Wind River announced a new version of its Linux-ready, embedded device test automation software. Wind River Test Management 4.0 can now identify high-risk segments in production code, as well as focus testing solely on changes made between builds, among other new features, says the company.

Wind River Test Management 4.0 builds upon a Test Management solution that was announced in 2008, and updated in June 2010 to version 3.3. That version added multicore support and expanded run-time test coverage. It also debuted a hybrid test type and a new component-based test model.

The Linux-ready testing framework combines a scalable test execution engine, an embedded device virtual lab manager, and dynamic software instrumentation technology. The software can be deployed as a stand-alone system or can be integrated via open interfaces with commercial tools such as Wind River Linux, or with internally developed test environments, says the Intel subsidiary.

A new focus on build changes

One major new feature in Wind River Test Management 4.0 is its newfound ability to test coverage at the branch and block level, working directly on optimized production binaries, says Wind River. As a result, the software is said to let developers analyze production code to understand changes between builds.

In addition, version 4.0 highlights higher-risk areas of the application that are impacted by changes, and focuses the testing resources accordingly, says Wind River. An Automatic Test Suite Generator module acts as a Decision Support System and "drastically reduces risk and test cycles by creating an enhanced test suite according to customer-defined rules and constraints," says the company.

In addition, Wind River Test Management 4.0 adds an open framework for custom integration to third-party test management, defect tracking, and requirement management applications, says Wind River. The software is said to specifically integrate add-ons for IBM Rational Quality Manager, IBM DOORS, IBM ClearQuest, and HP Quality Center applications.

Additional new features of Wind River Test Management 4.0 are said to include:

• device reservation and scheduling system integrated with Virtual Lab Manager (VLM)
• test case versioning system for test cases and scripted test components, used to preserve change history to support regulatory standards for auditing and access control
• support for systems with short time frame "watchdog" or "heartbeat" utilities, improving scalability and response time to enable "instrumentation of 70,000 functions in less than one second"

Other Wind River testing software includes Wind River Framework for Automated Software Testing (FAST) for Android, as well as the related Wind River UX Test Development Kit.

Stated Gustavo Perez, general manager of CT engineering at GE Healthcare, "Wind River Test Management has tremendously helped us improve the productivity of our firmware testing team, significantly reducing the overall development cycle time."

Stated Ido Sarig, vice president of product marketing at Wind River, "The new features in Wind River Test Management help reduce the risk that defects in untested code will slip through unnoticed, with potentially grave consequences."

Availability

Wind River Test Management 4.0 is available now. More information about may be found at the Wind River Test Management 4.0 page.

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