Patent ID: 7594219

Claim:
A method for testing a compatibility of software modules, the method comprising computer implemented steps of: responsive to receiving a request to install a new software module in a data processing system, performing an inventory on an existing set of software modules resident in the data processing system; referring to a knowledge base of software modules to determine whether the new software module is known to function compatibly with each software module in the existing set of software modules; responsive to a determination that the new software module is not known to function compatibly with each software module in the existing set of software modules, determining whether to test the new software module in a test data processing system in combination with the existing set of software modules; responsive to a determination to test the new software module in the test data processing system in combination with the existing set of software modules, identifying an operating environment of the data processing system; installing the new software module, the identified environment, and the existing set of software modules on the test data processing system; testing the new software module in combination with the existing set of software modules on the test data processing system; responsive to a test result indicating that the new software module is compatible with the existing set of software modules, adding a new combination indicating the compatibility to the knowledge base; and installing the new software module, which has been tested and is compatible with the existing set of software modules, in the data processing system.