System and method for the automated testing of a telecommunications system
AssigneeSprint Communications Company L.P.
InventorsRobert Howard, Jack Johnson, Dave Hoover, Glenn Workinger
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system and method for the automated testing of a telecommunications system. In operation, the automated test system may be used to test the functionality of telephony applications residing on telecommunications equipment and to validate the data contained within related databases. In an exemplary embodiment, the automated test system is used to test the functionality of an automated messaging system and the accuracy of associated call detail records (CDR) located within a CDR database. A capture/playback tool is preferably used to emulate the interaction of a test person on a workstation of the test system to thereby automate the testing process.
Claims31
A method of automatically testing a telecommunications system, the system including telecommunications equipment and a related database-under-test, comprising the steps of:
- (a) storing a test script in a database of a test system;
- (b) retrieving the test script from the database of the test system;
- and
- (c) executing the test script to automatically control the substeps of:
- (c1) transmitting a test signal to telecommunications equipment;
- (c2) detecting a response signal produced by the telecommunications equipment in response to the test signal;
- (c3) evaluating the response signal to determine whether the telecommunications equipment is operating properly;
- (c4) accessing a database-under-test;
- (c5) retrieving data logged into the database-under-test in response to steps (c1) and (c2);
- (c6) evaluating the data to determine whether the data was properly logged into the database-under-test.
A method of automatically testing a telecommunications system, the system including telecommunications equipment and a call detail records (CDR) database, comprising the steps of:
- (a) storing a test script in a database of a test system;
- (b) retrieving the test script from the database of the test system;
- and
- (c) executing the test script to automatically control the substeps of:
- (c1) placing a test call to telecommunications equipment to determine whether the telecommunications equipment is operating properly;
- (c2) retrieving a CDR associated with the test call from a CDR database to determine whether the CDR was properly logged into the CDR database.
A method of automatically testing a telecommunications system, the system including an automated messaging system and a call detail records (CDR) database, comprising the steps of:
- (a) storing a test script in a database of a test system;
- (b) retrieving the test script from the database of the test system;
- and
- (c) executing the test script to automatically control the substeps of:
- (c1) transmitting a test signal to an automated messaging system;
- (c2) detecting a response signal produced by the automated messaging system in response to the test signal;
- (c3) evaluating the response signal to determine whether the automated messaging system is operating properly;
- (c4) accessing a CDR database;
- (c5) retrieving a CDR logged into the CDR database in response to steps (c1) and (c2);
- (c6) comparing the CDR to a reference CDR to determine whether the CDR was properly logged into the CDR database;
- (c7) writing test results from steps (c3) and (c6) to a test results database of the test system.
A test system for automatically testing a telecommunication system, the telecommunications system including telecommunications equipment and a related database-under-test, comprising:
- (a) a test manager programmed to monitor and control the execution of a test script;
- (b) a capture/playback tool, operatively coupled to the test manager, programmed to execute the test script to automatically place a test call to the telecommunications equipment to determine whether the telecommunications equipment is operating properly and retrieve data associated with the test call from the database-under-test to determine whether data is being properly logged into the database-under-test;
- and
- (c) a test results database, operatively coupled to the test manager and the capture/playback tool, for storing test results from the execution of the test script.
A test system for automatically testing a telecommunication system, the telecommunications system including an automated messaging system and a call detail records (CDR) database, comprising:
- (a) means for monitoring and controlling the execution of a test script;
- (b) means for executing the test script to automatically place a test call to the automated messaging system to determine whether the automated messaging system is operating properly and retrieve a CDR associated with the test call from the CDR database to determine whether CDRs are being properly logged into the CDR database;
- and
- (c) means for storing test results from the execution of the test script.
A test system for automatically testing a telecommunications system, the telecommunications system including an automated messaging system and a call detail records (CDR) database, comprising:
- (a) a workstation;
- (b) telecommunications test equipment adapted to determine whether an automated messaging system is operating properly;
- and
- (c) a server programmed to:
- (i) monitor and control the execution of at least one test script;
- (ii) execute the at least one test script to automatically place a test call to the automated messaging system to determine whether the automated messaging system is operating properly and retrieve a CDR associated with the test call from the CDR database to determine whether data is being properly logged into the CDR database, wherein the server is operatively coupled to the workstation in such a manner that the server executes the at least one test script on the workstation;
- (iii) store test results from the execution of the test script.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.