Transferring Application Software from a Physical to a Virtual Computer System

A method for testing application software for installation on a hardware platform using virtual computer systems, the method comprising:

• verifying an application testing tool using a tool qualifier module running on a physical computer system having a first processor of a first processor type and a first operating system of a first operating type running on the first processor of the first processor type to qualify the application testing tool;
• establishing a benchmark performance for the physical computer system;
• verifying a virtual machine in a virtual computer system using a qualifier module to determine whether a performance of the virtual machine is consistent with the benchmark performance of the physical computer system within selected tolerances to thereby form a qualified virtual machine,
• wherein the virtual computer system has a configuration that comprises a second processor of a second processor type;
• a second operating system of a second operating type running on the second processor of the second processor type;
• the virtual machine emulating the first processor of the first processor type and running on the second processor of the second processor type;
• and a third operating system of the first operating type running on the virtual machine;
• and
• transferring the application testing tool, after the application testing tool has been qualified, from the physical computer system to the qualified virtual machine on the virtual computer system, wherein using the application testing tool on the virtual computer system to test an application program that is to be installed on the hardware platform does not require requalifying the application testing tool.

A method for testing application software for installation on an aircraft hardware platform using virtual computer systems, the method comprising:

• verifying an application testing tool using a tool qualifier module running on a physical computer system having a first processor of a first processor type and a first operating system of a first operating type running on the first processor of the first processor type to qualify the application testing tool;
• establishing a benchmark performance for the physical computer system;
• verifying a virtual machine in a virtual computer system using a qualifier module to determine whether a performance of the virtual machine is consistent with the benchmark performance of the physical computer system within selected tolerances to thereby form a qualified virtual machine,
• wherein the virtual computer system has a configuration that comprises a second processor of a second processor type;
• a second operating system of a second operating type running on the second processor of the second processor type;
• the virtual machine emulating the first processor of the first processor type and running on the second processor of the second processor type;
• and a third operating system of the first operating type running on the virtual machine;
• and
• transferring the application testing tool, after the application testing tool has been qualified, from the physical computer system to the qualified virtual machine on the virtual computer system, wherein using the application testing tool on the second virtual computer system to test an application program that is to be installed on the aircraft hardware platform does not require requalifying the application testing tool.
• testing an application program for installation on the aircraft hardware platform using the application testing tool running on the virtual computer system to determine whether the application program is certifiable without requalifying the application testing tool for use on the virtual computer system;
• and
• installing the application program on the aircraft hardware platform in response to a determination that the application program is certifiable.