Patent ID: 7840945

Claim:
A software resource testing method, comprising: providing a computing system comprising a memory system, said memory system comprising a software application and a testing tool suite, said software application independent from said testing tool suite, said testing tool suite comprising a comparing tool and an action tool; providing, at least one external resource required for execution of said software application, said least one external resource independent from said software application and said testing tool suite; receiving, by said computing system, a first table comprising data identifying said at least one external resource required for execution of said software application and data identifying an expected state for said at least one external resource, said expected state required for enabling said at least one external resource to perform a function for said execution of said software application; receiving, by a computer processor of said computing system, data identifying a first action to be taken if said expected state does not equal an actual state generated during a functionality test for said at least one external resource to be performed by said testing tool suite; receiving, by said computing system, data identifying a second action to be taken if said expected state equals said actual state during said functionality test; receiving, by said computing system, a second table comprising data identifying an attribute and an associated value for said at least one external resource and a description for said attribute; generating a resource listing test file comprising a list including said data identifying said at least one external resource, said data identifying said expected state, said data identifying said first action, said data identifying said second action, said attribute, and said associated value; storing said resource listing test file in said memory system, said resource listing test file stored in a specified format; retrieving, by said computing system, said resource listing test file from said memory system; connecting said at least one external resource to said computing system; enabling, by said computing system, said at least one external resource; generating, by said at least one external resource, said actual state for said at least one external resource; retrieving, by said computing system, data describing said actual state; and comparing, by said comparing tool, said expected state from said resource listing test file to said actual state generated by said at least one external resource.