Development Phases

The development of a test platform takes place in overlapping phases. Each iteration is marked by increasing knowledge, experience, and functionality:

1. Set up a development environment for the test platform. Develop the test platform UI.
2. Develop the gDS schema for the test platform.
3. Interface to and discover the system under test. Represent it in the gDS data store from #2 above.
4. Learn to configure/manipulate the system under test from #3 above.
5. Make display(s) of the state of the system under test and the test platform.
6. Start to make the system under test to perform the activities (configuration, operation) it was designed to perform.
7. Develop ways to understand if the above activities (#6) are completed successfully or not.
8. Design and implement ways to provoke and respond to failures in key system components (hosts, networks, storage). Notice this phase will cause the most stress on the test platform design and development efforts. It may require significant revision to the test platform code. It is a necessary phase, however.