System and method for automatically determining relationships between software artifacts using multiple evidence sources

A computer program product comprising a tangible computer useable readable recordable storage memory including computer usable program code for inferring whether at least a first relationship exists between at least first and second entities, said computer program product including:

• computer usable program code for applying a first assessor to obtain a first confidence level pertaining to putative existence of said at least first relationship between said at least first and second entities;
• computer usable program code for applying a second assessor to obtain a second confidence level pertaining to putative existence of said at least first relationship between said at least first and second entities;
• and
• computer usable program code for combining said first and second confidence levels to obtain an overall inference whether said at least first relationship exists between said at least first and second entities wherein said computer usable program code for combining comprises computer usable program code for performing the summation:
• ∑
• n
• =
• 1
• N
• ⁢
• (
• V
• n
• ·
• w
• n
• )
• where:
• each of said first assessor and said second assessor represents said confidence levels as a value, Vn, between zero and one, with n indicating an nth one of said assessors;
• wn is a weight for said nth one of said assessors;
• and
• N=a total number of said assessors, wherein N>1;
• ∑
• n
• =
• 1
• N
• ⁢
• w
• n
• =
• 1.

An apparatus for inferring whether at least a first relationship exists between at least first and second entities, the apparatus comprising:

• a memory;
• and
• at least one processor, coupled to the memory, operative to:
• apply a first assessor to obtain a first confidence level pertaining to putative existence of said at least first relationship between said at least first and second entities;
• apply a second assessor to obtain a second confidence level pertaining to putative existence of said at least first relationship between said at least first and second entities;
• and
• combine said first and second confidence levels to obtain an overall inference whether said at least first relationship exists between said at least first and second entities, wherein the at least one processor is further operative to combine said first and second confidence levels by performing the summation:
• ∑
• n
• =
• 1
• N
• ⁢
• (
• V
• n
• ·
• w
• n
• )
• where:
• each of said first assessor and said second assessor represents said confidence levels as a value, Vn, between zero and one, with n indicating an nth one of said assessors;
• wn is a weight for said nth one of said assessors;
• and
• N=a total number of said assessors, wherein N>1;
• ∑
• n
• =
• 1
• N
• ⁢
• w
• n
• =
• 1.

A computer program product comprising a tangible computer useable readable recordable storage memory including computer usable program code for building a database associated with a relationship manager program, said database comprising at least a plurality of candidate relationships and a plurality of candidate assessors, said computer program product including:

• computer usable program code for facilitating registration of said plurality of candidate assessors with said manager program, based at least in part upon input from human experts having assessor-related knowledge, said registration of said plurality of candidate assessors including at least indications of which of said plurality of candidate assessors can assess which kinds of said candidate relationships;
• and
• computer usable program code for facilitating registration of said plurality of candidate relationships with said manager program, based at least in part upon input from human relationship experts having relationship-related knowledge, said registration of said plurality of candidate relationships including at least indications of which of said plurality of candidate relationships can apply to given pairs of said plurality of entities, wherein:
• when it is indicated that one of said plurality of candidate relationships can apply to a pair of software artifacts, the one of said plurality of candidate relationships is a tests relationship, wherein one artifact of the pair tests another artifact of the pair, or an implements relationship, wherein the one artifact of the pair implements the other artifact of the pair.