with an installation configuration option;
• identifying a set of timing parameter test operations to determine test values for the timing parameter of the plurality of computing machines;
• for each of the plurality of computing machines,
• determining a test value for the timing parameter for the computing machine based, at least in part, on the set of timing parameter test operations;
• determining a test value for an install time for the computing machine based, at least in part, on installation operations that are performed in accordance with the installation configuration option;
• determining a timing coefficient for the timing parameter based on analyzing the test values for the timing parameter and the test values for the install time, both of which were determined for each of the plurality of computing machines;
• recording the timing coefficient and the installation configuration option, wherein the install time interval for installing the product in accordance with the installation configuration option in a non-test operating environment is estimated based on the timing coefficients and the installation configuration option.

A system comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• an install time estimation unit coupled with the processor, the install time estimation unit operable to:
• identify a timing parameter that influences an install time interval for installing a product on a plurality of sample computing machines in a test environment in accordance with an installation configuration option;
• identify a set of timing parameter test operations to determine test values of the timing parameter of the plurality of sample computing machines;
• for each of the plurality of sample computing machines in the test environment,
• determine the test value of the timing parameter for the sample computing machine based, at least in part, on the set of timing parameter test operations;
• determine a test value of the install time for the sample computing machine based, at least in part, on installation operations that are performed in accordance with the installation configuration option;
• determine a timing coefficient for the timing parameter based on the test values of the timing parameter and the test values of the install time, both of which were determined for each of the plurality of sample computing machines;
• record the timing coefficient and the installation configuration option, wherein the install time interval for installing the product in accordance with the installation configuration option in a non-test operating environment is estimated based on the timing coefficient and the installation configuration option.