Method, system and program product for automated testing of changes to exernalized rules

Abstract

A method of testing changes to externalized rules is provided. The method comprises using a rules change management engine and receiving from it a test request for a rules change for a rule. Further, the method comprises providing regression test buckets for testing a version of a rule against each of a plurality of exploiting systems that exploits the rule, and determining for the test request for the rules change received, which of the regression test buckets should be executed against which of the plurality of exploiting systems that exploits the rule and running, using a test rules management system, the regression test buckets that are determined should be executed. The method further comprises reporting results of the regression test buckets that are run to the rules change management engine, such that the rules change management engine is able to determine whether or not to implement the rules change.

1 . A method of testing rule changes, said method comprising the steps of: 
 providing test buckets for testing a version of a rule against a plurality of exploiting systems that exploits said rule by using a rules change management engine deployed on a computing system;    receiving a test request for a rules change for a rule;    determining for said test request for said rules change received, which of said test buckets should be executed against which of said plurality of exploiting systems that exploits said rule;    running, using a test rules management system, said test buckets that are determined should be executed; and    reporting test results of said test buckets that are run to said rules change management engine for implementing said rules change for said rule based on said test results that are reported.    
   
   
       2 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising the steps of: 
 creating a log of said test results that are reported; and    storing said log of said test results that are created in a log file.    
   
   
       3 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising the steps of: 
 assigning a unique rule identifier to each rule of a plurality of rules; and    assigning a unique system identifier to each system of said plurality of exploiting systems that exploits said plurality of rules.    
   
   
       4 . The method according to  claim 3 , wherein said providing step further comprises the steps of: 
 defining test buckets for said each rule of said plurality of rules;    assigning a unique test identifier to each test bucket of said test buckets that are defined; and    defining any local rules that are linked to any of said test buckets for controlling said running of said test buckets.    
   
   
       5 . The method according to  claim 4 , wherein said receiving step further comprises the step of: 
 receiving into said test rules management system said test request for said rules change for said rule from said rules change management engine.    
   
   
       6 . The method according to  claim 5 , wherein said determining step further comprises the step of: 
 establishing one or more relationships between said each test bucket of said test buckets and said each system of said plurality of exploiting systems that exploits any rule of said plurality of rules, and between each rule of said plurality of rules and one or more test buckets of said plurality of test buckets that should be executed against said each system of said plurality of exploiting systems that exploits said any rule of said plurality of rules.    
   
   
       7 . The method according to  claim 6 , wherein said running step further comprises the steps of: 
 consulting said one or more relationships to determine a relevant set of said test buckets that should be executed; and    running, using said test rules management system, said relevant set of said test buckets that are determined should be executed against a plurality of test exploiting systems corresponding to said plurality of exploiting systems.    
   
   
       8 . The method according to  claim 7 , wherein said creating a log step further comprises the step of: 
 implementing, using said rules change management engine, said rules change for said rule based on said test buckets executed in said running step on said test rules management system.    
   
   
       9 . A method of managing a computer infrastructure, said method comprising the steps of: 
 providing test buckets for testing a version of a rule against a plurality of exploiting systems that exploits said rule by using a rules change management engine;    receiving from said rules change management engine a test request for a rules change for a rule of a plurality of rules;    determining for said test request for said rules change received, which of said test buckets should be executed against which of said plurality of exploiting systems that exploits said rule;    running, using a test rules management system, said test buckets that are determined should be executed; and    implementing on said computer infrastructure, using said rules change management engine, said rules change for said rule of said plurality of rules based on said test buckets executed in said running step.    
   
   
       10 . The method according to  claim 9 , further comprising the steps of: 
 reporting to said rules change management engine test results of said test buckets that are run on said test rules management system;    creating a log of said test results that are reported; and    storing said log of said test results that are created in a log file.    
   
   
       11 . The method according to  claim 10 , further comprising the step of: 
 calculating, on a subscription basis, a fee for any rules change implemented for said plurality of rules on said computer infrastructure based at least in part on a number of rules changes implemented for a subscribed client over a specified time duration.    
   
   
       12 . The method according to  claim 11 , wherein said providing step further comprises the steps of: 
 assigning a unique rule identifier to each rule of said plurality of rules; and    assigning a unique system identifier to each system of said plurality of exploiting systems that exploits said plurality of rules.    
   
   
       13 . The method according to  claim 12 , wherein said determining step further comprises the steps of: 
 defining test buckets for said each rule of said plurality of rules;    assigning a unique test identifier to each test bucket of said test buckets that are defined;    defining any local rules that are linked to any of said test buckets for controlling said running of said test buckets; and    establishing one or more relationships between said each test bucket of said test buckets and said each system of said plurality of exploiting systems that exploits any rule of said plurality of rules, and between each rule of said plurality of rules and one or more test buckets of said plurality of test buckets that should be executed against said each system of said plurality of exploiting systems that exploits said any rule of said plurality of rules.    
   
   
       14 . The method according to  claim 13 , wherein said running step further comprises the steps of: 
 consulting said one or more relationships to determine a relevant set of said test buckets that should be executed; and    running, using a test rules management system, said relevant set of said test buckets that are determined should be executed against a plurality of test exploiting systems corresponding to said plurality of exploiting systems.    
   
   
       15 . A computer system for testing changes to rules, said computer system comprising: 
 a rules engine, said rules engine being configured to manage a plurality of rules, each rule of said plurality of rules being exploited by one or more exploiting systems of a plurality of exploiting systems;    a rules change management engine coupled to said rules engine, said rules change management engine being configured to update any of said plurality of rules stored in said rules engine; and    a test rules engine comprising a plurality of test exploiting systems, a test buckets file and a rule-system-test linkage file, each of said test exploiting systems corresponding to one of said plurality of exploiting systems, said test buckets file being configured to store test buckets that are defined for each rule of said plurality of rules, said rule-system-test linkage file being configured to provide a linkage between said test buckets that are defined, said each rule of said plurality of rules and said one or more exploiting systems that exploit said each rule, said test rules engine being configured to receive a test request from said rules change management engine for a rules change for a rule of said plurality of rules and configured to select which of said test buckets from said test buckets file should be executed in response to said test request for said rules change and to select one or more of said plurality of test exploiting systems based on said linkage obtained from said rule-system-test linkage file and to run said test buckets selected on said one or more of said plurality of test exploiting systems selected for testing said rules change received for said rule in said test request.    
   
   
       16 . The computer system according to  claim 15 , wherein said test rules engine further comprises: 
 a test rules file configured to store a copy of said plurality of rules; and    a log file configured to store test results of said one or more of said test buckets run by said test rules engine.    
   
   
       17 . The computer system according to  claim 16 , wherein said test rules engine is further configured to report said test results of said one or more of said test buckets that are run to said rules change management engine.  
   
   
       18 . The computer system according to  claim 17 , wherein said rules change management engine is further configured to implement said rules change for said rule in said rules engine upon receiving passing test results for said rules change.  
   
   
       19 . The computer system according to  claim 18 , wherein said rule-system-test linkage file is further configured to link a unique rule identifier to said each rule of said plurality of rules, and to link a unique system identifier to said each system of said plurality of exploiting systems that exploits said plurality of rules, and to link a unique test identifier to each of said test buckets that are defined.  
   
   
       20 . The computer system according to  claim 19 , wherein each of said test buckets that are stored in said test buckets file is defined to correspond to one or more of said plurality of rules.